Staff Backend Engineer & Developer Experience (Ruby)

GitLab; Remote; IDR 1.686.056.000 - 2.360.479.000; Full time

Job summary

A software company is seeking a remote Staff Backend Engineer to enhance the developer experience. You'll collaborate across teams to identify pain points and implement solutions, while engaging in hands-on coding in Ruby and Go. Ideal candidates will have deep experience in developer tooling and DevEx strategies, as well as strong collaboration skills. Join a culture committed to innovation and efficiency, where every voice is valued and your contributions will directly impact teams worldwide.

Qualifications

• Deep experience with developer tooling and DevEx strategies.
• Proven ability to influence without authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in a remote environment.

Responsibilities

• Drive technical excellence across teams with hands-on contributions.
• Partner with engineering teams to improve the Developer Experience.
• Modernize testing to support GitLab's growth.

Skills

Developer tooling

DevEx strategies

Testing frameworks

Influencing without authority

Strong communication skills

Product mindset

Job description

Staff Backend Engineer, Developer Experience (Ruby)

Remote, APAC; Remote, Canada; Remote, EMEA; Remote, Netherlands; Remote, United Kingdom; Remote, US

GitLab is an open-core software company that develops the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps Platform, used by more than 100,000 organizations. Our mission is to enable everyone to contribute to and co-create the software that powers our world. When everyone can contribute, consumers become contributors, significantly accelerating human progress. Our platform unites teams and organizations, breaking down barriers and redefining what’s possible in software development. Thanks to products like Duo Enterprise and Duo Agent Platform, customers get AI benefits at every stage of the SDLC.

The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.

An overview of this role

As a Staff Backend Engineer in the Developer Experience group, you’ll work cross-functionally to help us identify and improve the engineering experience across GitLab’s internal engineering teams. We’re at a pivotal time in transforming our testing approach and development experience to enable engineers to deliver high-quality code efficiently and with confidence.

About the team

Our Developer Experience group currently has six globally distributed teams of Backend Engineers and Software Engineers in Test. In this role, you’ll work across our entire group to identify and remove the biggest points of friction that affect development at GitLab. You’ll split your time between hands-on coding in Ruby and Go, designing scalable solutions, and helping every team deliver. You’ll also be instrumental in shaping our engineering culture across GitLab.

This is a highly visible role with strong company-wide support. You’ll be instrumental in shifting our culture and practices toward a cohesive Developer Experience Platform strategy, backed by buy-in and appetite for change.

What you’ll do

• Drive Technical Excellence Across Teams: Provide hands-on engineering contributions and technical leadership across six Developer Experience teams, jumping in to unblock critical work or accelerate high-impact initiatives.
• Champion Engineering Needs: Partner with engineering teams across GitLab to identify pain points, gather feedback, and translate day-to-day frustrations into actionable improvements for the Developer Experience roadmap.
• Transform Testing at Scale: Help us modernize our testing to support GitLab's growth and ensure engineers have fast, reliable tools that catch issues early without slowing them down.
• Optimize CI/CD Pipelines: Reduce merge and CI friction by building workflows that deliver fast, actionable feedback and help engineers iterate confidently and ship faster.
• Break Down Systemic Bottlenecks: Collaborate with Platform, Product, and Infrastructure teams to identify and eliminate the architectural and process friction that slows down development.
• Shape Engineering Culture: Foster a culture of continuous learning, inclusion, and improvement, where great developer experience is a shared value across the organization.

What you’ll bring

• Deep experience with developer tooling, DevEx strategies, and testing frameworks at scale.
• Experience leading platform or transformation initiatives across multiple teams.
• Proven ability to influence without authority and collaborate across functions.
• Familiarity with DevOps workflows and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in a remote-first environment.
• A product mindset with a passion for empowering developers.
• Alignment with GitLab values, especially collaboration, iteration, and transparency.

The base salary range for this role’s listed level is currently for residents of the United States only. This range reflects the role’s base salary rate in locations throughout the US. Grade level and salary ranges are determined through interviews and a review of education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities of the applicant, equity with other team members, alignment with market data, and geographic location. The base salary range does not include any bonuses, equity, or benefits. See more information on our benefits and equity. Sales roles are also eligible for incentive pay targeted at up to 100% of the offered base salary.

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you’re excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.

Country Hiring Guidelines: GitLab hires new team members in countries around the world. All of our roles are remote, however some roles may carry specific location-based eligibility requirements. Our Talent Acquisition team can help answer any questions about location after starting the recruiting process.

GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab’s policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, or any other basis protected by law. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in GitLab’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to VEVRAA, we request this information to measure outreach and positive recruitment efforts. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

• A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran entitled to compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
• A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty.
• An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military during a war or campaign badge.
• An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty, participated in a U.S. military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded.

Disability Status Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.