Backend Engineer, Create: Source Code Experience (Ruby)

GitLab; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Equity Compensation

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Growth & Development Fund

Parental Leave

Team Member Resource Groups

Health & Well-being benefits

Job summary

GitLab is seeking a Backend Engineer for the Source Code Experience team in the Create stage. You will build backend capabilities and interfaces to support trustworthy collaboration between people and AI agents across GitLab.com, self-managed instances, and GitLab Dedicated.

You’ll design and maintain backend services, work with Ruby and GraphQL, and collaborate across teams to deliver reliable, scalable source code workflows. Strong emphasis on testing, observability, and on-call reliability.

Qualifications

• Experience building backend web applications, services, or APIs with Ruby and GraphQL.
• Understanding of relational databases, SQL, data modeling, caching, and backend performance.
• Experience contributing to user-facing workflows and maintaining underlying systems.
• Experience writing backend unit and integration tests, with testing pyramid and code reviews.
• Experience using AI coding agents or interest in building these skills in a complex monorepo.
• Clear written and spoken English in remote, asynchronous environments.
• Ability to manage priorities, navigate ambiguity, take ownership of work.

Responsibilities

• Develop secure, well-tested, performant features and improvements using Ruby and GraphQL.
• Work through complex requirements and legacy constraints to protect reliability.
• Design and maintain backend services, APIs, data models, and business logic.
• Collaborate across functions asynchronously and synchronously with domain experts.
• Use AI coding agents for well-scoped work to speed delivery while reviewing output.
• Write maintainable code following GitLab's standards and conduct code reviews.
• Strengthen reliability by monitoring production health and on-call responsibilities.
• Share knowledge through code reviews and documentation.

Skills

Ruby

GraphQL

Backend development

SQL

Testing

Code reviews

English communication

Git

CI/CD

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Job description

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster.

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.

*Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab.

An overview of this role

We're looking for a Backend Engineer to join our Source Code Experience team within GitLab's Create stage. You'll help make everyday source code workflows clear, reliable, and efficient for people working across GitLab projects. As artificial intelligence agents increasingly write and manage code alongside people, you'll build backend capabilities and interfaces that support trustworthy collaboration between people and agents.

You'll work in one of GitLab's oldest and most complex product areas, using Ruby and GraphQL to improve critical source code experiences across GitLab.com, self-managed instances, and GitLab Dedicated. The Source Code group is responsible for the backend and frontend aspects of the product categories within Source Code. With support from experienced team members, you'll help maintain high reliability through performance and structured query language tuning, caching, rate limiting, testing, observability, and resiliency. You'll collaborate with product management, product design, testing, security, user experience research, technical writing, Gitaly, Code Review, and other Source Code teams to deliver reliable and performant systems.

Learn more about the Create:Source Code teams in the GitLab Handbook.

What you’ll do

• Develop secure, well-tested, performant features and improvements using Ruby and GraphQL.
• Work through complex requirements and legacy constraints to deliver clear solutions while protecting the reliability of this critical system.
• Design and maintain backend services, application programming interfaces, data models, and business logic that support intuitive source code workflows.
• Collaborate across functions and teams, both asynchronously and synchronously, and involve domain experts when their input will improve the outcome.
• Use artificial intelligence agents for well-scoped work when they can speed up delivery without sacrificing quality, and critically review their output.
• Write maintainable code that follows GitLab's standards and contribute to constructive code reviews.
• Help strengthen reliability by monitoring production health metrics, participating in Tier 2 on-call, troubleshooting incidents, contributing to root cause analysis, and improving observability and resiliency.
• Share knowledge through code review, technical documentation, and everyday collaboration while learning from others.

What you’ll bring

• Professional experience building backend web applications, services, or application programming interfaces, with experience using Ruby and GraphQL.
• An understanding of relational databases, structured query language, data modeling, caching, background processing, and backend performance practices.
• Experience contributing to user-facing workflows and maintaining their underlying systems.
• Experience writing backend unit and integration tests, with familiarity with the testing pyramid, Git, and collaborative code review processes.
• Experience using artificial intelligence coding agents and reviewing their output, or an interest in building these skills in a complex monorepo.
• Clear written and spoken English communication skills, including sharing useful status updates in a remote, asynchronous environment.
• The ability to manage assigned priorities, work through ambiguity, take ownership of your work, and seek guidance when needed.

About the team

We work on a complex product area that serves GitLab.com, self-managed instances, and GitLab Dedicated. You'll work closely with Code Review, Gitaly, and other Source Code teams.

How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and Development Fund
• Parental Leave

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.

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.

Privacy Policy: Please review our Recruitment Privacy Policy. Your privacy is important to us.

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, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.