[Remote] Staff Backend Engineer (Ruby on Rails/AI), Verify

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, enabling organizations to enhance developer productivity and accelerate digital transformation. As a Staff Backend Engineer (AI) in the Verify stage, you will shape and scale the core infrastructure behind GitLab CI, integrating AI into CI/CD workflows to improve performance and usability for users running millions of CI jobs.ResponsibilitiesShape and scale GitLab CI backend infrastructure to improve performance, reliability, and usability for users running jobs at high volumeDesign and implement AI-powered features for Agentic CI, including agents, agentic flows, and LLM-backed tooling that integrates with GitLab's Duo Agent PlatformDefine what success looks like for AI in CI before you build, including baselines, measurable outcomes, and clear signals that help the team learn and iterateBuild the instrumentation and observability needed to make AI-assisted CI trustworthy in production, including feature behavior metrics, dashboards, and safeguardsOwn and drive measurable performance improvements across CI systems (for example, database access patterns, background processing, and job orchestration) by forming hypotheses, running experiments, and validating results with dataWrite secure, well-tested, maintainable Ruby on Rails code in a large monolith, improving existing features while reducing technical debt and operational riskLead cross-functional technical work with Product, UX, and Infrastructure, influencing architecture and execution across the Verify stageShare standards, patterns, and learnings with other engineers, raising the bar for responsible AI integration and evidence-driven engineering across CISkillsAdvanced proficiency with Ruby and Ruby on Rails, with experience building and maintaining reliable backend services in a large codebaseStrong PostgreSQL skills, including data modeling, query tuning, and scaling large tables through proactive performance investigation and remediationHands-on experience building, running, and debugging high-traffic production systems, ideally in CI, workflow orchestration, or adjacent infrastructure-heavy domainsPractical experience designing and shipping AI-powered backend features and integrations, including sound judgment about large language model limitations and responsible use in productionA data-driven approach to engineering: defining hypotheses, establishing baseline metrics, instrumenting changes, and measuring outcomes against clear success criteriaFamiliarity with observability patterns and tools (metrics, logging, tracing) to diagnose issues, improve reliability, and guide iterationStrong backend architecture and delivery practices, including secure design, well-tested code, and strategies for safe rollouts and zero-downtime changesClear written and verbal communication skills, including writing technical proposals and documentation, and collaborating effectively in a remote, asynchronous, cross-functional environmentBenefitsBenefits to support your health, finances, and well-beingFlexible Paid Time OffTeam Member Resource GroupsEquity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase PlanGrowth and Development FundParental LeaveCompany OverviewGitLab is a web-based Git repository manager that offers a variety of features for software development teams. It was founded in 2014, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is http://about.gitlab.com.