Staff Backend Engineer (Ruby on Rails/AI), Verify
GitLab is hiring a Staff Backend Engineer (AI) for its Verify stage to help shape and scale the core infrastructure behind GitLab CI and define how AI is integrated into CI/CD workflows. The work impacts performance, reliability and usability for users running millions of CI jobs, from small teams to the largest enterprises. Beyond using AI tools, you will set standards for the AI agent portfolio, instrument behavior in production, and responsibly integrate GitLab's Duo Agent Platform into CI at scale. This is a fully remote, global position.
Responsibilities
- ▹Shape and scale GitLab CI backend infrastructure to improve performance, reliability and usability at high volume
- ▹Design and implement AI-powered features for Agentic CI, including agents, agentic flows and LLM-backed tooling integrated with the Duo Agent Platform
- ▹Define what success looks like for AI in CI before building, including baselines, measurable outcomes and clear learning signals
- ▹Build the instrumentation and observability needed to make AI-assisted CI trustworthy in production, including metrics, dashboards and safeguards
- ▹Own and drive measurable performance improvements across CI systems (database access patterns, background processing, job orchestration) through hypotheses and experiments
- ▹Write secure, well-tested, maintainable Ruby on Rails code in a large monolith while reducing technical debt and operational risk
- ▹Lead cross-functional technical work with Product, UX and Infrastructure across the Verify stage
- ▹Share standards, patterns and learnings to raise the bar for responsible AI integration
Requirements
- ▹Advanced proficiency with Ruby and Ruby on Rails, building and maintaining reliable backend services in a large codebase
- ▹Strong PostgreSQL skills, including data modeling, query tuning and scaling large tables
- ▹Hands-on experience building, running and debugging high-traffic production systems, ideally in CI, workflow orchestration or infrastructure-heavy domains
- ▹Practical experience designing and shipping AI-powered backend features and integrations, with sound judgment about large language model limitations
- ▹A data-driven engineering approach: hypotheses, baseline metrics, instrumentation and measuring outcomes against clear success criteria
- ▹Familiarity with observability patterns and tools (metrics, logging, tracing)
- ▹Strong backend architecture and delivery practices, including secure design, well-tested code and safe, zero-downtime rollouts
- ▹Clear written and verbal communication, including technical proposals and documentation in a remote, asynchronous environment
Soft skills
What we offer
- ▹Flexible Paid Time Off
- ▹Team Member Resource Groups
- ▹Equity Compensation and Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- ▹Growth and Development Fund
- ▹Parental Leave
About the company
GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, trusted by more than 50 million registered users and over half of the Fortune 100. The Verify stage focuses on fast, reliable and scalable CI pipelines for projects of all sizes, and the company operates an all-remote, asynchronous culture.