Staff Backend Engineer - Database Change Management
GitLabRole Description & Requirements
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Staff Backend Engineer - Database Change Management
An overview of this role
As a Senior Backend Engineer, Database Upgrades, you'll help replace GitLab's sequential database migration system with a dependency graph model that makes upgrades faster and safer for GitLab.com and self-managed customers. You'll lead the design and delivery of a migration validation and test framework, including versioned fixture data across about 1,000 tables, a continuous integration (CI)-integrated test runner, and required correctness checks. You'll also serve as the senior technical anchor for our India-based engineering group, using clear written decisions to influence a team working across India, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. The manager for this role is based on the US West Coast.
We're open to hiring this role at Staff level for a candidate whose experience matches that scope. At Staff level, you'll also own architecture decisions for the migration system and lead design work across teams.
What you’ll do
- Lead the design and delivery of the migration validation and test framework from initial approach through production use.
- Contribute to a dependency graph migration system that supports safe ordering, parallel execution, and three-phase, low-downtime upgrades.
- Mentor intermediate engineers through pairing, code review, and design feedback.
- Make and document technical decisions asynchronously so team members can build on them across time zones.
- Review schema migrations from engineers across GitLab for safety, backward compatibility, and reliability.
- Collaborate with Distribution, Quality Assurance, Database Architecture, Database Automation, and database framework teams to support GitLab.com and self-managed deployment methods.
- At Staff level, author and defend architecture proposals and represent the team in technical reviews across GitLab.
What you’ll bring
- Deep experience with Ruby on Rails in large production codebases, including Active Record migration internals, or comparable depth in another framework's migration system, such as Django or Ecto.
- Production PostgreSQL experience, including schema changes on large tables, locking behavior, and data definition language failure modes under load.
- A track record of leading delivery of a system from design through implementation and adoption.
- Experience mentoring engineers through pairing, code review, and technical feedback.
- Strong written communication and the ability to make progress independently in an asynchronous, distributed environment.
- Sound judgment when balancing reliability, safety, backward compatibility, and delivery needs.
- An interest in serving as a senior technical presence for an India-based engineering group while collaborating across regions.
About the team
We’re working on the largest change to GitLab's migration system in its history, with a focus on making upgrades safer and easier for customers, including the roughly one-third of self-managed customers who are two or more required upgrade stops behind.
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. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.
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