Senior Backend Engineer, GitLab Delivery: Zero Downtime Upgrades

About GitLab: GitLab is the definitive intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, trusted by over 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100 to ship secure software faster. As a pioneer in remote-first operations and technical efficiency, GitLab embraces AI as a core productivity multiplier across all engineering workflows. We cultivate a high-performance culture built on collaboration, transparency, and continuous knowledge exchange to co-create the future of technology and transform how global enterprises design, secure, and deploy modern software architectures.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly analytical, systems-fluent, and automation-focused Senior Backend Engineer to join our globally distributed GitLab Delivery: Upgrades cell under a permanent, full-time remote configuration based out of India. In this critical backend and delivery-focused infrastructure engineering seat, you will take absolute ownership of designing, codifying, and maintaining the systems, packages, and operators that enable self-managed enterprise customers to execute zero-downtime upgrades. Shifting completely away from routine non-technical office text configuration, entry-level data entry transcription, or simple customer success ticketing, you will drive an active high-scale container orchestration, lifecycle management scripting, and cloud infrastructure laboratory—partnering closely across Distribution, Security, Release, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) pods. This position requires a backend engineering authority with deep cloud-native architecture experience who writes performant system code fluidly natively using Backend and systems programming primitives, manages complex deployments via Kubernetes and Helm Charts cleanly, automates multi-cloud infrastructure systematically via Terraform scripts, optimizes database parameters cleanly within secure PostgreSQL architectures, and uses AI-driven tools confidently to compress release regressions and optimize system uptime telemetry.

Key Responsibilities

• Self-Managed Delivery Architecture Governance: Maintain and evolve the core Omnibus GitLab package to deliver stable, production-ready deployments, maximizing upgrade success rates natively utilizing Backend frameworks.
• Cloud-Native Kubernetes & Helm Engineering: Develop and scale complex GitLab Helm Charts and the Kubernetes-native GitLab Operator to ensure system components mesh cleanly and reduce operational footprint at scale.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Automation: Enhance the GitLab Environment Toolkit (GET) and validate robust enterprise reference architectures across cloud fabrics like AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure via Terraform .
• Automated Pipeline & CI/CD Instrumentation: Build, scale, and maintain continuous delivery validation systems to run integration tests against Omnibus and Operator nodes, expanding test coverage metrics.
• PostgreSQL Database Operations: Troubleshoot, tune, and optimize database schemas and migration scripts within highly scalable and secure PostgreSQL database configurations.
• Observability & Telemetry Maintenance: Monitor platform health, rollout behaviors, and scaling trends using advanced telemetry collectors like Prometheus and Grafana to configure alerts.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Mentorship: Collaborate asynchronously across distributed Security, Release Management, and SRE cells to integrate new features safely, while mentoring mid-level backend developers.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Proven professional history operating as a Senior Backend Developer, Systems Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, or closely related technical software development capacity.
• Expert Backend and Language Command: Advanced, production-grade mastery engineering scalable systems natively using Go (Golang) , with working knowledge or familiarity handling Ruby repositories.
• Demonstrated history deploying, monitoring, and maintaining enterprise backend services in live production inside Kubernetes and Helm-based environments .
• Hands-on experience implementing declarative infrastructure-as-code models using Terraform across public cloud networks (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Grounded knowledge of relational database design, query optimization, and failure mitigation strategies for PostgreSQL setups.
• Familiarity tracking system performance markers and building metrics dashboards using Prometheus and Grafana .
• Location Context: Position operates under remote guidelines open exclusively to qualified backend engineering authorities residing permanently inside India .

Preferred Strategic Indicators (Nice to Have)

• Prior experience designing zero-downtime rolling upgrades, complex data migrations, or backup strategies for high-availability enterprise platforms.
• Active familiarity operating within a globally distributed, all-remote corporate ecosystem utilizing highly structured asynchronous written documentation.
• Hands-on experience with modern AI-assisted development tooling to accelerate technical pipeline deliveries while preserving code quality.

What We Offer

• Top-Tier Global DevSecOps Salary Grid: A market-competitive annual base salary structure customized precisely to your backend engineering history, supplemented by corporate equity compensation and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) access.
• 100% remote workspace infrastructure independence, offering absolute day-to-day schedule flexibility within an asynchronous development environment.
• Direct High-Scale Operating Credentials: Unique professional experience building mission-critical upgrade automation components relied upon by the world largest enterprises.
• Comprehensive health, financial, and mental well-being benefits parameters calibrated closely to leading corporate standards.
• Access to a dedicated Growth and Development Fund for courses, global Team Member Resource Groups, generous parental leave, and flexible Paid Time Off.