Senior Backend Engineer, SSCS: Pipeline Security

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An overview of this role

As a

Senior Backend Engineer

on the Pipeline Security team, you'll take technical ownership of GitLab's native Secrets Manager, a production system built on

OpenBao

that helps secure sensitive credentials across

GitLab CI/CD

pipelines. You'll work at the intersection of backend engineering and infrastructure, shaping architecture in

Ruby on Rails

and

Go

, guiding decisions around role-based access control (RBAC),

GraphQL

APIs, and

Kubernetes

deployment configuration. In your first year, you'll help move Secrets Manager toward general availability, establish technical patterns the team can build on, and represent the team's point of view in cross-functional discussions. You'll have end-to-end ownership, from design through production operations, with room to identify what should be built next and improve how the team delivers secure, reliable features.

What You'll Do

Build

and maintain secure, readable backend code primarily in

Ruby on Rails

, with some development in

Go

for targeted components.

Design

backend architecture for complex security features, including secrets access control, pipeline security enforcement, and

OpenBao

integration.

Lead

the development of role-based access control models,

GraphQL

APIs, and supporting application patterns for features owned by the team.

Own

features end to end, from technical design and implementation through deployment, validation, and production support.

Collaborate

with Product, security partners, and other engineering teams to document tradeoffs, align on direction, and deliver iteratively in a distributed environment.

Improve

code quality, maintainability, security, and performance through code review, design iteration, and internal standards for a high-scale web environment.

Build

and maintain

Helm

charts, including configuration, tuning, documentation, and automated testing for Kubernetes-based deployments.

Validate

features in Kubernetes environments, including GitLab Cloud Native and Cloud Native Hybrid deployments, using GitLab testing and performance testing frameworks.

What You'll Bring

Experience

building and maintaining backend features with a focus on secure design, data handling, and production reliability.

Ability

to write production-quality code in

Ruby on Rails

, including use of framework security patterns and review for common application risks.

Working knowledge

of

CI/CD

concepts and the ways pipelines can be misconfigured, abused, or expose sensitive data.

Familiarity

with secrets management approaches and security practices for handling credentials in CI environments; experience with tools such as

HashiCorp Vault

or similar systems is helpful.

Comfort

collaborating across Product and engineering teams in an asynchronous, distributed environment and communicating technical tradeoffs clearly in writing.

Ability

to review merge requests with a security-first mindset and improve solutions through feedback and iteration.

Experience

debugging production issues, including investigation of security-related behavior and proposing practical fixes.

Openness

to learning adjacent domains and tools, including

Go

, container security, and software supply chain security; we welcome transferable experience from different technical backgrounds.

About The Team

The Pipeline Security team builds features that make GitLab CI pipelines more secure and trustworthy for teams running sensitive workloads. We own key parts of pipeline security within GitLab's CI/CD experience, with our current focus on native secrets management for CI pipelines and

Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts (SLSA) Level 3

capabilities to strengthen software supply chain security. We work asynchronously across regions and collaborate closely with Product and security partners, using clear design discussions, documented decisions, and iterative delivery across

Ruby on Rails

and

Go

.

How GitLab will support you

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

Home office

support

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.

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.

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Accommodation

, please let us know during the

recruiting process

.