Senior Fullstack Engineer (RoR/vue.js), Software Supply Chain Security: Authorization in London

GitLab is an open‑core software company that develops the most comprehensive AI‑powered DevSecOps Platform, used by more than 100,000 organizations. Our mission is to enable everyone to contribute to and co‑create the software that powers our world. When everyone can contribute, consumers become contributors, significantly accelerating human progress. Our platform unites teams and organizations, breaking down barriers and redefining what’s possible in software development.

As a Senior Full Stack Engineer on the Authorization team at GitLab, you’ll build and evolve the core systems that decide who can access what across the entire GitLab platform, directly impacting millions of users from startups to large enterprises. You’ll architect and implement our next‑generation authorization infrastructure, including policy‑as‑code approaches, fine‑grained permissions, and performance optimizations at massive scale, enabling GitLab’s move toward zero‑trust architecture while keeping authorization fast, secure, and correct.

Examples of Our Projects:

• Implementing fine‑grained permissions for Job Tokens, Personal Access Tokens, and the GitLab Duo agent platform.
• Collaborating on Auth stack initiatives that evolve how authorization works across GitLab.

What you’ll do:

• Implement fine‑grained permission systems for Job Tokens, Personal Access Tokens, the GitLab Duo Agent Platform, and other authentication mechanisms across the GitLab platform.
• Collaborate with Security, Authentication, Database, and Platform teams on authorization stack initiatives, aligning designs and implementation plans.
• Solve complex performance challenges in authorization, including query optimization, caching strategies, and database decomposition, with a focus on PostgreSQL.
• Design and evolve authorization systems that work across multiple deployment models and multi‑tenant architectures while maintaining security and reliability.
• Drive improvements to authorization security, maintainability, and developer experience through code review, documentation, and technical leadership.
• Contribute to architectural decisions for authorization features with a long‑term strategic view, balancing immediate needs with future scalability.
• Mentor and support other engineers in authorization patterns, policy‑based access control, and secure coding practices in a fully remote, asynchronous environment.

What you’ll bring:

• Professional experience building and maintaining production applications with Ruby on Rails and Vue.js or similar modern frontend frameworks.
• Strong understanding of authorization models, including role‑based access control, attribute‑based access control, and fine‑grained permission patterns.
• Experience designing and optimizing high‑scale backend systems, including PostgreSQL performance tuning, query optimization, and effective caching strategies.
• Familiarity with or interest in policy‑based authorization systems and modern policy languages such as Cedar or Rego.
• Understanding of core security principles, including threat modeling, least‑privilege access, and zero‑trust architectures.
• Experience working with distributed systems and service‑to‑service communication in a cloud or multi‑tenant environment.
• Demonstrated ability to own complex technical initiatives from design through production deployment in an asynchronous, remote setting.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with openness to learning and applying transferable skills from adjacent domains or technologies.

About The Team:

We on the Authorization team at GitLab design, build, and maintain the permission systems that control access across the GitLab platform, ensuring they are secure, scalable, and flexible for customers of all sizes. We lead the ongoing evolution of our authorization architecture, with a focus on modern policy‑as‑code approaches, fine‑grained access control, and support for initiatives like the evolving Auth stack.

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.

GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab’s policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.