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- Tasks: Lead architectural direction for critical infrastructure platforms at GitLab.
- Company: Join GitLab, a pioneering open-core software company transforming software development.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible paid time off, equity compensation, and a supportive remote work environment.
- Why this job: Shape the future of technology while mentoring talented engineers in a high-impact role.
- Qualifications: Experience in designing large-scale platforms and proficiency in Golang or Ruby required.
- Other info: Collaborate with industry leaders in a fully remote, dynamic team culture.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 240000 £ per year.
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.
GitLab is seeking a Principal Engineer to set technical direction for our most critical infrastructure platforms. This role operates at organizational scale, owning architecture, solving complex systems problems, and driving initiatives that shape how GitLab grows, performs, and remains reliable. As a Principal Engineer, you will serve as a technical authority and force multiplier, leading architectural decisions across distributed and cloud-native systems to translate business strategy into durable technical direction.
Principal Engineers at GitLab drive strategy across our most critical infrastructure and delivery groups. Role placement across the following tracks is determined by business need and organizational priority:
- Production Engineering (Infrastructure Platforms): Lead high-impact platform initiatives for our multi-tenant SaaS infrastructure.
- Group Tenant Scale (GTS): Build GitLab’s next generation, multi-tenant, horizontally scalable, and resilient SaaS platform.
- GitLab Delivery: Focus on enhancing the reliability, efficiency, and speed of GitLab’s end-to-end software delivery across all platforms and offerings.
What You’ll Do:
- Own and drive the architectural direction for critical infrastructure platforms that support GitLab at global scale.
- Lead the design and evolution of large platforms and distributed systems that are scalable, resilient, secure, and cost-efficient.
- Serve as the technical authority on complex initiatives, guiding decisions that impact multiple teams and product areas.
- Translate business and product strategy into long-term technical roadmaps and execution plans.
- Drive alignment across engineering, product, and leadership by clearly communicating tradeoffs and recommendations.
- Establish technical standards and architectural patterns that raise quality and consistency across the organization.
- Be accountable for production outcomes, including reliability, performance, and operational excellence.
- Mentor senior engineers and act as a force multiplier through influence rather than direct authority.
- Operate effectively in ambiguous problem spaces where both the problem and the solution need to be defined.
What You’ll Bring:
- Proven experience designing and evolving large-scale platforms or distributed systems in cloud-native environments.
- Strong proficiency in Golang and/or Ruby, with the ability to contribute to, review, and guide core architectural changes in production codebases.
- Strong architectural judgment, including the ability to balance scalability, reliability, performance, security, and cost.
- Experience owning platform-level technical decisions that impacted multiple teams or an entire engineering domain.
- Solid understanding of Kubernetes-based environments as a production platform.
- Experience being accountable for production systems, not just design recommendations.
- Ability to author and drive long-term technical strategy and multi-month roadmaps.
- Track record of leading through influence and shaping technical direction without direct authority.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to engineers, leadership, and non-technical stakeholders.
The Principal Engineer role sits within GitLab’s Infrastructure Platforms organization, working across multiple teams to shape how our platform scales and operates. This group is responsible for some of GitLab’s most critical systems, including the multi-tenant SaaS platform, core delivery pipelines, and the underlying infrastructure that powers millions of users. The team operates fully remotely and collaborates asynchronously across time zones, grounded in GitLab’s values of transparency, autonomy, and open communication.
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.
Principal Engineer, Infrastructure Platforms employer: GitLab
Contact Detail:
GitLab Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer, Infrastructure Platforms
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repo showcasing your projects. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practicing common questions and scenarios related to infrastructure platforms. The more you rehearse, the more confident you'll feel when it’s showtime!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are keen to join us directly!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Engineer, Infrastructure Platforms
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Principal Engineer role. Highlight your experience with large-scale platforms and distributed systems, as well as your proficiency in Golang or Ruby. We want to see how your skills align with our mission!
Showcase Your Impact: When detailing your past experiences, focus on the impact you've made in previous roles. Use specific examples of how you've driven architectural decisions or improved system reliability. We love seeing quantifiable results that demonstrate your influence!
Communicate Clearly: Your written application should reflect your ability to explain complex technical concepts simply. Remember, we value clear communication, so make sure your application is easy to read and understand. Avoid jargon unless it's necessary!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. This ensures your application gets to the right people quickly. Plus, it’s a great way to show your enthusiasm for joining our team at GitLab!
How to prepare for a job interview at GitLab
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Principal Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your deep understanding of large-scale platforms and distributed systems. Brush up on your knowledge of cloud-native environments, Kubernetes, and the specific technologies GitLab uses, like Golang and Ruby. Be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they relate to the role.
✨Showcase Your Architectural Judgement
Prepare to talk about your architectural decisions in previous roles. Highlight how you balanced scalability, reliability, performance, and cost. Use specific examples to illustrate your thought process and how your decisions positively impacted production outcomes.
✨Communicate Clearly and Effectively
Strong communication skills are key for this role. Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms, as you'll need to convey ideas to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Consider doing mock interviews with friends or colleagues to refine your delivery.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Mentorship
GitLab values teamwork and mentorship. Be prepared to discuss how you've influenced and guided teams in the past. Share examples of how you've mentored engineers and contributed to a culture of continuous improvement, as this aligns with GitLab's mission of co-creation and collaboration.
