An Overview Of This Role
Join GitLab as a Distinguished Data Systems Architect to drive our strategic data platform evolution. You’ll architect scalable, distributed solutions that transform how we manage and leverage data across our SaaS and self‑managed deployments, supporting enterprise‑scale growth and innovation.
Some Examples Of Our Projects
Creating a unified architectural blueprint for GitLab’s data ecosystem that aligns SaaS and self‑managed platforms on shared patterns and standards.
Designing monetizable data services and APIs with strong governance and observability to support new product offerings and revenue streams.
What You’ll Do
Drive architectural vision for scalable, distributed data systems across SaaS and self‑managed deployments, designing database solutions that balance OLTP/OLAP performance, scalability, and cost‑efficiency.
Establish enterprise data governance frameworks including lineage, quality controls, versioning, and compliance practices that meet regulatory requirements across global markets.
Architect monetizable data services and APIs with semantic models serving internal analytics and external product offerings, enabling new revenue streams while maintaining security and performance SLAs.
Create a cohesive architectural blueprint of GitLab’s data ecosystem, identifying gaps against modern platforms and establishing opinionated design principles grounded in proven cloud‑native patterns.
Design event‑driven architectures and end‑to‑end data lifecycle systems spanning ingestion, orchestration (Argo, Airflow, Kubernetes), transformation workflows, and unified metadata management with comprehensive observability.
Partner with product and engineering leadership to embed AI‑driven patterns into data infrastructure and align senior engineering leaders on common design tenets and platform standards.
Transform ambiguous business challenges into strategic technical roadmaps, leading high‑stakes architectural engagements where data platforms create measurable competitive differentiation.
What You’ll Bring
Experience architecting large‑scale distributed data systems in complex, regulated domains with unified platforms integrating cloud‑native compute, orchestration, and semantic modeling.
Demonstrated leadership building multi‑modal data services with strong developer experience principles, focusing on monetization, governance, and data product lifecycle management.
Hands‑on expertise with modern data stack technologies including Python, Docker, Airflow, Trino, Postgres, distributed query engines, and graph‑based metadata systems.
Advanced knowledge bridging cloud and on‑premises deployments with automation, developer self‑service focus, and data integration through connector marketplaces.
Deep understanding of data processing paradigms and standards including synchronous vs. asynchronous processing, schema management, logical data modeling, and formats like OpenTelemetry, OpenMetadata, and OpenLineage.
Experience with AI‑driven architectures and emerging technologies including model orchestration, agentic patterns, and standards like MCP (Model Context Protocol).
Strong architectural opinions on cost‑aware, resilient solutions that optimise the entire data lifecycle with a focus on scalability and performance trade‑offs.
Passion for open source platforms, team mentorship, and collaborative values with ability to build scalable solutions that align with organisational culture and technical excellence.
Design and implement Model‑Driven Architecture (MDA) framework to establish clear separation between logical/conceptual data models and platform‑specific physical implementations, enabling agility and reducing technical debt across enterprise data systems.
About The Team
Data Engineering and Monetization is a newly formed function within the Engineering Org with a mission to build a comprehensive foundation of data platforms with responsible data architecture that scales.
United States Salary Range: $219,100—$328,700 USD
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
We welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. 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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Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
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. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.
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