Senior Backend Engineer (RoR), SSCS: Authorization

<div class="content-intro"><p>GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster.</p> <p>The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our <a href="https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values/">values</a> and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZIb5zszQI">Co-create the future with us</a> as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.</p> <p>*<em>Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab.</em></p></div><h3>An overview of this role</h3> <p>As a Senior Backend 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. You'll work closely with Security, Database, Platform, and authentication-focused teams to design and ship authorization capabilities that span GitLab's various deployment models and multi-tenant environments.</p> <p>Some examples of our projects:</p> <ul> <li value="1">Implementing fine-grained permissions for Job Tokens, Personal Access Tokens, and the GitLab Duo agent platform</li> <li value="2">Collaborating on Auth stack initiatives that evolve how authorization works across GitLab</li> </ul> <h3>What you’ll do</h3> <ul> <li value="1">Implement fine-grained permission systems for Job Tokens, Personal Access Tokens, the GitLab Duo Agent Platform, and other authentication mechanisms across the GitLab platform.</li> <li value="2">Collaborate with Security, Authentication, Database, and Platform teams on authorization stack initiatives, aligning designs and implementation plans.</li> <li value="3">Solve complex performance challenges in authorization, including query optimization, caching strategies, and database decomposition, with a focus on PostgreSQL.</li> <li value="4">Design and evolve authorization systems that work across multiple deployment models and multi-tenant architectures while maintaining security and reliability.</li> <li value="5">Drive improvements to authorization security, maintainability, and developer experience through code review, documentation, and technical leadership.</li> <li value="6">Contribute to architectural decisions for authorization features with a long-term strategic view, balancing immediate needs with future scalability.</li> <li value="7">Mentor and support other engineers in authorization patterns, policy-based access control, and secure coding practices in a fully remote, asynchronous environment.</li> </ul> <h3>What you’ll bring</h3> <ul> <li value="1">Professional experience building and maintaining production applications with Ruby on Rails or similar backend frameworks.</li> <li value="2">Strong understanding of authorization models, including role-based access control, attribute-based access control, and fine-grained permission patterns.</li> <li value="3">Experience designing and optimizing high-scale backend systems, including PostgreSQL performance tuning, query optimization, and effective caching strategies.</li> <li value="4">Familiarity with or interest in policy-based authorization systems and modern policy languages such as Cedar or Rego.</li> <li value="5">Understanding of core security principles, including threat modeling, least-privilege access, and zero-trust architectures.</li> <li value="6">Experience working with distributed systems and service-to-service communication in a cloud or multi-tenant environment.</li> <li value="7">Demonstrated ability to own complex technical initiatives from design through production deployment in an asynchronous, remote setting.</li> <li value="8">Strong collaboration and communication skills, with openness to learning and applying transferable skills from adjacent domains or technologies.</li> </ul> <h3>About the team</h3> <p>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. We collaborate asynchronously across time zones and partner closely with Authentication, Product Security, Database, and Security teams to align on identity, data modeling, and threat modeling needs while iterating safely on core platform capabilities.</p><div class="content-conclusion"><h4><strong>How GitLab will support you</strong></h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/benefits/general-and-entity-benefits/">Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being</a></li> <li><a href="https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/people-group/paid-time-off/">Flexible Paid Time Off</a>&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/inclusion/erg-guide/#:~:text=Definition%20of%20the%20TMRG%20%2D%20Team%20Member%20Resource%20Groups,-TMRGs%20are%20voluntary&amp;text=The%20purpose%20for%20this%20type,developing%20the%20sense%20of%20belonging.">Team Member Resource Groups</a></li> <li><a href="https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/stock-options/">Equity Compensation &amp; Employee Stock Purchase Plan</a></li> <li><a href="https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/people-group/learning-and-development/growth-and-development/">Growth and Development Fund</a></li> <li><a href="https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/benefits/general-and-entity-benefits/#parental-leave">Parental leave</a>&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/finance/expenses/#equipment">Home office</a> support</li> </ul> <p>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 <a href="https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/inclusion/#examples-of-select-underrepresented-groups">underrepresented groups</a> 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.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Country Hiring Guidelines: </strong>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. 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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&nbsp;<a href="https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/people-policies/inc-usa/#equal-employment-opportunity-policy" target="_blank">GitLab’s EEO Policy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/labor-and-employment-notices/#eeoc-us-equal-employment-opportunity-commission-notices" target="_blank">EEO is the Law</a>. If you have a disability or special need that requires&nbsp;<a href="https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/people-policies/inc-usa/#reasonable-accommodation" target="_blank">accommodation</a>, please let us know during the&nbsp;<a href="https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/hiring/interviewing/#adjustments-to-our-interview-process" target="_blank">recruiting process</a>.</p></div>