Director of Engineering, Database Excellence

About this role

As the Director of Engineering for Database Excellence at GitLab, you will lead the direction and management of GitLab's database platforms, primarily focusing on PostgreSQL. Your role involves ensuring database reliability, capacity, and performance while collaborating with cross-functional teams on strategic decisions.

About the company

GitLab is a DevSecOps platform that brings source control, CI/CD, security, and project management into a single application. It helps engineering teams plan, build, secure, and ship software faster.

The team

Database Excellence, consisting of Database Architecture, Database Automation, and Self Managed Database.

Stack

What you'll do

• Set direction and long-range plans for the database platform
• Own database capacity and availability for GitLab.com
• Lead and coach three Engineering Managers
• Drive cross-division technical decisions
• Prioritize database platform investments with Product
• Manage the database infrastructure budget
• Serve as an escalation point for database incidents

What we're looking for

• Experience leading managers of managers
• Hands-on experience with PostgreSQL at scale
• Experience using data for strategic technical decisions
• Support for self-managed software challenges
• Experience leading backend engineering teams
• Strong written communication skills
• Experience leading globally distributed remote teams

Nice to have

• Experience with Redis, ClickHouse, OpenSearch
• Knowledge of Terraform, Chef
• Familiarity with AI-assisted engineering workflows
• Understanding of cost management practices

Benefits

• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and Development Fund
• Parental Leave