VP of Engineering, Architecture and Transformation

GitLab is an open-core software company that develops an AI-powered DevSecOps Platform, aiming to enable collaborative software development. The Vice President of Engineering, Architecture and Transformation will lead a new Engineering Leadership Team focused on enhancing engineering productivity through AI and addressing architectural challenges to improve overall system efficiency.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the new Engineering, Architecture and Transformation pillar as part of the ELT, setting a clear vision for horizontal engineering excellence across GitLab
• Drive the definition, adoption and continual improvement of engineering best practices, partnering with Product, PMO and vertical engineering leaders to raise quality, reliability and delivery consistency
• Own the "Customer Zero" charter by championing internal use of GitLab, unblocking teams and directly contributing to code when needed to validate workflows and accelerate critical initiatives
• Define and guide the transition to next-generation, AI-optimized architecture, including the design and rollout of core primitives that enable vertical teams to decouple legacy systems and scale for ultra-scale customers
• Build and lead the Architecture, Quality and Engineering Excellence team to deliver non-linear productivity gains through AI-assisted development, including tools such as Claude Code and GitLab Duo
• Establish and manage the Horizontal Engineering team as a flexible, embedded group that joins target teams, gains deep context in their codebases and delivers high-impact features and fixes during US business hours
• Collaborate across the ELT and senior leaders to identify systemic horizontal challenges, prioritize cross-cutting initiatives and ensure clear technical ownership and accountability for their execution
• Champion an operationally frugal mindset by aligning AI and architectural decisions with cost of goods sold optimization, while maintaining high availability, service reliability targets and a strong culture of engineering excellence

Requirements:

• Proven experience leading large-scale engineering organizations, including horizontal or platform functions that span multiple product areas
• Deep background in building, operating and evolving highly available, world-scale services with a strong focus on reliability and quality
• Demonstrated technical depth across modern software architectures, including experience driving major architectural transitions such as decoupling monoliths and defining foundational primitives
• Hands-on engineering leadership style, with the ability to engage directly in code and technical design when needed while guiding teams from strategy through execution
• Expertise in AI-assisted development and tooling, with a track record of using AI to improve developer productivity and inform product direction
• Experience driving COGS-conscious engineering decisions, optimizing architectures and operations for both performance and cost efficiency
• Ability to influence without direct authority in a matrixed environment, aligning engineering, product and executive stakeholders around shared outcomes
• Strong product mindset and change leadership skills, including managing the human side of large technical shifts in similarly complex, high-scale environments