Engineering Manager, Database Reliability, Scalability & Operations

GitLab is an open-core software company that develops an AI-powered DevSecOps Platform. The Engineering Manager for Database Reliability, Scalability & Operations will build and lead a team responsible for GitLab.com’s PostgreSQL backbone, focusing on operational excellence and technical leadership.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the Database Reliability, Scale & Operations team to ensure availability, security, scalability, and operational excellence for GitLab.com
• Define and drive database strategy, including data store selection for different use cases and cost optimization across environments
• Build, coach, and retain a high-performing, distributed engineering team, creating an environment where team members can thrive and deliver results
• Set clear objectives, establish healthy database practices, and hold the team accountable while acting as a force multiplier for their impact
• Collaborate with Platform, Infrastructure, Product, Development, and Support teams to influence and advocate for sound database decisions across GitLab
• Serve as the escalation point for the team’s Tier-2 on-call process to help GitLab.com meet availability and reliability goals
• Lead agile projects focused on PostgreSQL reliability, performance, capacity management, and scaling initiatives in an asynchronous, remote-first environment
• Translate complex database and distributed systems topics into clear, actionable language for technical and non-technical stakeholders

Requirements:

• Experience leading distributed engineering teams responsible for reliability, scale, and operations in a production environment
• Background in hiring, coaching, and developing engineers, with a focus on building healthy team culture and sustainable on-call practices
• Applied experience designing and operating database systems at scale, including PostgreSQL and distributed data stores, with attention to performance, availability, and security
• Ability to define database strategy, including data store selection and cost-conscious architectural decisions, in collaboration with product and platform stakeholders
• Practice setting clear, measurable objectives, establishing operational best practices, and holding teams accountable while remaining open to feedback and iteration
• Skill in collaborating across infrastructure, platform, product, and support teams to drive shared outcomes and resolve complex technical issues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to explain database decisions and risks to leadership and non-technical partners
• Openness to candidates with diverse backgrounds and transferable skills relevant to database reliability, large-scale systems, and technical people management