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An overview of this role
As a Senior Backend Engineer on the Auth Infrastructure team at GitLab, you’ll build the critical infrastructure layer that powers authentication and authorization for millions of users across GitLab.com, self-managed, Dedicated, and air-gapped environments. You’ll focus on secure, performant, and reliable identity services while helping GitLab move toward a zero-trust architecture and microservices-based future. You’ll work closely with Authentication, Authorization, Platform, and Infrastructure teams to design and implement components like Envoy proxy configuration, token services, bi-directional gRPC tunnels, mTLS, and service mesh architecture, and to add robust observability and debugging for distributed auth systems.
This role gives you the opportunity to solve authentication infrastructure challenges at global scale and directly influence the roadmap for GitLab’s secure and scalable authentication solution. Your work will empower GitLab system administrators to balance security and accessibility, shaping the first impression customers have when they log in, onboard users, and manage core security rules for their instances.
What you’ll do
- Design and implement core components of GitLab's authentication infrastructure layer, including Envoy proxy configuration, token services, and policy decision systems.
- Develop solutions for critical infrastructure challenges such as bi-directional gRPC tunnels, mutual Transport Layer Security (mTLS), and service mesh architecture.
- Build and maintain authentication infrastructure that supports GitLab.com, self-managed, Dedicated, and air-gapped deployment models.
- Optimize the performance and reliability of authentication and authorization decisions at scale across distributed systems.
- Implement and refine monitoring, observability, and debugging capabilities for authentication services to ensure secure and stable operation.
- Collaborate with Authentication, Authorization, Platform, and Infrastructure teams to align infrastructure capabilities with product and architectural requirements.
- Contribute to the team’s technical direction and roadmap for secure, scalable authentication, including standards for style, maintainability, and best practices.
- Represent GitLab and its values through participation in public communication, broader initiatives, and contributions to relevant open source projects.
What you’ll bring
- Strong experience building high-performance backend services in Go, ideally in large-scale, distributed environments.
- Hands-on experience with proxy and edge technologies such as Envoy, Traefik, HAProxy, or nginx, including configuration and operation in production.
- Practical experience with service mesh architectures, mutual TLS (mTLS), zero-trust networking, and secure service-to-service communication patterns (gRPC, REST).
- Working knowledge of database and storage technologies such as RDS, Google Spanner, Postgres or similar, including schema design and performance considerations.
- Understanding of token systems (for example JWT or Macaroons), cryptographic signing, and key management for authentication and authorization workflows.
- Experience with Kubernetes, container orchestration, and cloud-native deployment patterns, including observability, monitoring, and debugging of distributed systems.
- Ability to own projects from concept to production, including proposing designs, driving discussions, and delivering in a highly agile, iterative environment.
- Effective written and verbal communication in English, with a collaborative, solution-oriented mindset and openness to learning from and supporting team members with diverse backgrounds and transferable skills.
About the team
At GitLab, we on the Auth Infrastructure team sit within the Software Supply Chain Security group and focus on building and maintaining the core authentication and authorization infrastructure that underpins all GitLab deployment models. Our mission is to give GitLab system administrators the tools they need to balance security and accessibility, making the first authentication experience smooth while ensuring identity services are secure, flexible, and scalable. You’ll work as part of a small, distributed team that collaborates asynchronously across time zones with Authentication, Authorization, Platform, and Infrastructure teams to support GitLab’s shift toward microservices and zero-trust networking. We are currently focused on solving challenges like high-scale auth performance, secure service-to-service communication, and supporting complex environments including GitLab.com, self-managed, Dedicated, and air-gapped deployments.
How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees
- 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
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 underrepresented groups 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.
**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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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.