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An overview of this role
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.
Some examples of our projects:
- Implementing fine-grained permissions for Job Tokens, Personal Access Tokens, and the GitLab Duo agent platform
- Collaborating on Auth stack initiatives that evolve how authorization works across GitLab
What you’ll do
- Implement fine-grained permission systems for Job Tokens, Personal Access Tokens, the GitLab Duo Agent Platform, and other authentication mechanisms across the GitLab platform.
- Collaborate with Security, Authentication, Database, and Platform teams on authorization stack initiatives, aligning designs and implementation plans.
- Solve complex performance challenges in authorization, including query optimization, caching strategies, and database decomposition, with a focus on PostgreSQL.
- Design and evolve authorization systems that work across multiple deployment models and multi-tenant architectures while maintaining security and reliability.
- Drive improvements to authorization security, maintainability, and developer experience through code review, documentation, and technical leadership.
- Contribute to architectural decisions for authorization features with a long-term strategic view, balancing immediate needs with future scalability.
- Mentor and support other engineers in authorization patterns, policy-based access control, and secure coding practices in a fully remote, asynchronous environment.
What you’ll bring
- Professional experience building and maintaining production applications with Ruby on Rails or similar backend frameworks.
- Strong understanding of authorization models, including role-based access control, attribute-based access control, and fine-grained permission patterns.
- Experience designing and optimizing high-scale backend systems, including PostgreSQL performance tuning, query optimization, and effective caching strategies.
- Familiarity with or interest in policy-based authorization systems and modern policy languages such as Cedar or Rego.
- Understanding of core security principles, including threat modeling, least-privilege access, and zero-trust architectures.
- Experience working with distributed systems and service-to-service communication in a cloud or multi-tenant environment.
- Demonstrated ability to own complex technical initiatives from design through production deployment in an asynchronous, remote setting.
- Strong collaboration and communication skills, with openness to learning and applying transferable skills from adjacent domains or technologies.
About the team
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.
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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