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GitLab is an open-core software company that develops the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps Platform, used by more than 100,000 organizations. Our mission is to enable everyone to contribute to and co-create the software that powers our world. When everyone can contribute, consumers become contributors, significantly accelerating human progress. Our platform unites teams and organizations, breaking down barriers and redefining what's possible in software development.

The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems.

Join GitLab as a Distinguished Data Systems Architect to drive our strategic data platform evolution. You'll architect scalable, distributed solutions that transform how we manage and leverage data across our SaaS and self-managed deployments, supporting enterprise-scale growth and innovation.

Some examples of our projects:

Creating a unified architectural blueprint for GitLab’s data ecosystem that aligns SaaS and self-managed platforms on shared patterns and standards
Designing monetizable data services and APIs with strong governance and observability to support new product offerings and revenue streams

What you’ll do:

Drive architectural vision for scalable, distributed data systems across SaaS and self-managed deployments, designing database solutions that balance OLTP/OLAP performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency
Establish enterprise data governance frameworks including lineage, quality controls, versioning, and compliance practices that meet regulatory requirements across global markets
Architect monetizable data services and APIs with semantic models serving internal analytics and external product offerings, enabling new revenue streams while maintaining security and performance SLAs
Create a cohesive architectural blueprint of GitLab's data ecosystem, identifying gaps against modern platforms and establishing opinionated design principles grounded in proven cloud-native patterns
Design event-driven architectures and end-to-end data lifecycle systems spanning ingestion, orchestration (Argo, Airflow, Kubernetes), transformation workflows, and unified metadata management with comprehensive observability
Partner with product and engineering leadership to embed AI-driven patterns into data infrastructure and align senior engineering leaders on common design tenets and platform standards
Transform ambiguous business challenges into strategic technical roadmaps, leading high-stakes architectural engagements where data platforms create measurable competitive differentiation

What you’ll bring:

Experience architecting large-scale distributed data systems in complex, regulated domains with unified platforms integrating cloud-native compute, orchestration, and semantic modeling
Demonstrated leadership building multi-modal data services with strong developer experience principles, focusing on monetization, governance, and data product lifecycle management
Hands-on expertise with modern data stack technologies including Python, Docker, Airflow, Trino, Postgres, distributed query engines, and graph-based metadata systems
Advanced knowledge bridging cloud and on-premises deployments with automation, developer self-service focus, and data integration through connector marketplaces
Deep understanding of data processing paradigms and standards including synchronous vs. asynchronous processing, schema management, logical data modeling, and formats like OpenTelemetry, OpenMetadata, and OpenLineage
Experience with AI-driven architectures and emerging technologies including model orchestration, agentic patterns, and standards like MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Strong architectural opinions on cost-aware, resilient solutions that optimize entire data lifecycle decisions with focus on scalability and performance trade-offs
Passion for open source platforms, team mentorship, and collaborative values with ability to build scalable solutions that align with organizational culture and technical excellence
Design and implement Model Driven Architecture (MDA) framework to establish clear separation between logical/conceptual data models and platform-specific physical implementations, enabling agility and reducing technical debt across enterprise data systems

Distinguished Data Systems Architect, Data Engineering

Anywhere in the world

Remote

Senior

GitLab