# Staff Backend Engineer, Database Automation

**Company:** [GitLab](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/gitlab)
**Location:** Remote
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $153k – $259k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** Go, Postgres, Kubernetes, Kubernetes Operators, Infrastructure As Code, High Availability, Replication, Backups, Cloud Infrastructure, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, AI Agents
**Posted:** 2026-09-09

> Build and operate Go-based automation and a PostgreSQL-as-a-service platform for high-throughput, always-on production systems. The role requires deep PostgreSQL production experience, backend development expertise, infrastructure automation, and staff-level technical leadership.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain Go-based automation for the full PostgreSQL lifecycle, including provisioning, configuration, upgrades, failover, scaling, and decommissioning.
- Build automation across infrastructure-as-code tooling and cloud infrastructure; evaluate operator-based approaches.
- Use AI agents in implementation, review, and operational workflows while maintaining repository context for team use.
- Design automation and services for high-throughput, always-on production workloads.
- Integrate compute, storage, networking, identity and access management, and managed data services across cloud providers into a cohesive PostgreSQL platform.
- Build a PostgreSQL-as-a-service platform with standardized provisioning and lifecycle management.
- Research and implement improvements to PostgreSQL performance, scalability, and data health.
- Review database automation and Go changes for safety, maintainability, and performance.
- Document automation practices, PostgreSQL operational patterns, and platform guidance.
- Build safe, repeatable PostgreSQL major-version upgrade automation, validating changes against production traffic.
- Operate services in production end to end and use production feedback to guide improvements.
- Collaborate with product management, infrastructure, software delivery, and engineering teams.
- Provide technical direction for major initiatives, influence engineering patterns, and mentor engineers through design reviews.

## Requirements
- Professional software engineering experience with PostgreSQL in large, complex production environments.
- Experience building or operating a database-as-a-service product.
- Proficiency with Go, including designing, implementing, testing, and reviewing backend services.
- Experience developing Kubernetes operators, controllers, or comparable lifecycle automation for stateful services, especially databases.
- Comfort with infrastructure as code and database operations concepts including high availability, replication, backups, and system-level performance trade-offs.
- Strong written communication skills and ability to work asynchronously in a distributed team.
- Self-directed work style and effective organizational skills.
- Experience owning technical direction for a major initiative and turning ambiguous problems into executable architecture and plans.
- Ability to influence beyond the immediate team and mentor engineers.

## Nice to have
- Familiarity with Ruby and Ruby on Rails.

## Compensation
- United States base salary: $152,800–$259,200 USD.
- Benefits include flexible paid time off, employee resource groups, equity compensation and employee stock purchase plan, growth and development funding, and parental leave.

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