[All remote jobs](https://jobicy.com/jobs.md)[![GitLab logo](https://jobicy.com/data/server-nyc0409/galaxy/mercury/2020/12/WRILS-201207055737-109952.jpg)](https://jobicy.com/company/gitlab.md)[GitLab](https://jobicy.com/company/gitlab.md) # Backend Engineer (Ruby), Plan: Spec-Driven Development Review the role, location requirements, compensation details, and application process before deciding whether this opportunity fits your next career move. [Apply for this job](#job-application)[View company](https://jobicy.com/company/gitlab.md)ShareRemote from[UK](https://jobicy.com/job-region/uk.md)SalaryUndisclosedDepartment[Software Engineering](https://jobicy.com/categories/engineering.md)EmploymentFull TimeExperienceSeniorPublished20 Oct 2026Apply before19 Nov 2026Listing views38Application actions4Application toolkit ## Make your next move. Prepare your resume, explore your fit, and draft a cover letter for this opportunity. AI Summary ## The role, at a glance. GitLab is seeking a senior-leaning Backend Engineer to build spec-driven, agentic development workflows for its Plan product area. The role owns backend design and delivery across Ruby on Rails, Python, PostgreSQL, APIs, data models, and evaluation systems for large-language-model workflows. This engineer will lead ambiguous, high-visibility features from discovery through rollout, collaborate closely with product and design partners, and mentor peers. The team is distributed and async-first, working in short iterations toward a public beta. Success requires strong technical judgment, product ownership, and clear written communication in a fast-paced remote environment. ## Role DNA A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description. ### Job Complexity 5/5EasyHard ### Pace & Pressure 5/5RelaxedFast-paced ### Autonomy Level 5/5GuidedFull ownership ### Communication Load 5/5IndependentCollaborative AI insightThis is a high-complexity role combining production backend engineering with early-stage AI agent workflows, evaluation systems, and ambiguous product discovery. The engineer is expected to lead multi-person initiatives, make architecture trade-offs, and deliver measurable outcomes with broad ownership. ## Salary analysis Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles. Estimated job median (per year)Market rate$175,000US market range (per year)$145k–$210k0$231.00k AI insightThe yearly pay period is inferred from the job context; it was not explicitly stated by the employer. No employer salary was disclosed. Estimated annual USD market compensation for a senior backend engineer with Ruby on Rails, Python, distributed-systems, and AI application experience is approximately $145,000–$210,000, with an estimated midpoint of $175,000; this is an AI estimate, not verified employer compensation. ## Core skills Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity. [Ruby on Rails](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Ruby%20on%20Rails.md)[Python](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Python.md)[PostgreSQL](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=PostgreSQL.md)[GraphQL](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=GraphQL.md)[REST API design](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=REST%20API%20design.md)[SQL](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=SQL.md)[Backend architecture](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Backend%20architecture.md)[Large language model applications](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Large%20language%20model%20applications.md)[AI agent workflows](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=AI%20agent%20workflows.md)[Evaluation systems](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Evaluation%20systems.md)[Performance optimization](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Performance%20optimization.md)[Technical leadership](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Technical%20leadership.md)[Async collaboration](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Async%20collaboration.md)[Product ownership](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Product%20ownership.md)[Mentoring](https://jobicy.com/jobs?search_keywords=Mentoring.md) Sample interview questionsHow would you design a backend workflow that converts a user's intent into a durable specification and implementation plan?I would model the workflow as explicit, versioned states with durable records for the input intent, generated artifacts, user feedback, and transitions. I would define clear API contracts, preserve provenance for model outputs, add idempotency and retry handling, and expose observability for latency, token cost, quality, and failure modes. Describe how you would evaluate the quality of an LLM-powered engineering workflow in production. I would combine offline benchmark datasets with online product metrics. Offline evaluation would score correctness, completeness, consistency, and task success against curated examples, while production monitoring would track acceptance rate, edit rate, successful merge rate, latency, token usage, and qualitative user feedback. How do you approach leading a feature when the problem and scope are initially unclear? I begin by identifying the user outcome, key constraints, and the smallest testable hypothesis. I align stakeholders on trade-offs, write a lightweight technical proposal, deliver an incremental slice, and use demos and adoption data to refine scope rather than overbuilding before validation. What practices would you use to maintain PostgreSQL performance as agent-generated artifacts and workflow data grow? I would start with access-pattern-driven schema design, appropriate indexes, query-plan analysis, and clear retention requirements. For high-volume data, I would consider partitioning, archival strategies, background processing, pagination, and precomputed aggregates, while monitoring slow queries and database resource utilization. How do you communicate technical decisions effectively in an async-first distributed team? I document context, alternatives, decision criteria, risks, and the requested feedback in a concise written proposal. I make decisions discoverable through issues and merge requests, use diagrams or examples for complex flows, and follow up with demos and measurable outcomes so teammates can engage across time zones. Opportunity details ## About this role. GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster. 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. [Co-create the future with us](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZIb5zszQI) as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software. *Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab. ### An overview of this role As a Backend Engineer on the Plan: Spec-Driven Development team, you’ll help build GitLab’s intent-to-code loop: agentic workflows that turn a stated intent into a refined work item, an implementation plan, and verified, mergeable code. You’ll own early-stage backend work across the flows, application programming interfaces, data models, and evaluation systems behind this experience, using Ruby on Rails, Python, PostgreSQL, GitLab Duo Agent Platform, large language model application programming interfaces, and an artificial intelligence gateway. You’ll join a small, distributed team working on one of GitLab’s highest-visibility product bets, collaborating with design partners toward a public beta. In your first year, you’ll lead major features from an unclear problem through release, help shape scope with product and users, mentor other engineers, and influence technical decisions across agent workflows and evaluation methods. ### What you’ll do * Lead backend features from early product discussions through technical design, implementation, rollout, and post-launch learning. * Build the flows, application programming interfaces, and data models behind agent-generated work items, implementation plans, durable specifications, and mergeable code. * Develop evaluation and benchmarking systems that measure workflow quality, token cost, and success rate. * Use Ruby on Rails and Python to build reliable production systems, with PostgreSQL, GraphQL, representational state transfer, GitLab Duo Agent Platform, large language model application programming interfaces, and an artificial intelligence gateway. * Collaborate directly with product, design, engineers, design partners, and users to shape scope and make practical trade-offs. * Coordinate multi-person projects across the team and communicate decisions clearly in GitLab’s asynchronous, all-remote environment. * Mentor other engineers and contribute to technical direction across the Plan group and related artificial intelligence initiatives. * Work in short iterations, share progress through demos, and use results and user feedback to guide what comes next. ### What you’ll bring * Strong Ruby on Rails experience in a large production codebase and production experience with Python. * Experience driving substantial projects with several engineers over multiple months, with clear user or business outcomes. * A product mindset and experience owning features end to end, including shaping scope, making trade-offs, engaging with users, and learning from adoption after launch. * A full stack background with a current focus on backend engineering, plus the ability to read modern frontend code and design effective APIs. * Strong application programming interface design and structured query language fundamentals. * Experience exploring artificial intelligence-assisted development. * The ability to work independently, collaborate across functions and regions, and support others through technical leadership and mentoring. Experience with GraphQL, PostgreSQL performance at scale, or building and evaluating large language model or agent systems is helpful but not required. We welcome candidates with different backgrounds and transferable experience. If you’re excited about the role but don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. ### About the team We are a team of four engineers, with two backend and two frontend engineers across Canada and Europe. You’ll work in an all-remote, async-first environment with weekly sync calls, retrospectives, demos, and short iterations. This is early-stage work with broad ownership, space for creativity, and a fast pace. For more about our team and its work, see[Plan Team Handbook Page](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/devops/plan/) and[Spec-Driven Development Initiative](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/devops/plan/project-management/) ### How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees * [Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/benefits/general-and-entity-benefits/) * [Flexible Paid Time Off](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/people-group/time-off-and-absence/time-off-types/#flexible-paid-time-off-pto) * [Team Member Resource Groups](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/company/culture/inclusion/tmrg-tmag/) * [Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/stock-options/) * [Growth and Development Fund](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/people-group/learning-and-development/growth-and-development/) * [Parental Leave](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/benefits/general-and-entity-benefits/#parental-leave) 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](https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/inclusion/#examples-of-select-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. Privacy Policy: Please review our [Recruitment Privacy Policy.](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/hiring/candidate-faq/recruitment-privacy-policy/) Your privacy is important to us. 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](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/people-policies/inc-usa/#equal-employment-opportunity-policy) and [EEO is the Law](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/labor-and-employment-notices/#eeoc-us-equal-employment-opportunity-commission-notices). If you have a disability or special need that requires [accommodation](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/people-policies/inc-usa/#reasonable-accommodation), please let us know during the [recruiting process](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/hiring/interviewing/#adjustments-to-our-interview-process). Show more [Apply now >](https://jobicy.com/jobs/156080-backend-engineer-ruby-plan-spec-driven-development.md) > Annual salary information is not provided for this position. 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