Backend Engineer, Data Stores: Global Search

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An overview of this role

The Global Search team is focused on bringing world-class search experience to GitLab SaaS and self-managed customers. We empower our users with advanced text and code searches. We are exploring bringing in the latest AI technologies to provide an even better search experience and results. In this role, you will use Ruby on Rails, GoLang, search engines like Elasticsearch and Zoekt, PostgreSQL, and AI technologies to develop GitLab’s core search functionalities. At the same time, you will also be advising other development teams on best practices for leveraging Global Search capabilities (e.g. indexing and searching various product feature contents).

Some examples of our projects: 

• Global Search Roadmap board
• Elasticsearch lessons learnt for Advanced Global Search
• Zoekt-based Code Search production rollout 

What You’ll Do  

• Building best-in-class search experience for GitLab customers and users
• Improve and implement our indexing and searching strategies
• Own architecture, performance, and scaling of the GitLab search solutions with Elasticsearch and other search engines.
• Build responsive and scalable services and APIs
• Self-managed installation mechanisms

What You’ll Bring 

• Strong professional work experience in Ruby and Ruby on Rails.
• Proficient in Golang or willing to learn on the job.
• Elasticsearch or other search engine experience – modeling, processing, nodes, index management, and performance tuning.
• Experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation and Vector databases is preferred
• Understand Database principles and optimization mechanisms, especially PostgreSQL.
• Understand system internals, distributed systems, and high availability principles.
• Experience with Kubernetes and Helm is preferred.
• Proficiency in the English language, both written and verbal.
• Self-motivated and self-managing, with strong organizational skills.
• Share a set of GitLab values and work in accordance with those values.
• Experience working with a remote team or ability to thrive in a fully remote organization.
• Passionate about/experienced with open source and developer tools.
• Work experience in product companies.

About the team

Global Search team is a group of backend and frontend engineers who are passionate about adopting the latest search technologies to help GitLab users find the information they need. The team members are distributed across the globe but they share the GitLab Values. Please take a look at our team page and our roadmaps to learn more about the team.

How GitLab will support you

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• All remote, asynchronous work environment
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and development budget 
• 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.