Staff Backend Engineer, AST: Composition Analysis

About the Role

The role requires a deep understanding of software composition analysis, dependency scanning, and container scanning. You will be working with a distributed team across multiple time zones, so excellent communication and collaboration skills are essential. The team's high-performance culture is driven by Gitlab's values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems.

Gitlab's commitment to AI-driven productivity multipliers means that you will be expected to incorporate AI into your daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. This is an exciting opportunity to co-create the future of software development with a company that is at the forefront of the industry.

What You Will Do

• Implement complex features in dependency scanning and container scanning, shipping improvements that increase scan coverage, improve accuracy, and drive adoption of Gitlab's SCA capabilities
• Solve novel technical problems in SCA, establishing reusable patterns that reduce delivery time and improve engineering effectiveness across the team
• Guide architectural and implementation decisions in collaboration with engineering managers, product managers, and peer staff engineers to improve scalability, reliability, and delivery outcomes across the team's SCA architecture
• Contribute code, design reviews, and technical mentorship that raise quality standards, improve maintainability, and strengthen performance across the codebase
• Collaborate across Gitlab's security domain to align SCA work with related efforts in vulnerability management and adjacent product areas, accelerating delivery of shared roadmap goals and improving coordination across related security efforts
• Identify and resolve technical debt, prioritizing changes that improve team velocity, code health, and long-term maintainability across the team's core SCA services
• Translate product needs and customer feedback into technical solutions in partnership with product and security stakeholders, delivering features that address high-impact customer risks and advance shared roadmap goals
• Participate in design discussions, providing input on the technical feasibility of proposed solutions and suggesting alternatives where necessary
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, ensuring that it is up-to-date and accurate

What We Are Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in software development, with a focus on backend engineering
• Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, or C++
• Experience with software composition analysis, dependency scanning, and container scanning
• Knowledge of cloud-based technologies and containerization platforms such as Docker
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work with distributed teams
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex technical problems and develop creative solutions
• Experience with Agile development methodologies and version control systems such as Git
• Strong understanding of computer science fundamentals, including data structures and algorithms
• Experience with AI-driven productivity multipliers and their application in software development

Nice to Have

• Experience with Gitlab's SCA capabilities and the Gitlab platform
• Knowledge of security frameworks and regulations such as OWASP and GDPR
• Experience with continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
• Familiarity with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools such as Terraform or AWS CloudFormation

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive salary and equity package
• Comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs
• Flexible working hours and remote work options
• Professional development opportunities, including training and conference attendance
• Access to the latest technologies and tools
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment
• Recognition and reward programs for outstanding performance
• Generous paid time off and holiday policy
• Parental leave and family support programs
• Employee resource groups and diversity initiatives
• Access to mental health resources and support services
• Annual budget for professional development and growth

• Develop a strong understanding of software composition analysis and dependency scanning, and be prepared to provide examples of your experience in these areas.
• Showcase your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product, and security stakeholders.
• Highlight your experience with cloud-based technologies and containerization platforms, and be prepared to discuss the trade-offs between different approaches.
• Be prepared to provide examples of your problem-solving skills, including your approach to analyzing complex technical problems and developing creative solutions.
• Familiarize yourself with Gitlab's SCA capabilities and the Gitlab platform, and be prepared to discuss your experience with similar technologies.
• Prepare to discuss your experience with AI-driven productivity multipliers and their application in software development, and be prepared to provide examples of how you have incorporated AI into your daily workflows.