Backend Engineer, GitLab Orbit

As an Intermediate Backend Engineer on the GitLab Orbit team, you'll help build and operate a graph data service that supports GitLab Duo agents, analytics, and architecture-level features across GitLab.com, Dedicated, and Self-Managed deployments. You'll join a Rust-first team that values clear ownership, thoughtful system design, and rigorous thinking about data and reliability. The Knowledge Graph service is a Rust backend that builds a property graph from GitLab's software development lifecycle (SDLC) and code data. It uses ClickHouse, NATS JetStream, and the Data Insights Platform. It exposes secure graph queries and MCP tools used by AI agents and product features.

Responsibilities

Implement and iterate on backend features in the Rust-based Knowledge Graph service, including query engine, SDLC and code indexing flows, and API endpoints (including MCP endpoints); Maintain integrations between Knowledge Graph and the GitLab platform, including GitLab Rails, the Data Insights Platform (Siphon, NATS, ClickHouse), and GitLab Duo Agent Platform; Contribute to system design discussions by proposing options, raising questions, and documenting decisions; Improve operational maturity by adding or enhancing metrics, logging, runbooks, alerts, and readiness tasks, and participate in on-call rotation as appropriate; Collaborate asynchronously with product, data, infrastructure, security, and AI counterparts to clarify requirements and ship features safely; Use AI-assisted development workflows responsibly and share what works with the team; Participate in code reviews, knowledge-sharing sessions, and pairing; Contribute across the stack when needed, including occasional Ruby work and small frontend changes related to Knowledge Graph features; Take part in on-call or operational support where the team's ownership model requires it

Requirements

Professional experience building and maintaining backend systems in production, with an understanding of reliability, maintainability, and supporting services over time (for example, incident response and follow-ups); Proficiency in at least one modern backend language and strong interest in Rust, with either prior Rust experience or clear evidence you can ramp quickly; Some exposure to distributed data or analytics systems (for example, OLAP databases, Kafka- or NATS-style messaging, or change data capture pipelines), or strong motivation to develop those skills; Interest in graph data modeling and query patterns (property graphs, n-hop traversals, aggregations); Practical experience (or strong interest) using AI tools in day-to-day development, with a thoughtful approach to validating outputs; A language-agnostic mindset and evidence you can pick up new languages and frameworks (for example, Ruby, Go, or TypeScript/Vue); Solid fundamentals in system design for your level, including reasoning about trade-offs and aligning implementation with documented architectural decisions; Comfort working in a low-process, high-ownership, all-remote environment across time zones, communicating progress clearly in writing

Benefits

Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being; Flexible Paid Time Off; Team Member Resource Groups; Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan; Growth and Development Fund; Parental Leave