Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Environment Automation at GitLab

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Environment Automation
Company: GitLab
Location: Remote, US
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering
Date Posted: 2025-08-02
Experience Level: 5-10 years
Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

GitLab's Senior Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) for Environment Automation is responsible for ensuring the reliability, scalability, and performance of GitLab's production systems. This role involves a blend of software engineering and operations, with a focus on automation, monitoring, and security. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in infrastructure as code, experience with Terraform, and proficiency in GoLang or Ruby. This is a remote position, with a focus on collaboration and customer interaction.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

🔧 Build and Maintain Systems

Automate operational tasks using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) technologies, such as Terraform.
Maintain and enhance GitLab's production systems, ensuring high availability and minimal downtime.
Develop and maintain monitoring and alerting systems to predict capacity needs and detect anomalies.
Respond to user emergencies, platform alerts, and support requests, providing quick and reliable solutions.

🛠 Plan and Enhance Systems

Develop and implement new security measures to protect GitLab's infrastructure.
Collaborate with other engineering stakeholders to resolve architectural bottlenecks and improve operational readiness across teams.
Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) during internal and external compliance assessments for regulatory requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, SOC2, ISO).
Plan for new service rollouts, expansions, and customer resource optimization.

🤝 Collaborate and Communicate

Work closely with software development teams to shape the future roadmap and establish strong operational readiness.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver unique solutions to various technical challenges.
Regularly interact with customers, focusing on resolving their requests with a sense of urgency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent practical experience may be considered.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, or a similar role. Proven experience with Infrastructure as Code technologies, particularly Terraform, is required. Proficiency in GoLang or Ruby is also required.

Required Skills:

Experience with Infrastructure as Code technologies, particularly Terraform.
Proficiency in GoLang or Ruby.
Strong understanding of large systems, edge cases, failure modes, and behaviors.
Ability to reason about complex systems and their operations at scale.
Experience with customer interaction and a focus on resolving requests with urgency.
Familiarity with GitLab as a day-to-day tool.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with cloud provider systems (e.g., GCP, AWS).
Familiarity with Kubernetes and managed Kubernetes platforms.
Knowledge of Linux, networking, and distributed systems.
Experience with observability stacks (e.g., ELK, Prometheus).

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate experience with Infrastructure as Code technologies, highlighting Terraform projects.
Showcase proficiency in GoLang or Ruby through relevant projects or code samples.
Highlight projects that showcase your understanding of large systems, edge cases, and failure modes.
Include examples of customer interactions and problem-solving scenarios.

Technical Documentation:

Provide clear and concise documentation for your projects, explaining your design choices, trade-offs, and limitations.
Include any relevant metrics, performance tests, or optimization techniques used in your projects.
Demonstrate your ability to collaborate with others by including any relevant code reviews, pair programming, or team projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $151,000 - $266,400 USD per year (for residents of California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., Illinois, Minnesota, and Washington only). Sales roles are also eligible for incentive pay targeted at up to 100% of the offered base salary.

Benefits: GitLab offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, and equity. They also provide a generous vacation policy, paid family leave, and remote work flexibility.

Working Hours: This is a full-time position with a standard workweek of 40 hours. GitLab's remote work policy allows for flexible working hours and time-off as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to certain U.S. locations. For candidates in other locations, GitLab's compensation package is competitive with industry standards and may include additional benefits and equity.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: GitLab operates in the software development and DevOps platform industry, focusing on AI-powered solutions for the entire software development lifecycle.

Company Size: GitLab is a mid-sized company with a remote-first culture, employing over 1,600 team members worldwide.

Founded: GitLab was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a strong remote presence.

Team Structure: The Environment Automation team is part of the Dedicated Group within GitLab's Infrastructure organization. This team is responsible for developing and operating the automated plumbing of the GitLab Dedicated solution. The team is globally distributed and collaborates closely with other engineering teams to ensure the reliability and performance of GitLab's production systems.

Development Methodology: GitLab follows Agile/Scrum methodologies, with a focus on continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment. The company emphasizes collaboration, code reviews, and automated testing to ensure high-quality software.

Company Website: GitLab

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's remote-first culture allows for flexible working arrangements and encourages team members to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Site Reliability Engineer roles require a deep understanding of large-scale systems, infrastructure as code, and customer interaction. This role is ideal for experienced SREs looking to advance their careers in a challenging and dynamic environment.

Reporting Structure: Senior Site Reliability Engineers report directly to the Engineering Manager of the Environment Automation team. They work closely with other SREs, software development teams, and other stakeholders within GitLab's Infrastructure organization.

Technical Impact: Senior Site Reliability Engineers at GitLab have a significant impact on the reliability, performance, and security of GitLab's production systems. They collaborate with cross-functional teams to shape the future roadmap and ensure strong operational readiness across teams.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: Expand your skills in infrastructure as code, large-scale systems, and emerging technologies by working on various projects within GitLab's infrastructure and production systems.
Leadership Development: Develop your leadership skills by mentoring junior team members, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and contributing to GitLab's engineering culture.
Architecture Decisions: Contribute to GitLab's architecture and design decisions, driving the future direction of GitLab's production systems and infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's commitment to continuous learning and growth enables team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: GitLab is a remote-first company, with no physical office locations. Team members work remotely from various locations worldwide.

Office Location(s): GitLab does not have physical office locations. Team members work remotely from their chosen location.

Workspace Context:

Remote Work: GitLab's remote work policy allows for flexible working hours and time-off as needed. Team members can work from their preferred location, with access to necessary tools and resources.
Collaboration Tools: GitLab uses various collaboration tools, including GitLab itself, Slack, and Google Workspace, to facilitate communication and collaboration among team members.
Cross-Functional Interaction: GitLab's remote-first culture encourages cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members, regardless of their location.

Work Schedule: GitLab follows a flexible work schedule, with a standard workweek of 40 hours. Team members are expected to be available during core business hours but have the flexibility to manage their time as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's remote work policy and flexible work schedule enable team members to balance their personal and professional lives effectively.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Technical Screening: A technical screening to assess your understanding of infrastructure as code, Terraform, and your programming language of choice (GoLang or Ruby).
System Design: A system design discussion to evaluate your ability to reason about large systems, edge cases, and failure modes.
Customer Interaction: A customer interaction scenario to assess your ability to resolve customer requests with urgency and empathy.
Final Evaluation: A final evaluation to discuss your technical impact, cultural fit, and alignment with GitLab's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your experience with infrastructure as code, Terraform, and your programming language of choice (GoLang or Ruby).
Include projects that demonstrate your understanding of large systems, edge cases, and failure modes.
Showcase your ability to collaborate with others by including any relevant code reviews, pair programming, or team projects.
Include any relevant metrics, performance tests, or optimization techniques used in your projects.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your Terraform skills and familiarize yourself with GitLab's infrastructure and production systems.
Review your understanding of large-scale systems, edge cases, and failure modes.
Practice your problem-solving skills and prepare for system design discussions.

ATS Keywords: Infrastructure as Code, Terraform, GoLang, Ruby, Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, Large-Scale Systems, Edge Cases, Failure Modes, Customer Interaction, Collaboration, GitLab, Linux, Networking, Distributed Systems, Cloud Security, Kubernetes, Observability, Agile, Scrum, Remote Work, Flexible Schedule

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's interview process is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The company values candidates who can think critically, collaborate effectively, and drive innovation in a remote work environment.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Infrastructure as Code Technologies:

Terraform
Ansible
CloudFormation

Programming Languages:

GoLang
Ruby

Cloud Providers:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Monitoring and Alerting Tools:

Prometheus
ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
Datadog
New Relic

Collaboration Tools:

GitLab
Slack
Google Workspace (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides)

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's technology stack is designed to support the company's remote-first culture and enable team members to collaborate effectively, regardless of their location.

👥 Team Culture & Values

GitLab Values:

Collaborate: Work with others to achieve common goals and learn from each other.
Results: Focus on outcomes and deliver meaningful results.
Efficiency: Maximize productivity and minimize waste.
Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging: Foster a culture of respect and belonging for all team members.
Iterate: Continuously improve and learn from both success and failure.
Transparency: Share information openly and honestly, and be open to feedback.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Interaction: GitLab encourages collaboration across teams and disciplines to drive innovation and impact.
Code Reviews: GitLab emphasizes code reviews and pair programming to ensure high-quality software and knowledge sharing.
Knowledge Sharing: GitLab fosters a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing among team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's values and collaboration style are designed to support the company's remote-first culture and enable team members to work effectively together, regardless of their location.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Infrastructure Automation: Develop, maintain, and enhance GitLab's infrastructure automation processes using Terraform and other infrastructure as code technologies.
Large-Scale Systems: Design, implement, and maintain systems that can scale to support GitLab's growing user base and infrastructure requirements.
Edge Cases and Failure Modes: Identify, address, and mitigate edge cases and failure modes in GitLab's production systems to ensure high availability and reliability.
Security and Compliance: Develop, maintain, and enhance GitLab's security measures and compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, SOC2, ISO).

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Expand your skills in infrastructure as code, large-scale systems, and emerging technologies by working on various projects within GitLab's infrastructure and production systems.
Conferences and Certifications: Attend industry conferences, obtain relevant certifications, and engage with the GitLab community to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in infrastructure, DevOps, and site reliability engineering.
Mentorship and Leadership: Mentor junior team members, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and contribute to GitLab's engineering culture to develop your leadership skills and drive technical innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: GitLab's commitment to continuous learning and growth enables team members to expand their skills, advance their careers, and make a significant impact on the company's success.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Terraform: Describe your experience with Terraform and how you've used it to automate infrastructure in previous roles. Walk through a Terraform project you've worked on, explaining your design choices, modules, and variables.
Large-Scale Systems: Explain your approach to designing, implementing, and maintaining large-scale systems. Describe a complex system you've worked with and how you handled edge cases, failure modes, and scaling challenges.
Customer Interaction: Describe a challenging customer interaction you've had and how you resolved the issue. Explain how you prioritize customer requests and balance technical constraints with customer needs.
System Design: Walk through a system design you've worked on, explaining your design choices, trade-offs, and limitations. Describe how you involved stakeholders, gathered requirements, and ensured the system met their needs.

Company & Culture Questions:

GitLab's Remote Culture: Explain how you've worked effectively in a remote environment and how you've collaborated with team members in different time zones.
GitLab's Values: Describe how you've demonstrated GitLab's values in your previous roles and how you plan to apply them in this position.
GitLab's Engineering Culture: Explain how you've contributed to a positive engineering culture in your previous roles and how you plan to do so at GitLab.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Terraform Projects: Highlight your Terraform projects, explaining your design choices, modules, and variables. Showcase how you've used Terraform to automate infrastructure and ensure consistency across environments.
Large-Scale Systems: Demonstrate your understanding of large-scale systems by walking through a complex system you've worked with, explaining how you handled edge cases, failure modes, and scaling challenges.
Customer Interaction: Showcase your customer interaction skills by describing a challenging customer interaction and how you resolved the issue. Explain how you prioritize customer requests and balance technical constraints with customer needs.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Environment Automation position at GitLab:

Tailor Your Portfolio: Highlight your experience with infrastructure as code, Terraform, and your programming language of choice (GoLang or Ruby). Include projects that demonstrate your understanding of large-scale systems, edge cases, and failure modes. Showcase your ability to collaborate with others by including any relevant code reviews, pair programming, or team projects.
Update Your Resume: Emphasize your experience with infrastructure as code, Terraform, and your programming language of choice (GoLang or Ruby). Include any relevant metrics, performance tests, or optimization techniques used in your projects. Highlight your customer interaction skills and problem-solving abilities.
Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your Terraform skills and familiarize yourself with GitLab's infrastructure and production systems. Review your understanding of large-scale systems, edge cases, and failure modes. Practice your problem-solving skills and prepare for system design discussions.
Research GitLab: Familiarize yourself with GitLab's products, services, and company culture. Understand GitLab's remote-first culture and how it enables team members to collaborate effectively, regardless of their location.

📝 Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with GitLab before making application decisions.

Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Environment Automation