VP of Engineering - Architecture and Transformation

An overview of this role

As the Vice President of Engineering, Architecture and Transformation, you'll create and lead a new Engineering Leadership Team (ELT)-level engineering pillar focused on AI-powered productivity, next-generation architecture and horizontal execution across GitLab. You'll tackle critical cross-cutting problems such as improving engineering productivity with AI tools like Claude Code, solving major architectural challenges like decoupling the monolith and building next-generation primitives and improving responsiveness by embedding a horizontal engineering team into high-priority verticals. You'll lead two new charters: Architecture, Quality and Engineering Excellence and Horizontal Engineering. Together, these charters will define and roll out engineering best practices, serve as 'Customer Zero' for GitLab's AI-assisted development workflows and provide dynamic, high-context capacity that accelerates delivery and improves reliability toward targets like 99.99% availability. In your first year, you'll work closely with the ELT and PMO to set and deliver a clear AI and architecture roadmap. You'll establish standards that raise quality and operational efficiency and build a high-trust model for embedded horizontal teams that strengthens GitLab's global, always-on innovation cycle.

Some examples of our projects:

• The AI-Augmented Delivery Engine: A strategic initiative to use GitLab as 'Customer Zero' by integrating state-of-the-art agents—leveraging tools like Claude Code or equivalent open-source models—to automate non-creative tasks like refactoring and MR generation, establishing a blueprint for non-linear productivity gains.

• The 'Act 2' Alignment Charter: A strategic roadmap co-authored with senior leadership that identifies systemic technical bottlenecks and defines the architectural evolution required to move GitLab from a DevSecOps platform to an AI-autonomous delivery engine.

What you'll do

• Lead the new Engineering, Architecture and Transformation pillar as part of the ELT, setting a clear vision for horizontal engineering excellence across GitLab.

• Drive the definition, adoption and continual improvement of engineering best practices, partnering with Product, PMO and vertical engineering leaders to raise quality, reliability  and delivery consistency.

• Own the 'Customer Zero' charter by championing internal use of GitLab, unblocking teams and directly contributing to code when needed to validate workflows and accelerate critical initiatives.

• Define and guide the transition to next-generation, AI-optimized architecture, including the design and rollout of core primitives that enable vertical teams to decouple legacy systems and scale for ultra-scale customers.

• Build and lead the Architecture, Quality and Engineering Excellence team to deliver non-linear productivity gains through AI-assisted development, including tools such as Claude Code and GitLab Duo.

• Establish and manage the Horizontal Engineering team as a flexible, embedded group that joins target teams, gains deep context in their codebases and delivers high-impact features and fixes during US business hours.

• Collaborate across the ELT and senior leaders to identify systemic horizontal challenges, prioritize cross-cutting initiatives and ensure clear technical ownership and accountability for their execution.

• Champion an operationally frugal mindset by aligning AI and architectural decisions with cost of goods sold optimization, while maintaining high availability, service reliability targets and a strong culture of engineering excellence.

What you'll bring

• Large-Scale Engineering Leadership: Proven experience leading large-scale engineering organizations, including horizontal or platform functions that span multiple product areas.

• World-Scale Service Operations: Deep background in building, operating and evolving highly available, world-scale services with a strong focus on reliability and quality.

• Architectural Expertise: Demonstrated technical depth across modern software architectures, including experience driving major architectural transitions such as decoupling monoliths and defining foundational primitives.

• Hands-On Technical Leadership: Hands-on engineering leadership style, with the ability to engage directly in code and technical design when needed while guiding teams from strategy through execution.

• AI-Assisted Development: Expertise in AI-assisted development and tooling, with a track record of using AI to improve developer productivity and inform product direction.

• Cost-Conscious Architecture: Experience driving COGS-conscious engineering decisions, optimizing architectures and operations for both performance and cost efficiency.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Ability to influence without direct authority in a matrixed environment, aligning engineering, product and executive stakeholders around shared outcomes.

• Product-Minded Change Leadership: Strong product mindset and change leadership skills, including managing the human side of large technical shifts in similarly complex, high-scale environments.

About the team

Our ELT-led engineering pillar drives platform-wide impact across GitLab. We partner with product and engineering leaders across all verticals to raise engineering standards and support long-term architectural and AI initiatives. You'll join a small, high-context, globally distributed group that works asynchronously. We also provide responsive coverage during US business hours through embedded engineers who join target teams as full contributors. We focus on solving systemic, cross-cutting engineering challenges and accelerating delivery where capacity or geographic gaps exist, turning GitLab's global footprint into a strategic advantage.