Senior Backend Engineer (Ruby), Plan: Spec-Driven Development
GitLab
In this role you’ll drive the backend implementation for Plan: Spec-Driven Development, turning intents into actionable work items, plans, and mergeable code. You’ll own backend flows, APIs, data models, and evaluation systems, collaborating across product, design, and users toward a public beta. You’ll lead major features from concept to release, mentor peers, and shape technical direction in a fast-paced, async‑first, all-remote environment. You’ll work on high-visibility AI-enabled workflows that scale how teams build software.
Pay / Benefits- Flexible Paid Time Off
- Team Member Resource Groups
- Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Growth and Development Fund
- Parental Leave
- Lead backend features from early product discussions through design, implementation, rollout, and post-launch learning
- Build flows, APIs, and data models behind agent-generated work items, implementation plans, durable specifications, and mergeable code
- Develop evaluation and benchmarking systems for workflow quality, token cost, and success rate
- Use Ruby on Rails and Python to build reliable production systems with PostgreSQL, GraphQL, and AI-related platforms
- Collaborate with product, design, engineers, design partners, and users to shape scope and trade-offs
- Coordinate multi-person projects in an asynchronous, all-remote environment
- Mentor other engineers and influence technical direction across the Plan group and AI initiatives
- Work in short iterations, share progress, and use feedback to guide next steps
- Strong Ruby on Rails experience in a large production codebase
- Production experience with Python
- Experience leading substantial projects over months with clear outcomes
- Product mindset with end-to-end ownership of features
- Full stack background with backend focus and ability to read frontend code
- Strong API design and SQL fundamentals
- Experience exploring AI-assisted development
- Ability to work independently and mentor others
- Experience with GraphQL, PostgreSQL performance, or large language model/agent systems is helpful but not required
- collaboration across functions and regions
- technical leadership and mentoring
- clear communication in asynchronous environments
- Ruby on Rails
- Python
- PostgreSQL
Reference: WJ-747_30184852