Senior Director, Enterprise Architecture and AI

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster.

The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.

*Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab.

An overview of this role

As the Senior Director, Enterprise Architecture and AI, you will define and govern how GitLab's internal systems connect, integrate, and evolve to support our rapidly scaling business. Reporting to the CIO and serving as a key member of the CIO leadership team, you will lead our Integration, RPA, and AI Engineering teams, setting the architectural standards, governance frameworks, and strategic vision that keep our technology landscape coherent, scalable, and aligned with business objectives. This role is both deeply strategic and hands-on: you will shape the long-term architecture while staying close enough to the work to guide critical technical decisions across teams.

As the architectural leader for GitLab's internal technology ecosystem, you will establish and lead our Architecture Review Board, partnering early and often with system owners so architecture becomes an enabler rather than a gate. You will rationalize our automation and integration landscape, clarify when to use AI, RPA, or traditional integration, reduce shadow IT and software sprawl, and drive clear patterns for data flows and system-of-record designations. In close partnership with the Director of AI Engineering and the CIO, you will be accountable for internal AI strategy and delivery, ensuring AI initiatives are secure, compliant, and integrated with core enterprise platforms while delivering measurable impact across sales, customer success, support, and operations. You will also set direction for how we use modern AI technologies like vector databases, large language models, fine-tuning, and prompt engineering to transform internal workflows while maintaining SOX compliance and strong security controls.

What you'll do

• Define and drive GitLab's enterprise architecture strategy, setting clear principles and patterns for how internal systems connect, integrate, and scale across platforms like Salesforce, NetSuite, Zuora, Workato, and other core business applications.
• Establish and lead GitLab's Architecture Review Board, engaging early with system owners and project teams to shape technical approaches, guide integration patterns, and ensure architectural decisions align with enterprise standards and business objectives.
• Design and govern integration architectures and data flow patterns, including API-first approaches, point-to-point integrations, and data warehouse and reverse ETL models, in close partnership with Data Governance and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Co-own internal AI program strategy and delivery with the Director of AI Engineering and CIO, ensuring AI initiatives are architected for scalability, compliance, and measurable business impact across sales, customer success, support, and operations.
• Create and execute a cohesive automation strategy that spans agentic AI, robotic process automation (RPA), and traditional integration technologies, rationalizing existing investments and defining clear decision frameworks for tool selection.
• Lead efforts to reduce shadow IT and software sprawl by implementing software governance processes, partnering with system owners to centralize fragmented solutions, eliminate redundant capabilities, and reduce technical debt and unnecessary spend.
• Ensure enterprise, integration, and AI architectures meet SOX compliance and security requirements, including robust access controls, data governance, and audit-ready integration patterns that balance risk management with business agility.
• Align decentralized system roadmaps with enterprise architecture strategy, systematically identify and address technical debt, and provide hands-on technical leadership and mentorship to Integration, RPA, and AI Engineering teams to elevate architectural thinking and execution.

What you'll bring

• Extensive experience defining and governing enterprise architecture in complex, matrixed organizations, including leading architecture strategy across core business systems such as ERP, CRM, CPQ, billing, and financial platforms.
• Deep technical background across integration, automation, and AI, with the ability to step into Architecture, Integration, RPA, or AI Engineering teams and contribute meaningfully to design discussions and problem solving.
• Proven track record building and scaling AI and automation programs, including hands-on familiarity with modern AI technologies such as vector databases, large language models, fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and agentic workflows.
• Expert-level knowledge of data modeling, integration architecture patterns, and API design, including experience designing integration strategies that support both operational and analytical use cases.
• Strong experience establishing and leading architecture review boards or similar governance frameworks, balancing partnership-oriented engagement with clear, enforceable standards.
• Demonstrated success reducing shadow IT and software sprawl through thoughtful software governance, portfolio rationalization, and roadmap alignment with enterprise architecture principles.
• Deep understanding of SOX compliance, internal controls, and security architecture for business applications, with experience designing audit-ready integration and automation patterns.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage VP and C-level stakeholders, translate complex architectural concepts into clear business language, and drive alignment across decentralized teams.

The Enterprise Architecture and AI team at GitLab is responsible for designing, governing, and evolving the internal technology landscape that powers our business. We define how our core systems connect, integrate automation and AI into everyday workflows, and ensure our architecture is scalable, secure, and aligned with company priorities. Composed of experienced architects and engineers across integration, RPA, and AI, we operate asynchronously and partner closely with system owners in functions such as Sales, Finance, Customer Success, and Operations. We focus on setting clear architectural standards, rationalizing tools and automation, and guiding teams in using modern AI technologies to deliver measurable business impact while maintaining strong compliance and security practices. For more on how we work, see the Enterprise Applications Team Handbook Page.

The base salary range for this role’s listed level is currently for residents of the United States only. This range is intended to reflect the role's base salary rate in locations throughout the US. Grade level and salary ranges are determined through interviews and a review of education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities of the applicant, equity with other team members, alignment with market data, and geographic location. The base salary range does not include any bonuses, equity, or benefits. See more information on our benefits and equity. Sales roles are also eligible for incentive pay targeted at up to 100% of the offered base salary.

United States Salary Range

$203,200—$345,600 USD

How GitLab will support you

• 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 
• Home office support

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.

Country Hiring Guidelines: GitLab hires new team members in countries around the world. All of our roles are remote, however some roles may carry specific location-based eligibility requirements. Our Talent Acquisition team can help answer any questions about location after starting the recruiting process.  

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GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab’s policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.