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An overview of this role
As the Senior Director, Global Subject Matter Expertise (SME) Solutions Architecture, you will build and lead GitLab's Subject Matter Expert organization: three regional teams in AMER, EMEA and APJ, each covering Security & Compliance, Platform, Core DevSecOps, and AI & Competitive. This team is the depth layer of GitLab's technical selling model. It wins the most complex opportunities, scales product expertise into the Account SA team, and turns field insight into product direction.
This is a leader of leaders role. You will manage three regional SME Managers, not individual contributors, and develop them as leaders in their own right. The SME organization is new, so we are looking for a transformational leader who thrives in ambiguity, builds structure where none exists, and has a track record of standing up high-performing technical teams in fast-growing, evolving businesses.
You will work as a peer to GitLab's regional Solutions Architecture Senior Directors and partner closely with Sales, Customer Success, Product, Engineering, Product Marketing and Sales Operations. Together you will make sure GitLab brings the right depth to the right opportunities, and that what the field learns shapes what GitLab builds next.
What you'll do
- Set the strategy, operating model and global standards for the SME organization, aligned to the VP Global SA and GitLab's go-to-market plan.
- Build the resourcing model from product-level bookings and consumption targets. Size each product group by region based on where the plan needs specialist coverage.
- Act as the field's senior partner to Product Management and Engineering. Run a structured feedback loop that shapes roadmap, launch readiness and early-access programs.
- Hire, mentor and develop regional SME Managers and, through them, the full global team.
- Own the engagement model with the regional SA Senior Directors, Post-Sales SAs and Customer Success: triage rules, coverage thresholds, the closed-won handoff to Post-Sales SAs, and escalation paths.
- Create and improve upon the processes, metrics and KPIs for SME-led technical evaluations, workshops, demos and Proofs of Value.
- Partner with CRO staff, regional sales leaders and AVPs on product-category performance, forecast risk and competitive strategy.
- Partner with Enablement to drive field readiness for new product launches with Product Marketing and Enablement, including Duo Agent Platform, security and platform offerings.
- Build strong relationships with key customers at the technical sponsor and executive level.
- Use AI to change how the team works, including deal research, demo creation, PoV automation and knowledge sharing.
- Drive organizational transformation by finding gaps early, building structure where none exists, and leading change without waiting for top-down direction.
What you'll bring
- 5+ years second-line leadership experience (managing managers) in Solutions Architecture, Sales Engineering or a technical specialist organization.
- Experience building or scaling a specialist, overlay or global SA team in enterprise SaaS, DevSecOps, security or developer tools.
- A record of tying technical-team design to bookings and consumption outcomes, with the data to show it.
- The ability to lead through ambiguity and rapid organizational change, bringing clarity and direction while strategy is still forming.
- Strong relationships with Product and Engineering leaders, and a history of shaping roadmap from field insight.
- Fluency across the software development lifecycle, application security (SAST, DAST, SCA), cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes and AI-assisted development, including LLM evaluation and production deployment patterns.
- Executive presence with technical practitioners, managers and C-level stakeholders.
- Proven ability to partner across Sales, Partners, Product, Engineering, Marketing, Customer Success and Professional Services.
- A self-starting, entrepreneurial approach. You don't wait for a playbook; you write it.
How you'll be measured
- Global product-category commit attainment and consumption growth.
- Time from technical win to first workload in customer’s production environment on SME-engaged opportunities compared with non-engaged opportunities.
- SME coverage and engagement speed on the top 10% of opportunities.
- Account Team capability lift: fewer escalations and more deals handled without an SME over time.
- Product impact: field sentiment on the product feedback process along with field-sourced requirements adopted into the roadmap.
- Team health: hiring against plan, manager development, engagement and retention.
About the team
The Subject Matter Expertise (SME) organization is part of GitLab's Solutions Architecture team, a trusted technical partner for the field. SMEs bring the deepest product expertise to GitLab's most complex opportunities and carry customer feedback into conversations about product direction, enablement and value messaging. The team is distributed and all-remote, and relies on clear communication, strong judgment and shared operating practices across regions.
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
$244,200—$409,500 USD
How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees
- 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
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.
