• 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.