Senior Manager - Solutions Architecture SME

About this role

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 You'll build and lead the regional team of product Subject Matter Experts who win GitLab's most complex opportunities. Your team covers four product groups: Security & Compliance, Platform, Core DevSecOps, and AI & Competitive. You'll partner with regional sales leadership to decide where SMEs go, coach your team to technical wins, and make sure every engagement leaves the Account team stronger. This is a player-coach role. You'll stay close to the technology and step into critical deals yourself. What you'll do • Hire, develop and retain a regional team of SMEs across four product groups, with a clear growth path for each person. • Run the regional engagement model with Account SA and Post-Sales leaders. Keep triage fast, coverage focused on the top opportunities, and the line between Account SA and SME ownership clear. • Partner with regional sales leaders and AVPs on deal strategy, forecast calls and product-category plans. • Review SME coverage weekly against the regional pipeline. Move capacity to where product-category commit and consumption are at risk. • Step into strategic deals as an executive technical sponsor when the opportunity calls for it. • Coach SMEs on PoV design, executive storytelling and competitive positioning. Hold a high bar for technical quality. • Keep engagement and outcome data accurate in Salesforce so the team's impact is visible and measurable. • Work with your peer regional managers and the Senior Director on shared assets, enablement programs and a consistent global playbook. • Bring regional customer and competitive signals to Product and Engineering through the Senior Director. • Build a team culture of trust, ownership and learning. Celebrate wins openly and treat misses as data. What you'll bring • 5+ Years experience leading technical pre-sales, solutions architecture or consulting, including time leading teams of technical individual contributors. • Hands-on depth in at least one of the four product groups, and enough breadth to coach across all four, including working fluency with AI-assisted development. • A record of hiring and developing high-performing technical specialists or SAs. • Experience partnering with sales leaders on enterprise forecasts, deal strategy and territory planning. • Comfort with data. You can show how your team moves win rates, cycle times and consumption. • Strong executive presence with customers and internal leaders. • Experience leading through change, with clear and steady communication. • Experience running an overlay or specialist team, or launching a new team or product category. • Ability to travel at least 25% How you'll be measured • Regional product-category commit attainment and consumption growth. • Technical win rate, PoV conversion and time to production use on SME-engaged opportunities. • SME coverage of the top 10% of regional opportunities, and lead time from request to engagement. • Account SA satisfaction with SME support. • Team hiring, ramp time, engagement and retention. • EAP Participation Rates for your given geography #LI-CM1 About the team SMEs are part of GitLab's Solutions Architecture team, a trusted technical partner for the field. The SME organization brings the deepest product expertise to GitLab's most complex opportunities, scales that expertise into the Account SA team, and carries customer feedback into product direction, enablement and value messaging. The team is distributed and all-remote. 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. Privacy Policy: Please review our Recruitment Privacy Policy. Your privacy is important to us. 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 .