About GitLab Foundation

The GitLab Foundation exists to help more people afford a better life. We focus on increasing lifetime earnings for individuals by identifying, funding, and scaling the most effective pathways to economic mobility. Our North Star is to maximize lifetime earnings gains for every dollar deployed, with an ambitious goal of generating more than $100 in lifetime earnings gains for every $1 invested.

We are evolving beyond a traditional grantmaking foundation into a platform for high-impact philanthropy. In addition to deploying our own capital, we work with donors, foundations, and partners to direct more resources toward solutions that create measurable improvements in people’s lives. Our work spans four complementary areas: high-impact grantmaking, collaborative capital vehicles that mobilize funding at scale, advisory services that help donors and foundations maximize their impact, and knowledge and intelligence products that enable better philanthropic decision-making.

At the core of our approach is a commitment to rigor, transparency, and measurable results. We combine impact modeling, data, research, technology, and practical implementation experience to identify opportunities that can deliver outsized social returns—and help others do the same. Learn more about the GitLab Foundation by visiting our website and reviewing our public Handbook.

The Team 

The GitLab Foundation is a high-performing, fully remote team that moves quickly, values curiosity, and is deeply results-oriented. Grounded in our CREDIT values, we bring together diverse experience across philanthropy, nonprofits, the private sector, impact investing, and research — combining that range with collaboration, empathy, and strategic clarity to drive meaningful, measurable impact. Our culture is built on respect, humility, and open debate, with a strong bias for action. We hold ourselves to high standards, operate with transparency and ownership, and take initiative without waiting for perfect clarity. Priorities evolve, ambiguity is the norm, and we embrace it — iterating and improving as we go.

About the Role

The GitLab Foundation is seeking an Applied AI Fellow to help transform how our organization leverages artificial intelligence. This is a six-month, full-time fellowship focused on identifying opportunities to apply AI, building practical solutions, and accelerating AI adoption across the Foundation, with the potential to transition into a permanent role based on organizational needs and performance.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will partner with teams across the organization to redesign workflows, automate manual processes, build new tools, and embed AI into our daily operations. From grantmaking and impact measurement to communications, partnerships, knowledge management, and operations, you will implement AI solutions that improve efficiency, strengthen decision-making, and increase organizational impact.

You are a technical builder who enjoys solving complex problems and turning emerging AI capabilities into reliable, scalable systems. You are comfortable writing code when needed, integrating APIs, structuring data, and building beyond the limits of no-code tools. You understand how to design solutions that are maintainable, reusable, secure, and easy for others to extend over time. You can evaluate and audit AI-generated code and no-code outputs, identify architectural issues, and make sound engineering decisions around data, permissions, access controls, and system design. You thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues.

In 2026, the Chronicle of Philanthropy recognized the GitLab Foundation as an example of how innovative philanthropic organizations are integrating AI into their work. We see that recognition as a starting point. This fellowship will play a central role in helping us deepen and scale that work.

Looking ahead, we are exploring the creation of a small, focused product and engineering function to build AI capabilities for both the Foundation and the broader economic mobility and philanthropic sector. This fellowship offers the opportunity to help lay that foundation. The systems, workflows, and technical practices you develop will inform that future function and could position you as a founding member as our AI capabilities continue to grow.

Key Responsibilities

Implement AI Solutions Across the Foundation

• Assess the Foundation’s current AI tools to identify gaps, inefficiencies, and underutilized capabilities, then recommend and implement improvements.
• Design solutions with long-term maintainability in mind by creating reusable components, documenting technical decisions, implementing appropriate security controls, and ensuring workflows can be extended and supported as organizational needs evolve.
• Partner closely with the Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer and others across the Foundation to identify and prioritize opportunities where AI can improve workflows, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness.
• Assess whether underlying data is clean, structured, and well-integrated before or alongside building a solution, and recommend improvements, understanding that messy data undermine even well-designed AI tools.
• Design, build, and implement AI-powered workflows, automations, agents, and other solutions that reduce manual work and improve quality.
• Integrate AI into existing processes and systems while continuously iterating based on user feedback and evolving organizational needs.
• Document scalable workflows and reusable solutions that can be adopted across the organization.
• Stay current on emerging AI tools and capabilities, and run quick pilots to test new ideas before committing to a full build.

Drive AI Adoption & Organizational Capability

• Serve as the Foundation’s internal AI champion, helping colleagues confidently and responsibly adopt AI in their daily work.
• Develop prompt libraries, playbooks, templates, and other resources that support consistent and effective AI use.
• Facilitate training sessions, office hours, demonstrations, and one-on-one coaching to increase AI literacy and adoption.
• Help establish best practices and governance for the secure, responsible, and effective use of AI.
• Track basic adoption and efficiency metrics for what you build and teach, and use them — along with lessons learned — to decide what to build or teach next.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Personal Attributes

• 2+ years of hands-on experience building software, internal tools, data pipelines, AI-powered workflows, or automations in a professional, academic, or independent setting. We care more about what you’ve built than your job title.
• Experience building tools that people actually use, with an understanding of maintainability, modular design, documentation, version control, and iterative improvement.
• Strong technical skills, including experience with Python and/or JavaScript, APIs, structured data, and building solutions beyond the capabilities of no-code tools.
• Able to evaluate and improve AI-generated code and no-code workflows, identifying opportunities to improve architecture, reliability, performance, security, and maintainability.
• Understands how to build scalable, reusable systems, including thoughtful approaches to configuration, shared components, data models, access controls, and responsible handling of sensitive data.
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to identify opportunities where AI can improve organizational effectiveness and translate them into practical solutions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly, work effectively with technical and non-technical colleagues, and help others adopt new tools through documentation, training, and coaching.
• Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable with ambiguity, demonstrating initiative, sound judgment, integrity, humility, and alignment with the GitLab Foundation’s CREDIT values.

Requirements, Compensation, and Benefits

• Location: Fully remote. Must be based in the U.S. 
• Base Annual Salary: $90,000
• Estimated Total Compensation: $120,000–$145,000, including the Foundation’s 10% employer 401(k) contribution and comprehensive benefits.
• Benefits 
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage (full premium coverage for team members, spouses, and dependents).
  • 401(k) contribution: GitLab Foundation contributes 10% of your salary (no employee contribution required).
  • Unlimited vacation, sick time, and other paid time off.
  • Additional team member benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your cover letter, resume, and either (1) a link to something you’ve built (such as a tool, workflow, automation, repository, or project) accompanied by a brief 1–2 page write-up describing what you built, your approach, and what you would do differently today, or (2) a 1–2 page writing sample if you do not have a relevant project to share. Please combine all application materials into a single PDF or Word document and email them to hiring@gitlabfoundation.org by August 14, 2026. We expect to notify candidates selected for interviews no later than August 25, 2026.

Applicants must already have unrestricted U.S. work authorization that does not require current or future employer sponsorship. GitLab Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, inclusive team and a work environment rooted in our CREDIT values. We strive to cultivate a culture that is inclusive, respectful, and empowering for all.