Application Guide
How to Apply for Managing Director, Collaborative Capital
at GitLab Foundation
🏢 About GitLab Foundation
GitLab Foundation is the philanthropic arm of GitLab, a fully remote company known for its open-source DevOps platform and transparent, all-remote culture. Unlike traditional foundations, it operates with a venture philanthropy mindset, focusing on scalable, evidence-based solutions in education, open source, and community development. Working here means blending tech-sector agility with mission-driven grantmaking.
About This Role
As Managing Director of Collaborative Capital, you will lead the strategy, launch, and management of pooled philanthropic funds and grantmaking portfolios aimed at increasing lifetime earnings for economically disadvantaged populations. You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of these funds—from sourcing and due diligence to deployment, grantee support, and impact measurement—while also raising external capital from foundations, family offices, and donors. This is a high-visibility leadership role that combines fundraising, grantmaking, and field-building.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve meeting with potential funders to discuss co-investment opportunities, reviewing grant proposals with the team, and coaching a grantee on their impact measurement strategy. You might also spend time drafting a thought leadership piece or preparing for a conference presentation, all while coordinating asynchronously with colleagues across time zones.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who GitLab Foundation Is Looking For
- 12+ years of experience in philanthropy, venture capital, impact investing, or a related field, with a proven track record of launching and scaling funds or capital deployment initiatives.
- Deep expertise in economic mobility, workforce development, or education-to-employment pathways, and familiarity with evidence-based grantmaking and impact measurement.
- Strong fundraising and relationship management skills, with experience securing capital from diverse funding sources and managing co-investment partnerships.
- Experience building and leading grantee support systems, such as cohort learning, coaching, and capacity-building programs.
- Comfortable working remotely and asynchronously, with excellent written communication skills and a collaborative, low-ego approach.
📝 Tips for Applying to GitLab Foundation
Highlight specific funds or capital deployment initiatives you have launched and scaled, including the amount of capital raised and deployed, and the outcomes achieved.
Demonstrate your understanding of GitLab Foundation's focus areas—education, open source, and community development—and how they connect to economic mobility.
Show your ability to work remotely and asynchronously by mentioning experience with distributed teams and tools like GitLab, Slack, or Zoom.
Include examples of how you have built grantee support systems, such as cohort learning or coaching, and how you measured their impact.
Emphasize your network and experience in fundraising from foundations, family offices, and donors, and provide concrete examples of successful capital raises.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your vision for how collaborative capital can be used to maximize lifetime earnings gains for economically disadvantaged populations.', 'A specific example of a fund or initiative you launched and scaled, including the challenges you overcame and the impact you achieved.', "Your approach to building and sustaining relationships with funders and partners, and how you would leverage GitLab Foundation's unique position in the tech and open-source communities.", "Your experience in building grantee capacity and fostering evidence-building, and how you would apply it to GitLab Foundation's portfolios."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Study GitLab Foundation's existing grantmaking portfolios and collaborative funds to understand their focus areas and impact to date.
- → Read GitLab's publicly available handbook and remote work culture to understand how the Foundation operates within a fully remote, asynchronous environment.
- → Research the concept of 'lifetime earnings gains' and the evidence base behind different interventions, such as sectoral training, community college pathways, and open-source skills development.
- → Identify potential co-investors and partners in the economic mobility space, such as other foundations, impact investors, and nonprofits, and understand their priorities.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on grantmaking experience without demonstrating fundraising or capital-raising success, as the role requires securing external capital.
- Being vague about impact measurement; the Foundation values evidence-building, so candidates should avoid generic statements about 'making a difference' without metrics.
- Ignoring the remote and asynchronous nature of the role; candidates who emphasize a need for in-person collaboration or traditional office settings may not fit the culture.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to GitLab Foundation!