Senior Ecommerce Backend Engineer: AI - Native

Edmund Optics is seeking a Senior Ecommerce Backend Engineer: AI-Native to build, integrate, and expand the backend services that power the company's evolving modular ecommerce platform. This is a hands-on software engineering role focused on connecting core ecommerce capabilities including personalization, semantic and LLM-driven search and discovery, Digital Asset Management (DAM), Product Information Management (PIM), and internal SAP/HANA systems. The role will design and develop APIs, services, data flows, and integrations that allow these platforms to work together reliably at scale. A defining requirement for this position is an AI-native development mindset: the successful candidate will use AI coding agents as a normal part of the software development lifecycle to generate, refactor, test, debug, document, and improve code while applying strong engineering judgment, security practices, and human review. The ideal candidate combines strong backend engineering fundamentals, systems integration experience, curiosity, and the ability to move quickly in a modern AI-assisted development environment.

Backend Platform Development: Design, build, maintain, and extend backend services, APIs, and integration layers that support Edmund Optics' modular ecommerce architecture and customer-facing web experiences.
• AI-Native Software Development: Use AI coding agents and agentic development workflows as a core part of day-to-day engineering to generate, refactor, test, debug, document, and accelerate production code. Validate AI-generated output for correctness, security, maintainability, and performance rather than treating generated code as automatically production-ready.
• Ecommerce Systems Integration: Integrate key ecommerce capabilities including personalization platforms, semantic/LLM search and discovery, DAM, PIM, analytics and data services, and other modular components as the ecommerce ecosystem evolves.
• Enterprise Data & ERP Integration: Build and maintain reliable integrations between the ecommerce platform and internal enterprise systems, including SAP/HANA, product, pricing, inventory, customer, order, and other business data required to support ecommerce experiences and transactions.
• API & Service Architecture: Develop scalable, secure, well-documented APIs and services that allow internal applications, third-party platforms, and customer-facing experiences to exchange data efficiently and consistently.
• LLM & Semantic Capabilities: Partner with ecommerce, search, data, and AI teams to integrate LLM-enabled and semantic capabilities into the site, including retrieval, product discovery, conversational experiences, and supporting data pipelines or service layers.
• Quality, Testing & Debugging: Build automated testing and validation into development workflows. Use AI-assisted debugging where appropriate while maintaining strong standards for code review, observability, performance, regression prevention, and production reliability.
• Modular Architecture & Reusability: Develop services and components with clear boundaries, reusable interfaces, and maintainable integration patterns that support continued movement toward a more modular and composable ecommerce architecture.
• Vendor & Partner Collaboration: Work directly with technology vendors, implementation partners, and internal teams to understand technical requirements, review integration approaches, troubleshoot issues, and translate platform capabilities into production solutions.
• Continuous Improvement & Emerging Tools: Stay current with AI-assisted software development, agentic coding workflows, backend architecture, integration patterns, and emerging ecommerce technologies. Evaluate new approaches pragmatically and adopt those that measurably improve engineering speed, quality, or maintainability.

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements:

• Strong hands-on backend software engineering experience building production web applications, services, APIs, and integrations.

• Demonstrated ability to use AI coding agents and AI-assisted development tools to write, refactor, test, debug, and document code as part of a professional software development workflow.

• Strong engineering judgment and the ability to review, validate, and improve AI-generated code for correctness, security, performance, maintainability, and architectural fit.

• Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs, service integrations, data interfaces, and modern backend application patterns.

• Experience integrating multiple enterprise or SaaS platforms within a production web or ecommerce environment.

• Strong understanding of databases, data modeling, SQL, system-to-system data flows, error handling, and integration reliability.

• Experience with source control, automated testing, code review, CI/CD practices, logging, monitoring, and production troubleshooting.

• Ability to work effectively with frontend developers, architects, product and ecommerce teams, data teams, enterprise application owners, and external implementation partners.

• Strong problem-solving skills, curiosity, and comfort working in an evolving environment where architecture and tools will continue to change.

• Ability to communicate technical concepts, tradeoffs, risks, and dependencies clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Ability to work onsite in Barrington, New Jersey.

• Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.

• US Citizenship or permanent residence required.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.

• 7+ years of professional software development experience, including substantial hands-on backend, API, or systems integration work.

• Demonstrated recent experience using AI-assisted or agentic coding workflows in real software development, not solely experimentation or prompt-based prototyping.

The following qualifications are preferred:

• Experience with B2B ecommerce, technical products, manufacturing, or another complex product and transaction environment.
• Experience integrating ecommerce platforms with PIM, DAM, personalization, semantic search, LLM/RAG capabilities, ERP, analytics, or related enterprise systems.

• Experience working with SAP and/or SAP HANA data and integration patterns.

• Experience with modern cloud services, message/event-based integration patterns, caching, search platforms, or distributed service architectures.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to operate office equipment such as a copier; ability to see details at a close range; ability to sit at a desk or PC for long periods of time; work in an office setting.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Think you meet some of the requirements but not all? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs for which they do not meet every qualification. If you see a role that interests you, we encourage you to apply, regardless of whether or not your experience is completely aligned with the job description. Edmund Optics is committed to becoming the most diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace within the Optics and Photonics Industry and beyond. You may be a great candidate for this role or others within Edmund Optics.

Compensation Range Transparency:

At Edmund Optics, we are committed to transparency and equity in our hiring practices. The posted salary range for this role reflects the expected base pay. The actual offer will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to relevant skills, education, work experience, business needs, and geographic location.

Salary Range:
$120,000 - $135,000 per year

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match up to 3%
• Daycare and Gym Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave and New Mother Benefits
• Training and Development Opportunities

Availability of these benefits may depend on the country and employment type.