Backend Software Engineer II (AI Specialization)

About the role

Commerce is seeking a Backend Software Engineer II (AI Specialization) to help explore, prototype, and build powerful product experiences using intelligent AI agents. You’ll be at the forefront of defining how users interact with our products through natural language by designing agent-based systems that unify and act on data from various Commerce products (BigCommerce, Makeswift, B2B and B2C) and partner systems.

BigCommerce, part of the Commerce brand family, helps merchants increase sales at every stage of their growth. At Makeswift, we're on a mission to build the best tool for creative minds to bring their ideas to the world by combining an elegant design tool with the infrastructure required to go to production.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and iterate on AI agents that interact with data across BigCommerce and partner ecosystems to drive automation
• Connect agents to MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that interact with various backend systems (APIs, Databases, etc.) to surface their capabilities to the AI agents and drive powerful, intuitive user experiences
• Build AI agents that can assist with store management actions by interpreting user intent and calling necessary APIs
• Develop and integrate AI assistant features directly into the BigCommerce control panel to support natural language queries and actions
• Collaborate with product designers and NLP experts to deliver intuitive, useful, and delightful conversational experiences
• Quickly build proof-of-concept solutions to validate relevant user stories
• Contribute to internal tooling and frameworks that support LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and safe action execution

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in backend or full-stack software development, ideally with a focus on AI/MCP/A2A systems
• BS or higher degree in Computer Science or related technical field
• Strong and proven programming skills in Go
• Experience working with LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) and building agentic AI applications
• Understanding of prompt engineering concepts
• Understanding of RESTful APIs and data integration across systems
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, exploratory environment
• Strong collaboration and communication skills in cross-functional teams
• Strong preference toward execution and delivery

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with e-commerce platforms or SaaS product development
• Background in conversational AI or natural language processing
• Familiarity with prompt engineering and chaining tools (LangChain, Semantic Kernel, etc.)
• Previous work with rules-based systems, automation tools, or AI copilots

Schedule

For candidates based in the Austin or Atlanta metro area, the position follows a hybrid work model with three days per week in the office, balancing focused individual work with meaningful in-person collaboration.

Pay

The national base salary range for this role is $95,000.00 - $160,000.00. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location. This role may also be eligible for variable compensation (such as bonus or commission), equity, and benefits in accordance with local policies.