Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI Native (f/m/d)

Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI Native (f/m/d)

Full-Time 63000 - 77000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
Edmund Optics

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build and expand backend services for a cutting-edge e-commerce platform using AI technologies.
  • Company: Join Edmund Optics, a leader in optics and photonics technology.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, private health insurance, and extensive training opportunities.
  • Other info: Collaborate with a dynamic team in a supportive and evolving environment.
  • Why this job: Make an impact in a rapidly growing industry with innovative AI-driven projects.
  • Qualifications: 7+ years in software development with strong backend and API experience.

The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.

Edmund Optics® is a leading manufacturer and supplier of optics, imaging, and photonics technology. Edmund Optics' state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities combined with its global distribution network has earned it the position as being one of the largest suppliers of off-the-shelf optical components and a trusted partner when it comes to customized solutions. Supporting numerous markets around the globe, including advanced diagnostics, semiconductor & electronics, machine vision, automation, and R&D; Edmund Optics products are used in a variety of applications ranging from DNA sequencing to retinal eye scanning to high-speed factory automation.

Edmund Optics Europe, a US owned-group consisting of Edmund Optics subsidiaries in Germany, UK, Netherlands and France, is responsible for sales, marketing, distribution, engineering and application support for a wide product range throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Europe is one of the main growth markets for Edmund Optics globally, leading to a rapidly expanding and developing local team. To accelerate our success and growth within the European Market, Edmund Optics Ltd. is looking for a Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI Native (f/m/d).

The Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI-Native is responsible for building, integrating, and expanding the backend services that power the company's evolving modular e-commerce platform. This is a hands-on software engineering role focused on connecting core e-commerce 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.

Essential Functions:

  • Backend Platform Development: Design, build, maintain, and extend backend services, APIs, and integration layers that support Edmund Optics' modular e-commerce 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.
  • E-commerce Systems Integration: Integrate key e-commerce capabilities including personalization platforms, semantic/LLM search and discovery, DAM, PIM, analytics and data services, and other modular components as the e-commerce ecosystem evolves.
  • Enterprise Data & ERP Integration: Build and maintain reliable integrations between the e-commerce platform and internal enterprise systems, including SAP/HANA, product, pricing, inventory, customer, order, and other business data required to support e-commerce 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 e-commerce, 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 e-commerce 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 e-commerce technologies. Evaluate new approaches pragmatically and adopt those that measurably improve engineering speed, quality, or maintainability.

Qualifications:

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.

Your profile:

  • 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.
  • Experience working with SAP and/or SAP HANA data and integration patterns.
  • Demonstrated recent experience using AI-assisted or agentic coding workflows in real software development, not solely experimentation or prompt-based prototyping.
  • Strong hands-on backend software engineering experience building production web applications, services, APIs, and integrations.
  • Strong engineering judgment and 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.
  • 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 e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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, trade-offs, risks, and dependencies clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Fluency in English.

What we offer:

A versatile and challenging position alongside a highly competitive employment package within our dynamic and successful corporation in a growing and future-proof industry. You will have the opportunity to work with highly motivated, self-driven and open-minded people with a great team spirit. Edmund Optics provides a range of employee benefits alongside the salary package including:

  • Company pension scheme
  • Private medical & dental insurance
  • Extensive training and development opportunities
  • Subsidized gym membership
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Company events and a lot more!

Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI Native (f/m/d) employer: Edmund Optics

Edmund Optics® is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in York where innovation meets collaboration. With a strong focus on employee growth, the company provides extensive training and development opportunities, alongside a competitive benefits package that includes private medical insurance and a company pension scheme. Join a team of motivated professionals dedicated to delivering outstanding customer service in the rapidly evolving optics industry.

Edmund Optics

Contact Details:

Edmund Optics Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI Native (f/m/d)

Join Local Tech Meetups

Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Edmund Optics or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!

Contribute to Open Source Projects

Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Edmund Optics.

Tap into Online Developer Communities

Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Edmund Optics.

Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles

Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Edmund Optics that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!

We think you need these skills to ace Senior E-commerce Backend Engineer: AI Native (f/m/d)

Backend Software Engineering
API Development
Systems Integration
AI-Assisted Development
SAP/HANA Integration
RESTful API Design
Data Modelling

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.

Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Edmund Optics.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Edmund Optics and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!

Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!

How to prepare for a job interview at Edmund Optics

Brush Up on Your Coding Skills

For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.

Know Your Tools and Frameworks

Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Edmund Optics uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.

Showcase Your Projects

Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.

Prepare for Behavioural Questions

While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.