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About This Role
Welcome to the Agentic Commerce Era
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At Commerce, our mission is to empower businesses to innovate, grow, and thrive with our open, AI\-driven commerce ecosystem. As the parent company of BigCommerce , Feedonomics , and Makeswift , we connect the tools and systems that power growth, enabling businesses to unlock the full potential of their data, deliver seamless and personalized experiences across every channel, and adapt swiftly to an ever\-changing market. We believe in harnessing AI responsibly to unlock new possibilities, and we’re looking for individuals who use it intentionally to solve problems, accelerate outcomes, and expand what’s possible in their role. Our purpose is to help businesses confidently solve complex commerce challenges so they can build smarter, adapt faster, and grow on their own terms. If you want to be part of a team of bold builders, sharp thinkers, and technical trailblazers who shape the future of commerce, this is the place for you.
BigCommerce is seeking a Backend Software Engineer II (AI Specialization) to help us 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. From small startups to mid\-market businesses and large enterprises, we provide the leading e\-commerce platform. Our customers can then concentrate on what's most important: growing their businesses. We enable our customers to build, innovate, and grow, collectively reshaping the e\-commerce industry.
At Makeswift we're on a mission to build the best tool for creative minds to bring their ideas to the world. The concept is simple: combine the experience of a buttery\-smooth, elegant design tool with the infrastructure required to go to production.
Instead of mocking up static images and prototypes, build production\-ready websites out of live components. Growing team? Version control and real\-time collaboration. Working with React engineers? Reuse their work by integrating existing components directly into Makeswift. Our vision is to open up our APIs and foster a component ecosystem that will bridge the gap between developers and designers.
What You’ll Do
- 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 to drive powerful and intuitive user experiences
- Build AI agents that can assist with store management actions, by interpreting user intent and calling necessary api’s.
- 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
Who Are You
- 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:
- 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
Work Where You Thrive
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.
\#LI\-REMOTE
\#LI\-GC1
(Pay Transparency Range: $95,000\.00 \- $160,000\.00\)
Compensation Transparency
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The national base salary range for this role is posted above in this job post.
Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as relevant experience, skills, qualifications and geographic location. We also consider internal equity to help ensure fair and consistent pay practices across our teams.
Where applicable, this role may also be eligible for variable compensation (such as bonus or commission), equity, and benefits in accordance with local policies. Details will be shared during the hiring process. We are committed to equitable and transparent pay practices that align to market data, internal equity, and individual contribution.
Inclusion and Belonging
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At Commerce, we believe that celebrating the unique histories, perspectives and abilities of every employee makes a difference for our company, our customers and our community. We are an equal opportunity employer and the inclusive atmosphere we build together will make room for every person to contribute, grow and thrive.
We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you require accommodations or adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.
Learn more about the Commerce team, culture and benefits at https://www.commerce.com/careers/
Protect Yourself Against Hiring Scams: Our Corporate Disclaimer
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Commerce, along with many other employers, has become the subject of fraudulent job offers to hopeful prospective job seekers.
Be advised:
Commerce does not offer jobs to individuals who do not go through our formal hiring process.
Commerce will never:
- require payment of recruitment fees from candidates;
- request personally identifiable information through unsanctioned websites or applications;
- attempt to solicit money from you as part of the hiring process or as part of an employment offer;
- solicit money to complete visa requirements as part of a job offer.
If you receive unsolicited offers of employment from Commerce, we urge you to be extremely cautious and avoid engaging or responding.
Salary Context
This $95K-$160K range is in the lower quartile for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $183K across 194 roles with salary data).
Role Details
About This Role
AI Software Engineers build the applications and systems that AI models run inside. They own the API layers, data pipelines, frontend integrations, and infrastructure that turn a model into a product users interact with. Every AI company needs engineers who can build the software around the AI.
The challenge is building reliable systems around inherently unreliable components. Models are probabilistic. They'll give different answers to the same question. They hallucinate. They're slow. They're expensive. Your job is to build an application layer that handles all of this gracefully while delivering a product that users trust and enjoy.
Across the 3,708 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 7% of the market. At Commerce, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: building API endpoints that serve model inference with caching and fallback logic, designing the data pipeline that feeds context to a RAG system, implementing streaming responses in the frontend, debugging a race condition in the async inference pipeline, and optimizing database queries for the vector search layer. It's full-stack engineering with AI at the center.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
Skills Required
Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.
Knowledge of vector databases, embedding APIs, and LLM integration patterns (function calling, structured outputs, retry logic) differentiates AI software engineers from general software engineers. Understanding cost optimization (caching strategies, model routing, batched inference) is valuable since inference costs can dominate application economics.
Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
Compensation Benchmarks
AI Software Engineer roles pay a median of $219,250 based on 424 positions with disclosed compensation. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $200,000. This role's midpoint ($127K) sits 42% below the category median. Disclosed range: $95K to $160K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($300,000) and Research Engineer ($280,000). By seniority level: Entry: $120,000; Mid: $200,000; Senior: $230,000; Director: $272,150; VP: $250,000.
Commerce AI Hiring
Commerce has 3 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI Agent Developer, AI Software Engineer, AI/ML Engineer. Based in Austin, TX, US. Compensation range: $160K - $195K.
Location Context
AI roles in Austin pay a median of $214,343 across 87 tracked positions.
Career Path
Common paths into AI Software Engineer roles include Software Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, Backend Engineer.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager.
If you're a software engineer, you're already 80% there. Learn the AI integration patterns: RAG, streaming inference, function calling, structured outputs. Build a project that demonstrates you can wrap an AI model in a production-quality application with proper error handling, caching, and user experience. That's the portfolio piece that gets you hired.
What to Expect in Interviews
Technical screens look like standard software engineering interviews with an AI twist. Expect system design questions about building reliable applications around probabilistic models: handling streaming responses, implementing retry logic for API failures, and designing caching strategies for LLM outputs. Coding rounds test standard algorithms plus practical integration patterns like async processing and rate limiting.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 3,708 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 102 entry-level, 1,705 mid-level, 1,469 senior, and 432 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 14% of the market (508 positions). The remaining 3,180 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($300,000 median, 21 roles); Research Engineer ($280,000 median, 147 roles); AI Architect ($254,798 median, 67 roles).
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 3,708 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,605), Data Scientist (310), AI Software Engineer (259). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (102) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,705) and senior (1,469) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 432 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 14% of all AI roles (508 positions), with 3,180 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $217,500. Top-quartile roles start at $272,100, and the 90th percentile reaches $325,000. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $300,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,890 postings), Aws (1,103 postings), Azure (877 postings), Rag (855 postings), Gcp (631 postings), Prompt Engineering (560 postings), Pytorch (545 postings), Claude (498 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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