Lead Software Engineer-Backend (PHP)

Commerce; Austin (TX); Remote; USD 182,000 - 259,000; Full time

Job summary

Commerce is seeking a Lead Software Engineer - Backend to guide the technical direction of a data‑intensive SaaS platform. You will work with a collaborative Backend Engineering team to design scalable services powering modern commerce workloads.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years of backend experience with PHP, MySQL, and cloud technologies (GCP). This fully remote role offers strong compensation and opportunities to influence platform strategy.

Qualifications

• 7+ years backend programming experience.
• Proficiency in PHP required; Python/Go/JAVA a bonus.
• Experience with MySQL, schema design, caching and scalability.
• Knowledge of TCP/gRPC and distributed systems.
• Ability to analyze time and memory complexity.
• CI/CD and containerization with Docker.
• Cloud experience with GCP preferred.
• Observability with OTel preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Authorized to work in the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical vision for the domain and align with platform goals.
• Design scalable, high-availability backend solutions.
• Own end-to-end project execution, scoping and forecasting timelines.
• Participate in RFCs and architectural discussions to select tools and processes.
• Provide SME guidance and influence technical direction.
• Monitor services and optimize based on data.
• Advance CI/CD tooling and automation for robust deployments.
• Champion continuous improvement of infrastructure and systems.
• Mentor multiple mentees and drive team education.
• Build cross-functional relationships with partner teams for alignment.

Skills

PHP

MySQL

Distributed Systems

Caching

Linux

CI/CD

Docker

GCP

Observability (OTel)

Communication

Work Authorization (US)

Education

BS or higher in Computer Science

Tools

gRPC

Redis

Memcached

Job description

Welcome to the Agentic Commerce Era

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.

We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced Lead Software Engineer - Backend to join the fully remote Engineering team at Feedonomics. As a Lead, you will define the technical vision for your domain and engage with Staff Engineers to deliver projects aligned to our broader platform vision. You will work with a highly collaborative and cross-functional Backend Engineering team to deliver and scale core infrastructure components and services that power our robust, high-performance, data-intensive SaaS platform.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical vision to advance the domain and engage with Staff Engineers to deliver projects aligned to the platform vision.

• Design and implement high-quality solutions to the most complex and ambiguous problems in the domain, with focus on scalability and high availability.

• Own end-to-end technical project execution, including scoping, sequencing, forecasting ECDs, and driving delivery towards deadlines.

• Participate in RFCs and architectural discussions, evaluating and recommending tools, technologies, and processes that solve concrete business problems.

• Own and represent deep SME across complex and sophisticated areas, guiding design decisions and influencing technical direction.

• Proactively monitor the state of the team’s services and recommend optimizations based on data.

• Advocate for practices and implement tooling to enable others, leveraging automation to enhance the robustness of the CI/CD pipeline, thereby streamlining efficient application development and deployment.

• Be a champion for Continuous Improvement in end-to-end infrastructure and systems, including conducting post-mortems to analyze and prevent repeat failures.

• Act as a dedicated mentor to multiple mentees, providing insightful feedback about teammates to help them excel.

• Drive team-level education and documentation practices to foster a culture of shared learning.

• Proactively identify and build important relationships with partner teams to ensure cross-functional alignment.

Requirements

• 7+ years of programming experience in backend languages
• Strong experience with PHP is required (Experience with Python, GoLang, Java or a similar programming language is a bonus).
• Extensive experience with MySQL or a similar technology , paired with a strong understanding of database schema design, caching and scalability.
• Strong understanding of various communication protocols (TCP, gRPC, etc) and Distributed Systems.
• Ability to perform time and memory complexity analysis.
• Experience in Caching technologies (e.g. Redis or Memcached).
• DevOps experience is highly preferred.
• Solid understanding of Linux operating systems and experience with modern CI/CD and containerization tools like Docker.
• Experience with Cloud solutions (GCP highly preferred)
• Experience with Full-stack observability frameworks and tools (OTel highly preferred)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Education

• BS or higher degree in Computer Science or related technical field.

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-MP2

(Pay Transparency Range:$182,000.00 - $259,000.00)

Compensation Transparency

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

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/

Identity Verification

To protect our candidates and company from fraudulent activity, our interview process includes a government ID and biometric verification via Persona, our trusted identity verification provider. All information is collected and processed securely in accordance with applicable privacy laws.