Senior Backend Engineer, AI-Driven BFF Services

Panera Bread; Saint Louis (LA); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Job summary

Panera Bread is seeking a Sr. Software Engineer to design, develop, and optimize a scalable middleware layer (BFF) supporting Web, Mobile, Kiosk and digital channels. You will build lightweight, secure APIs using Node.js, TypeScript, GraphQL, and AI-enabled DLC to accelerate delivery and improve customer experience.

Location: St. Louis, MO (hybrid) with 4 days in office and 1 day remote. The role emphasizes performance, security, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to shape Panera's

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, with strong focus on backend, API, or middleware (BFF) development.
• Strong understanding of Node.js, asynchronous programming, and TypeScript.
• Experience with GraphQL (schema design, resolvers, performance tuning, federation concepts preferred).
• Experience designing lightweight, high-performance APIs and data aggregation layers.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled Developer Lifecycle Capabilities (e.g., AI code assistants, automated testing, intelligent code analysis, DevOps automation tools).
• Strong understanding of API security best practices including authentication, authorization, encryption, and threat mitigation.
• Experience with microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines with emphasis on automation, speed, and reliability.
• Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and performance optimization skills.
• Understanding of observability practices (logging, tracing, metrics).
• Strong collaboration and communication skills within cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain lightweight BFF services using Node.js and TypeScript to support Panera's Web, Mobile, Kiosk, and digital ordering experiences.
• Build and optimize RESTful, GraphQL APIs (schema design, resolvers, federation) with a focus on performance, scalability, and minimal payload delivery.
• Leverage AI-powered development tools to accelerate development cycles and improve engineering productivity.
• Collaborate with frontend, backend, product, and digital teams to define efficient API contracts and data orchestration strategies.
• Implement secure-by-design APIs using industry best practices (OAuth2, JWT, API gateways, data protection standards).
• Optimize middleware performance via caching strategies, batching, and efficient data aggregation patterns; integrate with microservices, enterprise systems, and third-party platforms ensuring resiliency and fault tolerance.
• Drive CI/CD automation and DevOps practices, incorporating AI-assisted testing, security scanning, and deployment validation.
• Monitor system health and performance using observability tools, proactively identifying and resolving production issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to engineering excellence, including architecture standards and AI-enabled development practices.

Skills

Node.js

TypeScript

GraphQL

API design

Security best practices

Microservices

Cloud platforms

CI/CD & DevOps

Observability

Collaboration & communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS/Azure/GCP

Job description

Panera Bread is seeking a Sr. Software Engineer to design, develop, and optimize a scalable middleware layer (BFF) supporting Web, Mobile, Kiosk and digital channels. You will build lightweight, secure APIs using Node.js, TypeScript, GraphQL, and AI-enabled DLC to accelerate delivery and improve customer experience.

Location: St. Louis, MO (hybrid) with 4 days in office and 1 day remote. The role emphasizes performance, security, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to shape Panera's