Backend Engineer - Los Angeles, CA

Who we are

Picnic is reinventing meals at work. We partner with top local restaurants and deliver lunches to companies from 20 to more than 10,000 employees. This allows us to deliver high-quality, individually packaged meals without fees or tips. The result is a joyful experience for employees, teams, and entire organizations. Companies can design their employee food offerings, ranging from simple lunches to sophisticated meal programs. We are obsessing about each company, each customer, each restaurant, and each individual order. Picnic creates a more sustainable model for restaurants, helping local heroes to succeed. Check us out: trypicnic.com or Picnic mobile apps.


Picnic's early business signals have been exceptionally strong. It has been adopted organically by companies from Banking to Manufacturing, from Tech to Government. Customers are discovering and advocating for the product before any marketing. Since launch, we have grown exponentially and are now entering the 10 → 100 scale phase as we expand across major North American markets.

Picnic owns the full stack that powers workplace food delivery: client applications for employees, company managers, kitchen operations, and courier operations. AI-powered services are tying them together. This vertical ownership allows us to tightly integrate ordering, logistics, and operations to deliver reliable, cost-efficient services at scale. We are solving one of the most comprehensive, and therefore complex, meal delivery problems. We need YOU to help us build it at scale!

About the role We're looking for a Backend Engineer to help architect and scale Picnic's real-time food ordering and operations platforms. This is a high-impact role for someone who enjoys ambiguity, thrives in complex systems, and is excited to iterate and improve real-world operations.

You'll work across backend services that support web and mobile surfaces, partner closely with frontend, mobile, product, and operations teams, and help define how we design, build, and scale backend systems at Picnic.
What You'll Do

• Write high-quality, well-tested code in languages like Java and Go, set a strong bar for engineering excellence, and manage and sustain a full software lifecycle
• Lead backend initiatives, ensuring scalability and reliability across domains such as food ordering, payments, discounts, and loyalty
• Drive the development with a strong focus on reliability-by-design, observability, and testability
• Design scalable databases, analyze data using SQL
• Mentor and uplevel engineers through technical leadership, reviews, and hands-on collaboration

What we're looking for

• Proficiency in backend programming languages like Java and Go
• Experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis)
• Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure
• Understanding of RESTful APIs, microservices, and distributed systems
• A high-performance, hands-on engineer who sets a high bar for code quality, reliability, and operational excellence
• Deep understanding of backend system design, APIs, data stores, concurrency, and distributed systems
• Experience collaborating closely with frontend, mobile, product, data, and business partners
• Passion for product impact and building systems that directly support customers and operators

Why join us

• Massive market opportunity: Online food delivery continues to grow rapidly, creating room for durable, category-defining companies
• Real impact: You'll help reshape how restaurants succeed in delivery while improving everyday experiences for thousands of workers
• Ownership and influence: Customer ordering experience is the face to Picnic's operations
• Strong engineering culture: You'll collaborate closely with experienced engineers and leaders who care deeply about craft, impact, and growth

What else you need to know

This role is based in our Los Angeles, CA office. We believe the best ideas emerge from close collaboration, especially when building new products and redefining how an industry works. As a result, Picnic requires in-office five days a week for all non-field roles.

The base salary range for this role is $145,000 - 188,250 per year.

Actual compensation will be determined on an individual basis and may vary depending on experience, skills, and qualifications.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for equity awards and an annual performance-based bonus.

Benefits Summary (USA Full-Time Exempt Employees):

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plans, incl. HSA options)
• Company-paid life and disability insurance (short- and long-term)
• Voluntary insurance: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity
• Optional supplemental life insurance for self, spouse, and children
• Pet insurance discount
• 401(k)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)
• Time Off policies:
• Discretionary vacation days
• 8 paid holidays per year
• Paid sick time
• Paid Bereavement leave
• Paid Parental Leave

Benefits are subject to change at the company's discretion.
CSS accepts applications on an ongoing basis.

Ready to join us as we serve those who serve others?

#LI-Onsite