Senior software engineer

Panenco is a boutique software studio in Belgium. We build next-gen B2B SaaS products and enterprise AI solutions, always with an entrepreneurial spirit. We're a small team of the best and brightest, looking for 10x people who love to tackle challenging problems. We give you significant ownership and room to grow, expecting you to take charge and continuously evolve with the latest and greatest in our industry.

About the role

We're looking for senior engineers who lead with an AI-first mindset and a can-do mentality before anything else. At this level, attitude and drive matter more than seniority on paper: we want people who treat products like their own, instinctively reach for smart tooling, and hold the bar high for themselves and those around them. You'll not only build exceptional products but also shape our engineering culture by mentoring junior engineers and leading projects from conception to delivery. We love self-learners with an entrepreneurial itch and people who are actively working on side projects. We actively encourage taking initiative and driving innovation from within.

Leadership & mentorship

As a senior engineer, you'll be expected to:

• Mentor and guide junior engineers
• Lead projects end-to-end, from technical design to production deployment
• Drive technical decisions and architecture choices
• Take ownership of complex technical challenges

Technical knowhow

We expect all software engineers in our team to take on a broad set of responsibilities, always acting in the interest of the product rather than simply sticking to the boundaries of any specific domain.

Core knowledge and abilities:

• Infrastructure: hands-on experience with GCP, AWS or Azure, grasping serverless principles and practices
• AI development: hands-on experience building AI-powered applications using frameworks like LangGraph, AI SDK, or similar tools, and working with LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
• Architecture: ability to design cloud diagrams, make architectural decisions, and weigh the pros and cons of key technical choices
• Programming frameworks: deep knowledge of at least one of the following: JS/TS (Node), Python (Django), .NET, PHP (Symfony), REST
• Databases: extensive SQL experience and core understanding of various database types and their limitations
• Data modelling: turning defined business logic into comprehensible data structures
• CI/CD pipelines: setting up and managing deployment pipelines

Non-functionals:

• Automated testing: test-driven development using unit and integration tests as well as end-to-end tests
• Monitoring: error and performance monitoring with Sentry or similar services
• Stress testing: testing APIs and entire systems with heavy-load scenarios
• Security: you're aware of best practices to safeguard information security

Additional:

• Language: solid reading and speaking skills in English required
• Thought leadership: you love to share your learnings with your peers and contribute to the team's growth
• Front-end: you know your way around a modern front-end application
• Information security: a strong understanding of security standards and best practices

Locations

We're flexible with regards to remote work, but we do expect you to be at one of our offices at least 1 day per week for team cohesion.

• Leuven, Belgium (Diestsevest 25/6th floor, 3000 Leuven)
• Antwerp, Belgium (Silversquare Antwerp Tower, Frankrijklei 5, 2000 Antwerpen)
• Kyiv, Ukraine (123 Peremogy Avenue, office number 520)

We offer

We offer a friendly, dynamic and inspirational working environment with a team that wants to move fast. You'll have the ability to work with the best and brightest in our industry, always aiming for the highest possible quality bar. As a senior engineer, you'll have the opportunity to shape technical direction and mentor the next generation of engineers. A fair compensation, office snacks and fun afterwork drinks are included of course! We equally provide a set of additional benefits: mobility budget, 32 holiday days, health insurance via Alan, meal vouchers, and so on.

The interview process

The interview process is short (but thorough) and will consist of 4 steps:

• Intro conversation (videocall): 20min conversation to validate your fit with the position and align on the approach for the technical interview
• Technical interview (on-site): you present a personal project or one of your prior involvements from end to end, with our team asking targeted questions
• Founder conversation (videocall): a dedicated video call with our CEO to discuss your career ambitions, share where our company is headed, and make sure our culture and goals are a strong mutual fit
• Contractual alignment (videocall): our operations manager will walk you through our overall compensation package and practical arrangement

How to apply:

Please apply through the form here underneath the vacancy and write a personal note on why you would see yourself as a great fit for this position. Applications without a proper motivation will be rejected by default. Core traits we look for above all: a can-do mentality, an AI-first mindset, an entrepreneurial spirit, intellectual curiosity, and genuine humility.

Want to work on the edge of the digital industry? Apply today!