Aug 12 2022

The future of e-commerce: an inside look at commerce engineering

By Meta Careers
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“One of my favorite parts about being on the commerce engineering team is pushing the boundaries for how the world can experience e-commerce,” Yangshun T., front end engineer in the Singapore office, beams. “We’re building digital storefronts to bring devices to people, which makes it possible for them to experience unique and innovative products that can change their lives and grow their businesses.”
Yangshun was one of the first members of the commerce engineering team in APAC and has played a pivotal role in its growth over the last few years. The team is currently responsible for everything from building immersive, digital storefronts and delivering a great post-sales experience to customers to managing demand, production, testing and shipping across the entire supply chain.
No two day are the same, and Yangshun credits his teammates—including engineers Erin T. and Jessinca J.—for bringing endless creativity, new ideas and fresh perspectives to the table every day. “Together, we’re helping shape the future,” he says. “Knowing we have the power to drive impact is a huge source of inspiration for all of us.”
"Erin, Yangshun and Jessinca standing together outside."
Erin, Yangshun and Jessinca at a team offsite.

Building the commerce engineering team from the ground up

Yangshun had been with Meta for two years when Nishita A., software engineering manager, began growing the company’s engineering presence in APAC. After being introduced to Yangshun through his manager, she invited him to join the team. “Though I loved being on the Ads Interfaces team in Menlo Park, CA, I knew this was a rare opportunity to grow as a leader and help build a new team,” he remembers. “Singapore was beginning to emerge as a tech hub, and I was excited to be a part of it.”
As the team’s first official hire, Yangshun wore many engineering hats to lay a strong foundation before moving into a position where he could help define the roadmap. It wasn’t long before the team began to grow, inspiring him to think about who might be able to help. “I knew Erin from school, and Jessinca from a previous job,” he smiles. “It’s amazing to work with them both now on some of the biggest projects coming out of Meta in Singapore.”
While Yangshun is motivated by building the best possible experience for Quest and Portal customers, he’s just as passionate about continuing to develop the team. “Over the past year, we’ve been working to merge existing Meta e-commerce sites into one unified storefront that sells over 50 products to more than 20 countries,” he says. “This is a novel challenge, and it calls for people who are passionate about solving tough problems. Rather than a specific engineering background, we look for people who are self-driven, can move quickly and love to learn.”
“I’m excited about growing our team by scaling our onboarding process for new hires. I love serving as a mentor for others, and I can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish together. ”
"Erin and her team gathered together in the cafeteria at the Marina One office."
Erin and her team at the cafeteria inside of the Marina One office in Singapore.

Driving global impact from APAC

Erin shares Yangshun’s passion for building innovative technology and driving worldwide impact. “I was in Menlo Park, CA when Yangshun told me about what he was doing with the commerce engineering team,” she remembers. “I was intrigued by the opportunity to work on products with a global audience—like the Meta Store website. The timing was right as well, as I had just started thinking about moving back to my home country, Singapore.”
Pathways for internal mobility made it possible for Erin to make a leap. “Meta offers so many opportunities for internal mobility, which has set my experience here apart,” she shares. “This flexibility makes it possible for anyone to try different projects, helping us think more holistically and bring knowledge to new teams.”
“One of the best things about Meta is that everyone is encouraged to explore different tracks if they align with our goals—even if that means changing teams or moving across the globe. ”
Since moving to Singapore and joining the commerce engineering team in 2021, Erin helped ship the new Meta Store website—a project that took over 10 teams a year to build. “The store is used globally, and it’s a gateway for people to take their first step into the metaverse. This is one of the biggest milestones so far in my engineering career, and one I’m really proud of.”
"Jessinca and her team holding emoji on sticks in front of a colorful, patterned background."
Jessinca and her team having fun together in the Marina One office in Singapore.

Innovating for the future

Like Yangshun and Erin, engineer Jessinca J. also came to the commerce engineering team from abroad. While she started her journey with Meta in London, she says Singapore always felt like home—and credits the relocation support Meta offers for a smooth transition. “Meta makes moving internationally easy for anyone, even people with pets!” she says. “From support with packing and finding housing to coordinating flights and helping with necessary paperwork, the process is seamless.”
Now working closely with Yangshun and Erin in APAC, Jessinca’s team is in charge of building internal tools for teams and optimizing accessibility for the Meta Store website. No matter the focus, every project calls for collaborating with a mix of future-focused product managers and data scientists.
“Teams in Singapore are very diverse and composed of talented builders. People are generous with their time and extremely supportive. Though Singapore is a smaller site than London, I’ve grown to love the feeling of a close-knit community. ”
“Helping build for the metaverse is a massive challenge,” Jessinca says while reflecting on her decision to join the commerce engineering team. “We’re not just thinking about the experiences people can have today, but what we can build for tomorrow. Working cross-functionally and learning from one another makes it possible for us all to build better. From commerce and payments to helping people step into the metaverse, we’re thinking outside of the box about what’s next. It’s incredibly exciting.”
The commerce engineering team in Singapore is constantly breaking new ground. Whether it’s personally, professionally or globally, there are endless opportunities for growth on the team as they lay the foundation for the future of e-commerce.

Learn more about Meta’s engineering presence in APAC

The Meta office in Singapore provides exciting opportunities for engineers to shape their career paths, tackle unique challenges and build global products from the ground up. Hear from other engineers and the exciting projects that they’re working on:

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