The role & impact
As an Engineering Manager, you will own the roadmap and strategy for your team end-to-end, setting direction, making prioritisation calls, and driving the delivery of high-quality software through high-performing, inclusive teams.
You won't just manage the work; you will be a genuine technical voice in the room, leading system design discussions, navigating architectural trade-offs, and shaping how the team evolves its technical foundations. Your impact spans both delivery velocity and technical excellence. You will actively contribute to critical engineering decisions, from system architecture and platform design to build-vs-buy trade-offs, while championing AI-native workflows and guiding your team to hone their craft in ways that deliver meaningful business and customer outcomes.
The team
You will lead a coordinated platform or product-focused team where building trust through transparency and seeking diverse perspectives are core to how we work. As an equal partner with Product and Design, you will co-own the strategic direction of your domain — resolving dependencies early, influencing product thinking with technical insight, and creating a sustainable environment where engineers can do their best work.
The team is currently working on / Initially, you will focus on
Championing AI Engineering by encouraging the team to inject AI across the entire SDLC to drive efficiency gains.
Driving high engineering throughput through strong architecture, code quality, and decoupling legacy systems.
Elevating the Developer Experience by identifying and removing the "complexity tax," such as toil and brittle environments.
Scaling system health and visibility to ensure product status and technical debt are actionable and discoverable.
Where and how you can work
This role can be based in Melbourne or Sydney, offering a hybrid working model that balances local team presence with a global scope of work. You will have the flexibility to work from home while connecting with your colleagues in our modern office spaces during designated boost days.
Here are some of the things we are looking for
You bring a proven track record of owning and delivering software roadmaps end-to-end in agile environments, including managing complex dependencies and making strategic prioritisation decisions.
You have deep experience in software architecture and system design, with the confidence to lead technical trade-off discussions and steer teams through significant modernisation efforts.
You have a passion for providing high support through coaching, mentoring, and advocating for the career progression of your engineers.
Your approach to leadership involves making fast, decentralised decisions and empowering your team to take ownership.
You possess the ability to lead through influence, building strong partnerships across Product and Design; contributing technical perspectives to shape shared strategy, not just align to it.
A bias for action is part of your DNA, allowing you to proactively redirect focus when work isn't moving the needle on business outcomes.
Apply even if your experience isn't a perfect match! At Xero, we hire based on your skills, passion, and the unique perspective you can bring to enhance our culture and team.
Skills Required
- Proven track record of delivering software roadmaps in agile environments
- Deep understanding of software architecture and guiding teams through technical modernization
- Passion for coaching, mentoring, and advocating for engineers' career progression
- Ability to lead through influence and build partnerships across Product and Design
- Bias for action and proactive redirection when work is off course
Xero Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off in the U.S. is extensive, including 21 days of annual leave, 10 days of wellbeing leave, five Xtra days, three year‑end company holidays, and one paid volunteer day. These layered leave types emphasize work–life balance beyond standard vacation alone.
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Parental & Family Support — Primary caregivers are offered 26 weeks at 100% pay and partners receive six weeks, with employer‑verified applicability for U.S. staff. Family‑forming support via Carrot complements these policies.
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Healthcare Strength — Coverage includes medical through Cigna/Kaiser, dental, vision, FSAs, and mental‑health support via Modern Health. The package reflects broad health support alongside time‑off and family programs.
Xero Insights
What We Do
Xero is small business accounting software that provides a platform on which businesses can build a fully integrated solution. It’s designed to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. Xero minimises tedious admin by automating routine tasks, delivers valuable insights when needed, and brings together business data, trusted advisors, and powerful apps in one intuitive platform. By alleviating pain points, Xero empowers small business owners to supercharge their business, simplifying the complex and freeing up time from manual admin so they can focus on what really matters to build the business they’ve always envisaged.
Why Work With Us
Xero is a human-centric organization where you’ll have a tangible impact on the success of small businesses and their communities, globally. Our team of energised, forward-thinkers work to make life better for our customers and each other every day. We’re also always committed to supporting you with a flexible environment.
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Xero Teams
Xero Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Join us from home or at one of our beautiful workspaces. Xero has offices in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Singapore, and South Africa.
