Head of Quality Engineering

Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive. 

At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.

At Xero, we’re here to make running a business beautiful. By making small businesses more efficient every day, connecting them with big business technology and empowering a community behind them, their potential is limitless. When that happens, we’re not only helping small businesses, we’ll be building a stronger economy that can change the world.

How You'll Make Impact:

• As the new Head of Quality Assurance Engineering, you will lead a multi-functional and multi-disciplinary geographically dispersed team focused on software development, product quality and customer support.
• The ideal candidate will have a passion for technology, a strong technical background in engineering, and a dedication for delivering the highest quality products.
• The Head of Quality Engineering will be responsible for leading the quality engineering team in developing and executing test plans for all products.
• This individual will ensure that all products meet the highest quality standards, while also ensuring that processes are efficient and effective for our internal and external needs. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously, excellent verbal and written communication and problem-solving skills are essential.
• Ability to influence and lead others on strategy.
• Experience with change-management.

What You'll Do:

• You will facilitate the delivery of key product Engineering Initiatives which include coordination between more than one division or portfolio.
• You will form good relationships with leaders involved in each initiative, including team leads, product managers, engineering managers, heads of product/engineering, and GMs of product/engineering.
• You will be accountable to make the cross-divisional work visible, ensuring that everyone understands what is required of them (and by when), and that any dependencies are coordinated so that teams are rarely blocked. This will include regular status reporting that keeps stakeholders informed of progress.

What You'll Bring with you:

• Collaborative Program Management. You are an expert at leading the building of plans for complex, multi-team execution. You are recognized for your ability to co-create plans in a manner that enriches shared ownership. You know how to spot risk and coordinate mitigations and are quick to respond to issues, pulling the right people together to resolve the problem.
• Technical fluency.  You are comfortable to contribute in technical dialogue and are able to build a solid understanding of the technology components that comprise a product. You are able to use your technical knowledge to detect and mitigate challenges and risks in delivering programs at Xero. Past experience as an engineer is an asset.
• Agile Mindset. You are deeply familiar with agile concepts and you are able to run programs that ensure agility principles can thrive.
• Influencing Skills. You can influence at all levels of the organization, from pod to product and engineering leadership teams through various influencing techniques. You can convert multiple perspectives into compelling recommendations to move a program forward
• Exceptional Communicator. You confidently communicate the state of your Initiative, both written and verbal, and can adapt your language and communication style to suit any audience. You are comfortable leaning into crucial conversations from the pod to PELT level.
• Self Directed & Proactive. Thrive in an ambiguous and fast-paced environment. You take ownership and follow through on your commitments

Why Xero? 

Diversity of people brings diversity of thought, and we like that. Our human-first culture of respect, fairness, and inclusion is what helps Xeros thrive and work and beyond. Offering very generous paid leave to use however you’d like (plus statutory holidays!), dedicated paid leave to care for your physical and mental wellbeing as well as an Employee Assistance Program to access mental health care for you and your family, employee resource groups, wellbeing programming and allowances, medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, fertility and family forming financial support, 401k contribution matching, 26 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers, an Employee Share Plan, beautiful offices with snacks and break areas, flexible working, career development and many other benefits that reflect our human value, you’ll do the best work of your life at Xero.

Research has shown that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single competency or experience. If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be just the right person for this role and Xero. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application and throughout the interview process.