Lead Engineer - Payments Platform

Posted Yesterday
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Seymour Heights, North Vancouver, BC, CAN
Hybrid
186K-236K Annually
Entry level
Cloud • Fintech • Information Technology • Machine Learning • Software
At Xero, we’re here to help you supercharge your business.
The Role
Lead the architecture and development of secure, scalable payment platform services, including payment orchestration, fraud and risk capabilities, multi-provider integrations, bill payments, and high-throughput systems. The role involves hands-on production coding, technical leadership, mentoring, cross-functional collaboration, and advancing AI-enabled engineering workflows.
Summary Generated by Built In

The role / impact

In this role, you will help shape the technical foundation for money movement capabilities while unlocking new product lines globally. You will guide the design and development of reliable, scalable, performant, and secure services for the platform, ensuring operational excellence and direct business outcomes.

This is a rare chance to join an early-stage initiative, make foundational architectural decisions, and have a visible impact on the future of small businesses. By contributing directly to production code and proof-of-concepts, you will solve complex financial technology challenges at a massive scale.

The team / how they connect

The Payments Platform team is the engine powering money movement across the entire ecosystem, collaborating closely with product, security, risk, and operations. We are a highly collaborative collective that values technical excellence, inclusion, and continuous innovation. Together, we work cross-functionally to translate complex business needs into resilient engineering solutions that support millions of subscribers.

The team is currently working on / Initially, you will focus on

  • Designing and building out payment platform capabilities, such as orchestration, risks & fraud, multi-providers, to accelerate various payment products development and improve operational posture

  • Building out a global bill payment product to streamline how small businesses manage their cash flow

  • Developing core high-throughput platform services

  • Integrating and championing artificial intelligence capabilities to accelerate engineering productivity and enhance developer workflows

Where and how you can work

This role is based onsite our Vancouver office, where we embrace a hybrid working model, 1-2 days in office a week. You will have the flexibility to work from home while joining the team in the office for "boost days" to collaborate, socialise, and solve complex problems in person. We are open to ON or AB applicants who may be willing to relocate and Seattle Area, Washington US applicants (remotely).

Here are some of the things we are looking for

  • You bring a proven track record of delivering highly available, distributed backend systems and designing high-throughput services under real-world constraints

  • A deep understanding of system architecture, API design, and both SQL and NoSQL databases is essential

  • Your background includes proficiency in modern backend stacks such as C#, Java, Golang, or C++, alongside cloud-native platforms like AWS

  • You are passionate about staying hands-on contributing directly to production code, proof-of-concepts, and technical deep dives.

  • You possess strong leadership capabilities, with a passion for setting technical direction, mentoring engineers, and fostering an inclusive culture

  • You demonstrate strong ability in breaking down complex problems into clear, actionable solutions while driving agile execution to deliver results.

  • You are a strong partner to Product, Design, and other cross-functional teams to translate complex business needs into resilient engineering solutions.

  • You are a champion of advanced usage in AI tools and practices across the team to accelerate development workflows.

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. We are also tech stack agnostic, so please apply if you've worked with adjacent technologies.

Compensation Philosophy

At Xero, we value the impact and skills you bring to the team. We don’t just hire for a role; we invest in people. We believe in a Total Package philosophy - which means your value isn't just a single number on a paycheck. While base salary is a core component, we look at your compensation through a holistic lens that includes equity, performance incentives, and world-class benefits.

The base salary range for this role in Canada is $186,000 - $236,000 CAD.

Please note that this range represents base salary only. We believe in rewarding our people for their total contribution, which is why we look at compensation through a holistic lens. In addition to base pay, your total package may include:

  • Variable Pay: Eligibility commissions or equity based on role and performance.

  • Comprehensive Benefits: World-class health, wellness, and retirement programs.

  • Xero Perks: Inside Xero Explore our full suite of benefits, from wellbeing initiatives to professional development.


Individual pay is determined by various factors, including geography, level of experience, and the specific skills you bring to the role

Skills Required

  • Proven experience delivering highly available, distributed backend systems and high-throughput services
  • Deep understanding of system architecture and API design
  • Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases
  • Proficiency in C#, Java, Golang, or C++
  • Experience with cloud-native platforms such as AWS
  • Hands-on experience contributing to production code, proof-of-concepts, and technical deep dives
  • Ability to set technical direction, mentor engineers, and foster an inclusive culture
  • Ability to break down complex problems and drive agile execution
  • Ability to partner with Product, Design, Security, Risk, Operations, and other cross-functional teams
  • Interest in applying AI tools and practices to improve engineering productivity and developer workflows

Xero Compensation & Benefits Highlights

  • Leave & Time Off Breadth — U.S. materials cite about 21 days PTO, 10 wellbeing days, five Xtra days, a volunteer day, and 12 paid holidays, plus an end‑of‑year shutdown. Company descriptions position this package toward the upper tier among midsize/large tech employers in the U.S. market.
  • Parental & Family Support — Primary caregivers are described as eligible for up to 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave, with partner leave in some markets. Family‑forming support via Carrot and access to Modern Health for employees and immediate family reinforce depth in this area.
  • Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Access to Modern Health, a funded ThrivePass wellbeing account (U.S.), and flexible/hybrid work are emphasized as part of a broader wellbeing strategy alongside ERGs and “Boost Day” events. Feedback suggests these programs contribute meaningfully to work‑life balance.

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The Company
HQ: Wellington
4,500 Employees
Year Founded: 2006

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.

Typical time on-site: Flexible
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