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
We support a hybrid working model that blends the flexibility of working from home with the collaboration of being in the office. You will spend time connecting with your team in our modern office spaces on designated boost days, balancing focused independent work with in-person connection.
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.
Compensation & Total Rewards
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 expected base salary range for this role in:
California: $206,600 - $258,200 USD
Individual pay is determined by various factors, including geography, level of experience, and the specific skills you bring to the role.
In addition to base pay, Xero’s roles are eligible for the following forms of variable compensation:
Variable Pay: Permanent employees are eligible to participate in our annual bonus and equity (RSU) programs. You may also be eligible for performance-based cash or equity (RSUs) incentives depending on your role level, and company performance.
Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, and 21 days PTO, 10 days of Wellbeing leave, 5 days of Xtra Leave, 1 volunteer day, 12 paid holidays, paid parental leave. Further information included on our Xero Perks page.
Xero uses AI to help screen applications based on job-related qualifications. These tools assist our recruiters but do not make automated hiring decisions. A human recruiter reviews all candidates before any hiring action is taken.
Skills Required
- Strong foundation in object-oriented programming and system-design thinking
- Deep expertise building distributed backend systems at scale
- Experience designing high-throughput APIs and making reliable architectural trade-offs
- Proficiency with C#, Java, and/or Go
- Experience with cloud-native platforms, relational databases, and NoSQL technologies
- Familiarity with observability tools and integrating AI capabilities to improve system resilience and workflows
- Operational maturity: full-cycle ownership, on-call rotations, and CI/CD-driven releases
- Leadership in technical mentorship, coaching senior engineers, and driving post-incident improvements
- Background in payments, fintech, low-latency trading systems, or headless API-first development
- Curious and responsible approach to adopting AI-native tooling to elevate engineering velocity
Xero Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is extensive in the U.S., including 21 days of annual leave, 10 wellbeing days, five “Xtra” days, three year‑end company holidays, and a paid volunteer day. Feedback suggests this structure provides meaningful flexibility for rest and personal needs.
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Parental & Family Support — Primary caregivers receive 26 weeks fully paid leave and partners receive six weeks, with additional family‑forming support available. Feedback suggests this depth of caregiver support stands out within the package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Employees have access to Modern Health coaching/counseling, Carrot fertility benefits, and an employer‑funded ThrivePass wellbeing allowance. Feedback suggests these offerings create a holistic wellbeing layer beyond standard medical coverage.
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.
Gallery
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.
