Principal Engineer

Posted 4 Hours Ago
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Seymour Arm, Columbia Shuswap, BC, CAN
Hybrid
228K-285K Annually
Expert/Leader
Cloud • Fintech • Information Technology • Machine Learning • Software
At Xero, we’re here to help you supercharge your business.
The Role
Lead cross-team technical strategy and architecture for large-scale cloud-native systems. Drive CI/CD automation, microservice refactoring, SLOs, technical frameworks, and operational metrics. Mentor lead engineers, improve engineering practices, and balance technical debt with product delivery to enable secure, scalable solutions for small-business customers.
Summary Generated by Built In

The role & impact

You will work in collaboration with multiple engineering teams across the product group to guide, inspire, and elevate technical excellence. Shaping group-wide technical strategy, you will bridge organizational boundaries and partner with senior leaders to turn complex requirements into scalable, resilient software solutions.

Through data-driven decision-making, you will guide architectural direction, elevate engineering practices, and mentor technical talent. Your focus will be on solving large-scale systems challenges while enabling teams to deliver value to small businesses safely, securely, and swiftly.

The team & how they connect

You will join a cross-functional engineering collective made up of product management, architecture, and core delivery teams. Together, the group collaborates to build robust cloud-native applications, sharing knowledge through active communities of practice. The team works in a supportive, high-trust environment where open communication, continuous learning, and continuous improvement drive day-to-day work.

Initially, the role will focus on

  • Modern cloud platforms, automated CI/CD pipelines, and microservice architectures

  • Refactoring legacy services and enhancing system scalability, performance, and security standards

  • Defining portfolio-wide technical frameworks, SLOs, and strategies to quantify and address technical debt

  • Mentoring lead engineers and driving cross-team quality practices to simplify complex engineering workflows

Where and how you can work

We offer a flexible, hybrid working style that balances working from home with intentional in-person collaboration. You will have access to our modern, vibrant office spaces to connect with colleagues during key team moments and boost days, while having the flexibility to structure your work in a way that supports your productivity and personal balance.

Here are some of the things we are looking for

  • Demonstrated leadership in guiding large-scale cloud native software projects to successful delivery

  • Proven success mentoring engineers and fostering inclusive, psychologically safe team environments

  • Strong ability to shape long-term architectural vision while effectively balancing technical debt with product delivery

  • Expertise in automating delivery tooling, establishing quality standards, and refining operational metrics

  • Skilled at communicating nuanced technical concepts clearly to both technical teams and executive leaders

Compensation & Total Rewards

At Xero, we value the impact and skills you bring to the team. We believe in a Total Package philosophy - ensuring your value is recognized through a holistic lens that includes base salary, performance incentives, and world-class benefits.


The expected base salary range for this role is $227,700 - $284,600 CAD.

 

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: World-class health, wellness, and retirement programs. Xero Perks including Wellbeing days, generous leave, and dedicated professional development budgets.

This is a posting for an existing vacancy.

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.

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

  • Demonstrated leadership delivering large-scale cloud-native software projects
  • Experience with modern cloud platforms and microservice architectures
  • Expertise in automating CI/CD/delivery tooling and establishing quality standards
  • Proven ability to refactor legacy services to improve scalability, performance, and security
  • Experience defining technical frameworks, SLOs, and strategies to address technical debt
  • Proven success mentoring engineers and fostering inclusive, psychologically safe teams
  • Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical teams and executive leaders
  • Data-driven decision-making to guide architectural direction and engineering practices

Xero Compensation & Benefits Highlights

  • Leave & Time Off Breadth The U.S. package lists 21 days of annual leave, 10 days of wellbeing leave, five “Xtra” days, three year‑end company holidays, and a paid volunteer day. Global materials also point to 20+ days of annual leave and additional wellbeing time across regions, indicating broad coverage beyond the U.S.
  • Parental & Family Support Primary caregivers can receive up to 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave, with six weeks of paid partner leave. Family‑forming benefits (e.g., Carrot) and counseling/coaching access for employees and immediate family further strengthen support.
  • Healthcare Strength Medical (Cigna and Kaiser options), dental (Cigna PPO), and vision (VSP) are complemented by life, AD&D, and short/long‑term disability coverage. Modern Health mental‑health support and a funded ThrivePass wellbeing account add depth to the health offering.

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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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HQWellington, NZ
Auckland, NZ
Brisbane
Calgary
Denver, CO
Melbourne (HQ)
London, GB
Napier, NZ
New York, NY
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San Mateo, CA
Singapore
Sydney, NSW
Toronto, Ontario
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