As a Senior Data Scientist within Payroll, you'll own end-to-end data science projects that shape one of Xero's flagship product areas. From framing the problem through to analysis, experimentation and productionised models, your work will directly influence conversion, retention and outcomes for small businesses and their advisors.
You'll bring strong technical judgement to nuanced, high-impact problems, using modern AI tooling and automation to accelerate your work while maintaining scientific rigour. Alongside your own projects, you'll help raise the bar for the wider team, mentoring earlier-career scientists and contributing to a strong technical and scientific culture.
The team & how they connectThe Product Data Science & Engineering team partners closely with Product and Technology to drive decisions through experimentation, measurement and AI-powered analytics. Rather than servicing requests, the team helps set the product's direction, turning workflows into agentic processes and bringing AI applications into production. This role sits within the Payroll product area, working closely with product managers, engineers and data science peers across Xero.
The team is currently working onTech stack: SQL, Python, Snowflake, dbt and Git
Current focus: ML models for conversion propensity and opportunity sizing within Payroll
Current focus: Measurement frameworks for AI product outcomes
Future direction: AI-powered analytics and agentic workflows, including evaluation and guardrails
Xero offers a flexible hybrid working model designed to blend the collaboration of office life with the autonomy of remote work. You will have access to our modern office spaces, with expectations around office days and collaborative 'boost days' aligned to help your team connect and ship great code effectively.
Here are some of the things we're looking for, for this roleYou'll bring strong proficiency in SQL and Python, along with a solid grounding in statistics and experimentation design
Confidence communicating with senior stakeholders comes naturally to you, and you know how to bring clarity to nuanced problems
You've productionised machine learning models end to end, ideally within a modern data stack such as Snowflake, dbt and Git
Mentoring earlier-career scientists is something you enjoy, and you take pride in lifting the quality bar around you
A genuine curiosity about AI and automation drives you to find better, faster ways to deliver insight
Working across product, engineering and design comes easily to you, and you know how to keep momentum despite ambiguity
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
- Proficiency in SQL
- Proficiency in Python
- Solid grounding in statistics and experimentation design
- Experience productionising machine learning models end-to-end
- Experience with Snowflake
- Experience with dbt
- Experience with Git
- Confidence communicating with senior stakeholders
- Experience mentoring earlier-career scientists
- Curiosity about AI and automation
- Ability to work across product, engineering and design
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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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.
