The role
You will lead the design and implementation of large-scale, production-grade distributed systems that power AI features for millions of daily users. You'll own the architecture decisions that keep our systems flexible, cost-effective, and robust, direct strategy for distributed systems, and manage technical debt across the AI Products estate.
Beyond architecture, your impact lies in lifting the technical capability of the entire AI Products team. You will champion engineering excellence, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate across Xero to enhance data usability - applying modern AI research, including Large Language Models, only once it can be engineered into reliable, production-grade systems.
The team
You will join the AI Products group, a diverse team of scientists, engineers, product managers, and analysts within our broader Data & Science division. As a Machine Learning Engineer, you'll partner closely with Applied Scientists to build the interfaces and harnesses that safely and reliably transition models from research into production. Together, this collaborative team reduces toil and delivers beautiful, data-driven insights for small businesses.
The team is currently working on
Designing and building highly scalable, distributed production infrastructure to support generative AI features
Harnessing tools like Python, SQL, and distributed processing engines such as Spark or Dask to handle web-scale data workload.
Deploying to production environments running on AWS and Kubernetes Integrating modern Large Language Model technologies into product features once they're production-ready
Where and how you can work
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 are looking for
5+ years building and operating production Python (or equivalent language) services at scale - this is a software engineering role first; strong system design and coding proficiency are non-negotiable
A track record of owning services or pipelines in production, including operational/on-call responsibility, incident response, and managing technical debt over time
Deep understanding of distributed processing principles (Spark, Dask, or similar) alongside strong SQL capabilities
Demonstrated experience integrating ML models or LLM-based features into production systems - you don't need a research background, but you should be comfortable working alongside Applied Scientists to productionize their work
Familiarity with ML tooling such as MLFlow, TensorFlow, or PyTorch, and data orchestration tools like Airflow or Prefect, is valued but production engineering depth matters more than research exposure
Nice to have: prior experience applying or fine-tuning LLMs in a product context, though this is not a substitute for the core software engineering bar above
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
- 5+ years building and operating production Python (or equivalent language) services at scale; strong system design and coding proficiency
- Track record of owning services or pipelines in production, including operational/on-call responsibility, incident response, and managing technical debt
- Deep understanding of distributed processing principles (Spark, Dask, or similar) and strong SQL capabilities
- Experience integrating ML models or LLM-based features into production systems
- Familiarity with ML tooling such as MLflow, TensorFlow, or PyTorch and data orchestration tools like Airflow or Prefect
- Prior experience applying or fine-tuning LLMs in a product context
- Mentoring junior engineers and championing engineering excellence across teams
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.
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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.
