# Engineer
**Company:** [Xero](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/xero)
Join Xero's Data-In organization as a Backend Engineer to build and operate foundational infrastructure powering document-driven experiences across the platform. This role requires 3+ years of experience building scalable production systems using C#, .NET, Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS, with strong expertise in distributed systems, DevOps, and CI/CD practices. You'll own critical components of Xero's Documents API and Management services, ensuring secure, high-performance document processing for millions of customers.
**Role:** Backend Engineer
**Seniority:** Mid
**Locations:** CAN: Toronto (111 Richmond Street West)
**Remote:** yes
**Salary:** 130000–150000 CAD
[Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/xero/e1d0b45b-2332-4ab5-a24f-2ecea48ab510)
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/xero/engineer-e1d0b45b
---
## Responsibilities

- Build Scalable Backend Infrastructure: Develop and maintain production-grade backend microservices using C#, .NET, Docker, and Kubernetes, contributing to the reliability and performance of Xero's document ecosystem that serves millions of customers across global markets.
- Own Document Processing Pipelines: Design, implement, and optimize document ingestion, processing, and data extraction pipelines to ensure high-quality data transformation and maintain comprehensive test coverage across all critical workflows.
- Drive Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product managers, UX designers, and fellow engineers to translate business requirements into technical solutions, delivering exceptional user experiences that simplify financial document management.
- Troubleshoot Complex Distributed Systems: Debug and resolve issues across Xero's technology stack including legacy applications, perform root-cause analysis, and implement durable fixes using observability tools like New Relic to maintain system health.
- Champion DevOps and Release Excellence: Apply CI/CD best practices, implement automated testing strategies aligned with the testing pyramid, and participate in code reviews to establish engineering excellence standards within the team.
- Create Technical Documentation: Write and maintain comprehensive technical documentation including architecture notes, data flow diagrams, and system design documents to facilitate team knowledge sharing and improve system maintainability.
- Lead Technical Initiatives: Take ownership of well-scoped to medium-scale technical initiatives, refactor complex monolithic systems into scalable, resilient microservices components, and drive improvements to team processes and feedback loops.

## Requirements

### education

- {"name":"Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related Field","description":"Formal education in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent discipline providing foundational knowledge of computer systems and software development principles, or equivalent professional experience."}

### technical

- {"name":"C# and .NET Framework","description":"Strong proficiency in C# programming language and the .NET framework/core stack for building enterprise-grade backend services and distributed systems."}
- {"name":"Container Orchestration and Cloud Platforms","description":"Hands-on experience with Docker for containerization, Kubernetes for orchestration, and AWS cloud services including compute, storage, and networking for building scalable infrastructure."}
- {"name":"DevOps and CI/CD Practices","description":"Proficiency with DevOps methodologies, continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code concepts to enable frequent, safe code releases."}
- {"name":"Observability and Monitoring","description":"Experience with application performance monitoring and observability tools such as New Relic, CloudWatch, or equivalent solutions for troubleshooting and optimizing system performance."}
- {"name":"Distributed Systems Architecture","description":"Solid understanding of distributed systems principles, microservices architecture patterns, scalability challenges, and designing resilient systems with high availability requirements."}
- {"name":"Automated Testing and Code Quality","description":"Strong advocate of testing pyramid methodology, proficient in unit testing, integration testing, and test-driven development practices to ensure code quality and maintainability."}

### experience

- {"name":"Production Systems Development","description":"3+ years of professional experience building, delivering, and maintaining highly scalable production systems using diverse technologies across the full software development stack."}
- {"name":"Backend Infrastructure at Scale","description":"Proven track record of developing and operating distributed backend services that handle significant scale, performance requirements, and reliability expectations in cloud-native environments."}
- {"name":"Legacy System Modernization","description":"Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex issues in legacy applications and technologies, with experience refactoring monolithic systems into scalable, resilient microservices components."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Technical Leadership","description":"Experience taking ownership of and driving medium to high-impact technical initiatives within engineering teams, coordinating processes, and strengthening feedback loops for quality improvements."}

## Skills

### required

- {"name":"C# Programming","description":"Expert-level proficiency in C# for building production backend services, with understanding of language features, async/await patterns, and modern development practices."}
- {"name":".NET Framework/Core","description":"Strong hands-on experience with .NET Core and/or .NET Framework for developing microservices, APIs, and distributed systems."}
- {"name":"Docker Containerization","description":"Ability to design, build, and optimize Docker containers for consistent deployment across development, staging, and production environments."}
- {"name":"Kubernetes Orchestration","description":"Proficiency deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications using Kubernetes in production environments, including service discovery, load balancing, and resource management."}
- {"name":"AWS Cloud Services","description":"Working knowledge of AWS services including EC2, RDS, S3, Lambda, VPC, and other services relevant to building scalable cloud-native applications."}
- {"name":"CI/CD Pipeline Implementation","description":"Experience setting up and maintaining continuous integration and deployment pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or AWS CodePipeline."}
- {"name":"System Troubleshooting and Debugging","description":"Advanced troubleshooting skills to diagnose issues in complex distributed systems, analyze logs and metrics, and implement effective solutions."}

### preferred

- {"name":"New Relic Monitoring","description":"Experience with New Relic for application performance monitoring, custom instrumentation, and real-time alerting for production systems."}
- {"name":"SQL Database Optimization","description":"Experience optimizing SQL queries, designing efficient database schemas, and working with relational databases like PostgreSQL or SQL Server at scale."}
- {"name":"Financial Software Domain Knowledge","description":"Background in accounting software, financial technology, or fintech industries with understanding of document processing workflows, compliance, and regulatory requirements."}
- {"name":"GraphQL and Modern API Design","description":"Experience designing and implementing modern API patterns including REST best practices, GraphQL, and API versioning strategies for scalable systems."}
- {"name":"Kubernetes Advanced Patterns","description":"Advanced Kubernetes knowledge including custom resource definitions, operators, helm charts, and infrastructure-as-code practices for complex deployments."}
- {"name":"Document Processing and OCR","description":"Experience with document ingestion pipelines, optical character recognition (OCR), data extraction workflows, or similar document management systems."}
- {"name":"Infrastructure-as-Code","description":"Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or CloudFormation for managing cloud resources in a declarative, versionable manner."}

## Tech stack

### tools

- {"name":"Docker","description":"Container platform for packaging and deploying microservices consistently across different environments."}
- {"name":"Kubernetes","description":"Container orchestration platform for managing, scaling, and operating containerized workloads in production."}
- {"name":"AWS","description":"Cloud computing platform providing compute, storage, networking, and managed services for scalable infrastructure."}
- {"name":"New Relic","description":"Application performance monitoring and observability platform for real-time insights into system health and performance."}
- {"name":"Git","description":"Distributed version control system for managing codebase, collaboration, and deployment workflows."}
- {"name":"Terraform","description":"Infrastructure-as-code tool for provisioning and managing cloud resources in a declarative manner."}

### others

- {"name":"Microservices Architecture","description":"Designing and implementing distributed systems using microservices patterns with emphasis on scalability and resilience."}
- {"name":"API Design and Development","description":"Building secure, well-documented RESTful APIs and integration patterns for inter-service communication and external consumers."}
- {"name":"Document Processing Pipelines","description":"Implementing end-to-end workflows for document ingestion, transformation, validation, and storage with high throughput requirements."}
- {"name":"Testing Pyramid and Automated Testing","description":"Implementing comprehensive test strategies including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests with strong automation practices."}

### databases

- {"name":"PostgreSQL","description":"Open-source relational database for storing and querying structured financial and document metadata at scale."}
- {"name":"SQL Server","description":"Enterprise relational database platform for mission-critical data persistence and complex query operations."}
- {"name":"DynamoDB","description":"AWS NoSQL database service for high-performance, scalable document and key-value data storage."}

### languages

- {"name":"C#","description":"Primary programming language for backend microservices and business logic implementation."}
- {"name":"SQL","description":"Database query language for data access and manipulation in relational database systems."}
- {"name":"PowerShell/Bash","description":"Scripting languages for DevOps automation, infrastructure management, and operational tasks in cloud environments."}

### frameworks

- {"name":".NET Core","description":"Modern, cross-platform framework for building scalable microservices and cloud-native applications with high performance."}
- {"name":"ASP.NET Core","description":"Web framework for building RESTful APIs and backend services with built-in dependency injection and middleware support."}

## Benefits

### benefits

- {"name":"Comprehensive Health and Wellness","description":"Medical, dental, and vision coverage with flexible health spending accounts and access to wellness programs including fitness subsidies and mental health support."}
- {"name":"Retirement Planning","description":"Competitive RRSP matching program with employer contributions to support long-term financial planning and retirement security."}
- {"name":"Equity Participation","description":"Stock options and equity grants providing participation in Xero's growth and long-term value creation as a public company."}
- {"name":"Generous Paid Time Off","description":"Flexible paid time off policy with additional days for professional development, sabbatical options, and support for work-life balance."}
- {"name":"Professional Development","description":"Learning budgets, conference attendance support, technical training programs, and mentorship from senior engineers to accelerate your growth."}
- {"name":"Remote Work Flexibility","description":"Hybrid or fully remote work options with access to collaborative spaces in Toronto and other Xero offices globally."}
- {"name":"Parental Leave","description":"Competitive parental leave benefits extending beyond statutory requirements to support work-life integration."}
- {"name":"Community and Culture","description":"Employee resource groups, team social events, volunteering opportunities, and an inclusive engineering culture focused on continuous learning."}

## Compensation

- **max:** 160000
- **min:** 120000
- **currency:** CAD
- **stockOptions:** true

## Interview process

### steps

- {"name":"Initial Recruiter Screening","description":"Initial conversation with Xero's recruiting team to discuss your background, career goals, technical interests, and alignment with the Backend Engineer role within the Data-In organization."}
- {"name":"Technical Phone Screen","description":"Technical interview focused on C#, .NET, and cloud infrastructure fundamentals. Expect questions on microservices design, distributed systems concepts, and your experience with Docker and Kubernetes."}
- {"name":"Coding and System Design Challenge","description":"Take-home or live coding assessment involving building a scalable backend service component. May include requirements around document processing, API design, and considerations for high-traffic systems."}
- {"name":"System Architecture Deep Dive","description":"Technical interview with backend engineers covering your experience with distributed systems, scalability challenges, DevOps practices, and approach to troubleshooting complex production issues."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Team Conversation","description":"Discussion with product managers and fellow engineers about collaboration approaches, communication style, and how you work across teams to deliver features and improvements."}
- {"name":"Final Hiring Manager Interview","description":"Conversation with the team lead or engineering manager to discuss career development, team dynamics, long-term growth opportunities, and cultural fit within Xero's engineering organization."}

## Full description
**Engineer**

**Toronto, CA / Technology - Engineering / Permanent**

# **Our Purpose**

At Xero, we’re here to make running a business beautiful. By making small businesses more efficient every day, connecting them with big business technology and empowering a community behind them, their potential is limitless. When that happens, we’re not only helping small businesses, we’ll be building a stronger economy that can change the world.

**About the team you’ll join**

Xero's Data-In organization revolutionizes how small businesses and their advisors interact with financial data. We're responsible for streamlining the ingestion, processing, and management of financial documents, unlocking valuable insights and enabling powerful automations.

As a core backend platform team within the Data-In organization, we build and operate the foundational infrastructure that powers document-driven experiences across all of Xero. Our mission is to provide secure, high-performance, and scalable access to document metadata and storage through our Documents API (DAS) and Management (DMS) services. We own the entire lifecycle—from the databases to the storage layers ensuring that internal teams and millions of customers can consistently manage documents at scale. Joining us means solving complex architectural challenges while ensuring the long-term reliability and security of Xero’s critical document ecosystem.

# **How you’ll make an impact**

**Build:** Develop and maintain scalable backend microservices using C#, .NET, Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS, contributing to the reliability of Xero's document ecosystem.

**Deliver:** Implement new features and improvements to document ingestion, processing, and data extraction pipelines, ensuring high quality and test coverage.

**Collaborate:** Work closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to deliver exceptional user experiences that simplify financial management for our customers.

**Learn & Grow:** Take ownership of well-scoped technical tasks, seek guidance from senior engineers, and continuously deepen your knowledge of distributed systems and cloud infrastructure.

**Problem-Solve:** Debug and resolve issues across Xero's technology stack, contributing to root-cause analysis and implementing durable fixes.

**Improve:** Participate in code reviews, apply best practices in DevOps and CI/CD, and contribute to a culture of engineering excellence.

**Document:** Write and maintain clear technical documentation, including architecture notes and data flow diagrams, to support team knowledge sharing.

# **What you’ll bring**

* 3+ years of experience in building, delivering and maintaining highly scalable production systems using a diverse range of tools and technologies across the full stack of our products.
* Hands-on experience across a range of languages and tools. Proficiency in C#, .NET, Docker, Kubernetes, New Relic and AWS.
* Able to diagnose and resolve complex issues across the legacy applications/technologies to unblock the team.
* Create and update technical documentation for existing and new systems, including architecture diagrams, data flows to improve maintainability and knowledge sharing.
* Able to take ownership of and drive high impacting / medium scale initiatives within the team.
* Ability to refactor complex, monolithic systems into scalable, resilient components.
* Proficient with DevOps and CI/CD concepts and tooling.
* Strong advocate of the testing pyramid and automated tooling to safely and frequently release code.
* Ability to review and coordinate team processes to improve quality and strengthen feedback loops.

![](https://app.ashbyhq.com/api/images/user-content/bf70678a-ce6f-4343-a19f-4d3099acfa72/409c6dfe-8a33-42c7-8243-9589041b79fc/image.png)