Engineer

Xero5 days ago

Location

CAN: VAN (333 Seymour St)

Type

Full Time

Salary

CAD 131,800 – 150,000

Level

Mid

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Jul 9, 2026

Full TimeMid

The role

Summary

Xero's Accounting Core team is seeking a backend engineer to deliver high-quality software that scales accounting infrastructure across microservices. You'll architect and optimize distributed systems using C#/.NET Core and AWS, modernizing legacy monolithic systems while ensuring data integrity and operational excellence. This hybrid role in Vancouver requires strong backend development expertise, distributed systems knowledge, and a collaborative mindset to support Xero's mission of enabling small business success.

What you'll do

Design and Implement Microservices Architecture: Lead the transition from monolithic systems to cloud-native microservices using C#, .NET Core, and AWS. Design service boundaries, implement resilience patterns including circuit breakers and retry logic, and establish service-to-service communication protocols that ensure system reliability and scalability across distributed systems.

Develop Production-Grade Backend Systems: Build robust, high-quality backend services operating in production cloud environments. Focus on creating scalable APIs, optimizing database queries, implementing proper caching strategies, and ensuring systems can handle high throughput while maintaining data integrity and ACID transaction principles.

Resolve Complex Legacy System Challenges: Identify and solve intricate problems inherited from legacy architectures, including database scalability bottlenecks, technical debt accumulation, and service coupling issues. Develop strategic modernization plans to migrate legacy code and data patterns into contemporary microservices frameworks.

Implement Automated Testing and CI/CD Pipelines: Champion test-driven development practices and trunk-based development methodologies. Build comprehensive automated testing suites covering unit, integration, and performance testing. Establish and maintain continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines using modern DevOps tooling.

Collaborate Across Product Teams: Work with product teams across Wellington and Vancouver to reduce coupling, establish clear service contracts, and accelerate product velocity. Participate in cross-functional planning, provide technical guidance on architecture decisions, and ensure platform stability supports downstream teams.

Drive Technical Excellence and Knowledge Sharing: Mentor team members through code reviews, pair programming sessions, and technical discussions. Share expertise in distributed systems, database optimization, and software engineering best practices. Contribute to architectural decisions and document technical standards that elevate engineering quality across the organization.

Optimize Database Performance and Scalability: Design efficient database schemas and query patterns for relational databases supporting transactional workloads. Identify performance bottlenecks through profiling and monitoring, implement indexing strategies, and propose data partitioning or sharding approaches to handle scale challenges.

Automate Manual Processes and Improve Efficiency: Identify opportunities to automate repetitive workflows and eliminate manual processes. Leverage modern tooling including AI-assisted development tools to streamline engineering workflows, reduce operational overhead, and increase team productivity and code quality.

What we look for

Technical

Backend Development with C#, .NET Core, Java, or GoProven proficiency in server-side programming with professional experience building production systems using one or more languages from C#/.NET Core, Java, or Go. Strong understanding of language-specific idioms, frameworks, and ecosystem tooling to write efficient, maintainable code at scale.

Distributed Systems ArchitectureSolid grasp of distributed systems concepts including service-to-service communication patterns (REST, gRPC, messaging), eventual consistency models, idempotency, and resilience patterns (timeouts, retries, circuit breakers). Experience designing systems that gracefully handle partial failures and network latency.

Relational Database Design and OptimizationPractical working knowledge of relational databases with emphasis on ACID transaction principles, data integrity constraints, query optimization, indexing strategies, and schema design. Experience with databases such as SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or MySQL in production environments handling transactional workloads.

Cloud Infrastructure and DevOpsFamiliarity with modern DevOps practices including infrastructure-as-code, containerization (Docker), orchestration platforms, automated testing frameworks, and continuous integration/deployment pipelines. Experience with AWS services or similar cloud platforms for building and operating production systems.

Automated Testing and Quality AssuranceHands-on experience writing unit tests, integration tests, and implementing test-driven development (TDD) practices. Knowledge of testing frameworks and best practices for achieving high code coverage while maintaining test reliability and execution speed.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldEducational foundation in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, physics, or equivalent practical experience demonstrating strong fundamentals in algorithms, data structures, systems design, and software architecture principles.

Experience

Backend Service Development3+ years of professional experience building backend services, APIs, or distributed systems. Demonstrated ability to take ownership of features from design through production deployment, handle production incidents, and iterate based on performance metrics and customer feedback.

Working with Legacy System ModernizationExperience contributing to modernization efforts, refactoring legacy codebases, or participating in technical debt reduction initiatives. Understanding of migration strategies, backwards compatibility concerns, and gradual system evolution challenges.

Cross-functional CollaborationTrack record of effective collaboration with product managers, other engineering teams, and stakeholders. Ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences, manage expectations, and align on priorities across organizational boundaries.

Skills

Required skills

C#/.NET Core DevelopmentProfessional proficiency building production services with C# and .NET Core framework. Deep understanding of async/await patterns, dependency injection, Entity Framework ORM, and Microsoft-ecosystem tooling for enterprise backend systems.

SQL and Relational DatabasesExpert-level knowledge of SQL query writing, database design, transaction management, and performance optimization. Ability to write efficient queries, design normalized schemas, and troubleshoot database bottlenecks in production environments.

Microservices Architecture PatternsPractical knowledge of microservices design patterns including API gateways, event-driven communication, saga patterns for distributed transactions, and techniques for maintaining data consistency across service boundaries.

RESTful API Design and ImplementationExpertise designing and implementing REST APIs following HTTP best practices, proper status codes, versioning strategies, and documentation. Understanding of API contract design for backward compatibility and schema evolution.

Git Version Control and Trunk-Based DevelopmentProficiency with Git workflows, code branching strategies, particularly trunk-based development practices. Experience with code review processes, merge conflict resolution, and continuous integration with version control systems.

Debugging and Performance AnalysisStrong ability to diagnose issues in production systems using logging, monitoring, and profiling tools. Experience identifying performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, and optimizing application behavior under load through data-driven analysis.

Nice to have

AWS Cloud ServicesHands-on experience with AWS services including EC2, RDS, Lambda, S3, CloudWatch, and VPC. Familiarity with AWS architecture patterns, security best practices, and infrastructure-as-code tools like CloudFormation or Terraform.

Docker and Container OrchestrationExperience containerizing applications with Docker, writing effective Dockerfiles, and deploying containers in orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Understanding of container networking, storage, and resource management.

Message Queues and Event StreamingKnowledge of asynchronous messaging patterns and experience with message brokers (RabbitMQ, Kafka) or AWS services (SQS, SNS) for decoupling services and building event-driven architectures.

Monitoring and ObservabilityFamiliarity with observability best practices including structured logging, distributed tracing, metrics collection, and dashboarding tools. Experience with platforms like DataDog, New Relic, or CloudWatch for production system monitoring.

AI-Assisted Development ToolsExperience leveraging modern AI tools (ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) to enhance coding productivity, accelerate development workflows, and improve code quality through intelligent suggestions and automation.

Accounting or FinTech Domain KnowledgeBackground in accounting principles, financial software, or FinTech systems. Understanding of invoice management, bill processing, payment reconciliation, or payroll systems provides valuable context for the Xero platform.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

CAD 131,800 – 150,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Annual Performance Bonus and Equity (RSU) Program

Eligible permanent employees participate in annual bonus structures and Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) equity programs. Performance-based cash and equity incentives available depending on role level and company performance metrics.

Health and Wellness Benefits

Comprehensive health insurance coverage including medical, dental, and vision. Wellness programs, mental health support, gym subsidies, and preventive care resources designed to support holistic employee wellbeing.

Retirement and Savings Plans

Competitive registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) with employer matching contributions. Retirement planning resources and financial wellness programs to support long-term financial security.

Wellbeing Days and Generous Leave

Paid wellbeing days in addition to standard vacation allowance. Competitive paid time off policy supporting work-life balance, mental health breaks, and personal time management throughout the year.

Professional Development and Learning Budget

Dedicated annual professional development budget for courses, certifications, conferences, and technical training. Support for continuous learning in software engineering, cloud architecture, and business domains relevant to your career growth.

Parental and Family Support

Generous parental leave policies and family support programs. Flexibility for life events and family circumstances demonstrating Xero's commitment to supporting employees through all life stages.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid work model with flexibility to work remote while maintaining collaborative office presence. Additional workspace support, home office equipment stipends, and flexible scheduling accommodating personal preferences and productivity styles.

Global Mobility and Travel Opportunities

Opportunity to travel to Wellington, New Zealand for onboarding and collaboration with global team members. International team environment exposing you to diverse perspectives and cross-cultural collaboration.

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