# Engineering Manager
**Company:** [Xero](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/xero)
Join Xero as an Engineering Manager to lead a new Vancouver hub and spearhead a foundational leadership position guiding nine distributed engineers through a critical technological transition. You'll orchestrate the migration from legacy Microsoft SQL Server to modern open-source solutions (Aurora PostgreSQL, DynamoDB) while building internal compliance and observability tools that enable product teams to independently manage databases. This role combines strategic technical leadership with team building, requiring strong systems design expertise, proven delivery planning capabilities, and inclusive leadership skills to establish high-performing engineering culture.
**Role:** Engineering Manager
**Seniority:** Manager
**Locations:** CAN: British Columbia Remote
**Remote:** yes
**Salary:** 188000–236000 CAD
[Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/xero/dd846166-db6a-4eb2-bc32-6efb553d3b30)
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/xero/engineering-manager-dd846166
---
## Responsibilities

- Team Leadership and Development: Lead and mentor a team of nine engineers (including one lead, five senior engineers, and three developers) to establish a high-performing engineering culture with focus on inclusive leadership, professional development, and team cohesion following recent organizational changes.
- Strategic Database Migration Program: Oversee the company-wide technology transition from legacy Microsoft SQL Server environment to modern, open-source cloud solutions including Aurora PostgreSQL and DynamoDB, ensuring smooth execution while maintaining system reliability and data integrity.
- Internal Platform Development: Direct the design and development of internal compliance and observability tools that empower product teams across the organization to independently manage, monitor, and operate their databases with confidence and autonomy.
- AI-Driven Insights Implementation: Champion the integration of artificial intelligence technologies to gather and surface intelligent insights to product teams, enabling them to confidently own, evolve, and optimize their database infrastructure.
- Delivery Planning and Process Optimization: Establish and refine team processes, sprint estimation practices, and collaborative workflows to create a predictable delivery cadence and ensure technical roadmap execution aligns with business objectives.
- Stakeholder Management and Roadblock Resolution: Manage critical dependencies, shield team from external pressures, communicate delivery timelines predictably, and collaborate across product teams to resolve technical blockers and maintain alignment.
- Technical Audit and Architecture Review: Provide technical oversight and confidence in complex systems design, audit technical implementations without micromanaging, and maintain architectural standards across database infrastructure and tooling platforms.
- Vancouver Hub Establishment: Build and foster a collaborative engineering culture in Xero's new Vancouver hub, coordinate distributed team operations across North American and New Zealand time zones, and establish team norms for hybrid work environment.

## Requirements

### education

- {"name":"Computer Science Foundation","description":"Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience demonstrating strong foundation in computer science principles and software architecture."}
- {"name":"Continuous Learning in Database Technologies","description":"Commitment to continuous professional development in modern database technologies, cloud platforms, and emerging engineering practices."}

### technical

- {"name":"Systems Design and Scaling","description":"Demonstrated expertise in designing and scaling distributed systems, preferably gained in high-scale cloud, platform, or monitoring organizations with experience in complex architecture decisions."}
- {"name":"Database Systems Knowledge","description":"Deep understanding of relational databases (SQL Server legacy systems), cloud-native databases (Aurora PostgreSQL), and NoSQL solutions (DynamoDB) with ability to lead technical transitions between database platforms."}
- {"name":"Cloud Infrastructure","description":"Strong experience with cloud platforms, microservices architecture, and modern DevOps practices for building scalable, observable, and maintainable infrastructure."}
- {"name":"Observability and Monitoring Tools","description":"Hands-on experience designing and implementing observability solutions, compliance tools, and monitoring infrastructure that enable teams to operate databases independently."}
- {"name":"AI/ML Integration","description":"Aptitude for leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to enhance tooling capabilities and provide intelligent insights to engineering teams."}

### experience

- {"name":"Engineering Leadership","description":"Proven experience leading distributed engineering teams through organizational transitions, establishing team processes, and building high-performing cultures in remote-first or hybrid environments."}
- {"name":"Large-Scale Platform Development","description":"Background building or leading the development of internal tools and platforms that support multiple product teams, with emphasis on scalability, reliability, and developer experience."}
- {"name":"Technology Transition Management","description":"Demonstrated success managing complex technology migrations or modernization initiatives while maintaining business continuity and team productivity."}
- {"name":"Stakeholder and Dependency Management","description":"Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders, communicate technical complexity effectively, and resolve cross-team dependencies to maintain delivery momentum."}
- {"name":"Team Building and Culture Development","description":"Experience establishing fresh team processes, refining estimation practices, and fostering collaborative culture in newly formed or reorganized engineering teams."}

## Skills

### required

- {"name":"Technical Leadership","description":"Ability to confidently audit complex technical work, maintain system health, and provide architectural guidance while maintaining healthy team dynamics without micromanagement."}
- {"name":"Strategic Thinking","description":"Capacity to envision technology transitions, align technical roadmaps with business objectives, and navigate through organizational complexity with clarity and foresight."}
- {"name":"People Management","description":"Inclusive leadership style that listens to, learns from, and builds alongside senior technical team members before introducing major changes; emotional intelligence and active listening skills."}
- {"name":"Delivery Planning","description":"Proactive approach to delivery planning with ability to bring structure to distributed groups, improve estimation practices, and establish predictable delivery cadence."}
- {"name":"Stakeholder Communication","description":"Exceptional ability to manage stakeholder expectations, communicate timelines predictably, navigate organizational politics, and maintain alignment across product teams."}
- {"name":"Systems Architecture","description":"Deep understanding of distributed systems, database architecture, and platform design with ability to evaluate technical tradeoffs and lead infrastructure decisions."}

### preferred

- {"name":"AI/ML Integration Experience","description":"Practical experience or strong interest in integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies into developer tooling and operational systems."}
- {"name":"Open-Source Database Experience","description":"Hands-on experience with PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or other modern open-source databases in production environments at scale."}
- {"name":"Internal Developer Platform Development","description":"Experience building internal developer platforms, compliance frameworks, or observability solutions that improve team autonomy and operational excellence."}
- {"name":"Multi-Region Team Leadership","description":"Proven success leading geographically distributed teams across multiple time zones with established best practices for asynchronous communication and collaboration."}
- {"name":"Fintech or SaaS Background","description":"Experience working in regulated fintech or SaaS environments where compliance, security, and reliability are paramount considerations."}
- {"name":"Agile and Modern Development Practices","description":"Expertise in establishing agile workflows, sprint planning, estimation techniques, and continuous improvement practices within engineering organizations."}

## Tech stack

### tools

- {"name":"AWS Cloud Services","description":"Primary cloud platform for infrastructure, including RDS Aurora, DynamoDB, Lambda, and observability services."}
- {"name":"Datadog or Prometheus","description":"Observability and monitoring platforms used for building compliance and monitoring tooling that product teams leverage."}
- {"name":"Kubernetes","description":"Container orchestration platform for managing distributed workloads and database infrastructure at scale."}
- {"name":"Git","description":"Version control system for managing codebase, infrastructure-as-code, and collaborative development workflows."}
- {"name":"CI/CD Pipelines","description":"Continuous integration and deployment automation critical for database migration strategy and safe rollout procedures."}

### others

- {"name":"AI/ML Technologies","description":"Machine learning platforms and AI services for providing intelligent insights to product teams about database usage patterns and optimization opportunities."}
- {"name":"Infrastructure as Code","description":"Terraform or CloudFormation for managing cloud infrastructure, database provisioning, and environment consistency across distributed teams."}
- {"name":"Database Migration Tools","description":"AWS DMS (Database Migration Service) or similar tools for orchestrating large-scale migrations from SQL Server to modern cloud databases."}
- {"name":"Compliance and Audit Frameworks","description":"Understanding of compliance requirements, audit trails, and regulatory standards necessary for building compliant internal tooling."}

### databases

- {"name":"Microsoft SQL Server","description":"Legacy database platform that the team will migrate away from; deep understanding required to guide transition strategy and manage dependencies."}
- {"name":"Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL","description":"Target relational database platform for the migration; core focus for technical direction and team expertise development."}
- {"name":"Amazon DynamoDB","description":"NoSQL database solution for specific workload patterns; team will gain expertise in polyglot persistence architectures."}
- {"name":"PostgreSQL","description":"Open-source relational database underlying Aurora; understanding of PostgreSQL internals valuable for optimization and troubleshooting."}

### languages

- {"name":"C#","description":"Primary language for Xero's platform; understanding of C# ecosystem and .NET framework beneficial for comprehending existing codebase and architecture decisions."}
- {"name":"SQL","description":"Essential for understanding legacy SQL Server implementations and guiding migration strategy to modern database solutions."}
- {"name":"Python","description":"Commonly used for data engineering, observability tooling, and AI integration scripts within internal platforms and tools."}

### frameworks

- {"name":"Spring Boot","description":"Potential framework for building microservices and internal tooling platforms supporting database infrastructure."}
- {"name":"ASP.NET Core","description":"Enterprise framework used within Xero's ecosystem for building scalable, observable applications."}

## Benefits

### benefits

- {"name":"Variable Compensation Program","description":"Eligible for annual bonus and equity (RSU) programs with performance-based incentives depending on role level and company performance."}
- {"name":"Comprehensive Health and Wellness","description":"World-class health, wellness, and retirement programs designed to support employee wellbeing and financial security."}
- {"name":"Wellbeing Days","description":"Dedicated paid time off for mental health, personal wellness, and work-life balance separate from standard vacation entitlements."}
- {"name":"Generous Leave Policy","description":"Competitive vacation days, parental leave, and other time-off benefits supporting work-life balance and family commitments."}
- {"name":"Professional Development Budget","description":"Dedicated annual budget for training, certifications, conferences, and continuous learning opportunities to support career growth and technical skill advancement."}
- {"name":"Hybrid Work Environment","description":"Flexible hybrid working arrangement with dedicated boost days in Vancouver office for collaboration and remaining days remote work flexibility."}
- {"name":"Xero Perks Program","description":"Comprehensive employee benefits package including wellness initiatives, learning resources, and various perks tailored to support employee quality of life."}
- {"name":"Distributed Team Support","description":"Tools, resources, and practices supporting effective collaboration across distributed teams spanning North American and international time zones."}

## Compensation

- **max:** 236000
- **min:** 188000
- **currency:** CAD
- **stockOptions:** true

## Interview process

### steps

- {"name":"Initial Screening and Application Review","description":"Xero uses AI-assisted screening to evaluate applications based on job-related qualifications and technical fit; human recruiters review all candidates before proceeding with subsequent interview rounds."}
- {"name":"Recruiter Phone Screen","description":"Initial conversation with recruiting team to discuss career trajectory, leadership philosophy, experience with distributed teams, and alignment with the Vancouver hub's foundational leadership mission."}
- {"name":"Technical Leadership Interview","description":"Discussion with senior engineering leaders or CTO to explore systems design expertise, database migration experience, technical depth in cloud platforms, and ability to audit complex technical work."}
- {"name":"Team Dynamics and Culture Fit Interview","description":"Conversation exploring inclusive leadership style, stakeholder management capabilities, experience building team culture, and approach to establishing processes within distributed engineering organizations."}
- {"name":"Scenario-Based Problem Solving","description":"Assessment of delivery planning capabilities, approach to managing dependencies, strategy for technology transitions, and decision-making methodology for complex technical and organizational challenges."}
- {"name":"Senior Leadership Interview","description":"Final round discussion with hiring manager or VP of Engineering covering strategic vision, expectations for Vancouver hub leadership, organizational fit, and long-term growth opportunities."}

## Full description
**The role / impact**

You will step into a foundational leadership position designed to spearhead a cultural renewal and drive a pivotal technological transition for a distributed engineering team. As the founding leader for our new Vancouver hub, you will guide a talented group of engineers, moving away from isolated work streams towards a predictable, well-planned delivery cadence. Your focus will be on improving team planning, estimation, and communication, ensuring the technical roadmap is executed smoothly while maintaining high quality.

Your technical impact will center on supporting a company-wide transition from legacy Microsoft SQL Server environment to modern, open-source solutions. You will take ownership of building internal compliance and observability tools that empower product teams across the business to independently manage and operate their databases. By shielding your team from external pressures and resolving critical dependencies, you will create an environment where engineering excellence can thrive at scale.

**The team / how they connect**

The team consists of nine engineers, including one lead, five senior engineers, and three regular developers who collaborate across different disciplines. While some team members focus on database administration and consulting, others drive the design and development of our core tooling platforms. Operating across the United States and Canada, the team maintains a West Coast time zone alignment to collaborate smoothly without working unusual hours.

**The team is currently working on / Initially, you will focus on**

* Supporting the Migrating core services away from legacy Microsoft SQL Server technologies over to Aurora Postgres and DynamoDB.
* Constructing and scaling internal compliance and observability tools to enable decentralized database ownership for product teams.
* Utilising AI technologies to gather and surface intelligent insights to product teams to allow them to confidently own and evolve their databases"
* Establishing fresh team processes, refining sprint estimation, and establishing a unified, collaborative culture following recent turnover.

**Where and how you can work**

This position is based out of our brand-new Vancouver hub, offering a flexible hybrid working environment. You will spend dedicated boost days in the office collaborating face-to-face with local team members, while enjoying the flexibility to work from home on remaining days. Our core working hours align with West Coast time zones to ensure healthy collaboration with our North American and New Zealand counterparts without compromising on work-life balance.

**Here are some of the things we are looking for**

* You bring a strong background in systems design and scaling, ideally gained within high-scale cloud, platform, or monitoring organizations.
* An aptitude for AI tooling and a passion for staying ahead of modern technological trends comes naturally to you.
* Your inclusive leadership style allows you to listen to, learn from, and build alongside a senior team before introducing major changes.
* Exceptional stakeholder management skills help you clear roadblocks, manage external pressures, and communicate delivery timelines predictably.
* You possess proven technical depth, allowing you to confidently audit complex technical work and maintain system health without micromanaging.
* A proactive approach to delivery planning helps you bring structure, better estimation practices, and alignment to distributed engineering groups.

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.

**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 $188,000 - $236,000 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**](https://careers.xero.com/inside-xero/benefits-wellbeing/) 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.**