Engineering Manager

Xero6 days ago

Location

CAN: VAN (333 Seymour St)

Type

Full Time

Salary

CAD 188,000 – 236,000

Level

Manager

Role

Engineering Manager

Posted

Jun 23, 2026

Full TimeManager

The role

Summary

As an Engineering Manager at Xero, you will lead high-performing, inclusive teams while serving as a technical anchor overseeing system health, code quality, and predictable roadmap delivery. This Vancouver-based role balances driving product delivery velocity with operational excellence, requiring expertise in software architecture, agile delivery, technical modernization, and AI-native workflows. You'll champion engineering craft through coaching, mentoring, and decentralized decision-making while collaborating cross-functionally with Product and Design partners to resolve dependencies and eliminate complexity from the development experience.

What you'll do

Lead High-Performing Engineering Teams: Direct and mentor a coordinated engineering team, fostering an inclusive environment built on trust, transparency, and diverse perspectives. Drive team productivity and accountability while creating a sustainable work environment that enables engineers to deliver their best work and continuously hone their engineering craft.

Champion AI Engineering Integration: Encourage and guide the team to inject artificial intelligence across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC) to drive efficiency gains, reduce manual toil, and modernize workflows. Position the organization at the forefront of AI-native development practices.

Drive Engineering Throughput and Code Quality: Establish strong architecture patterns and code quality standards while decoupling legacy systems to increase engineering velocity. Remove architectural bottlenecks and ensure scalable, maintainable system design that supports rapid feature delivery.

Elevate Developer Experience: Identify and systematically remove the 'complexity tax' including operational toil, brittle testing environments, and friction points in the development workflow. Improve tooling, automation, and processes to enable engineers to focus on high-value work.

Scale System Health and Visibility: Implement observability practices and dashboards that make system health, product status, and technical debt actionable and discoverable. Ensure the team maintains informed visibility into operational metrics and can proactively address issues.

Execute Roadmaps with Predictability: Deliver software roadmaps reliably in agile environments while managing complex dependencies and coordinating with cross-functional partners. Balance business outcomes with technical sustainability and maintain momentum through disciplined planning and execution.

Foster Technical Leadership and Growth: Provide high-impact coaching and mentoring to develop your team's technical capabilities and career progression. Serve as a technical anchor, maintaining an informed opinion on system health and guiding the team through technical modernization initiatives.

Lead Through Influence and Collaboration: Build strong partnerships across Product and Design teams to align on shared goals, resolve dependencies early, and ensure engineering perspectives are represented in key decisions. Make fast, decentralized decisions while empowering team members to take ownership.

Drive Business Outcomes: Apply a bias for action to proactively redirect focus when work isn't moving the needle on business objectives. Balance technical excellence with product delivery velocity, ensuring engineering investments generate measurable business and customer value.

What we look for

Technical

Software Architecture ExpertiseDeep understanding of software architecture patterns, system design principles, and the ability to guide teams through technical modernization. Experience designing scalable, decoupled systems that enable rapid iteration and reduce legacy system dependencies.

Agile and Modern Development PracticesProven experience delivering software roadmaps in agile environments, managing complex dependencies, and maintaining predictability. Familiarity with iterative development methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and continuous deployment practices.

Code Quality and Engineering StandardsAbility to establish and enforce code quality standards, implement effective code review processes, and foster a culture of technical excellence. Experience with testing strategies, refactoring, and technical debt management.

AI-Native Development WorkflowsUnderstanding of how to integrate AI tools and practices across the software development lifecycle to improve efficiency, reduce toil, and modernize engineering processes. Familiarity with AI-assisted coding, testing, and deployment techniques.

System Observability and DevOps PracticesExperience implementing monitoring, logging, and observability solutions to track system health and performance. Comfort with DevOps principles, infrastructure as code, and operational excellence practices.

Education

Computer Science or Related FieldBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline. Equivalent professional experience demonstrating strong technical foundation is acceptable.

Continuous LearningCommitment to staying current with software engineering practices, architectural patterns, AI-native development approaches, and industry trends. Demonstrated engagement in professional development and knowledge sharing.

Experience

Engineering ManagementProven track record leading engineering teams of varying sizes, with demonstrated success in hiring, developing talent, and delivering technical results. Experience managing through influence, making decentralized decisions, and empowering team ownership.

Software Delivery in Complex EnvironmentsBackground delivering high-quality software products in dynamic environments with complex technical challenges, multiple stakeholders, and dependencies. Experience balancing speed with quality and maintaining predictability in product delivery.

Technical Leadership and ModernizationExperience guiding teams through significant technical initiatives including legacy system refactoring, architectural evolution, and technology adoption. Demonstrated ability to maintain technical credibility while managing organizational and people dynamics.

Cross-Functional CollaborationTrack record of building strong partnerships with Product and Design teams, aligning on shared goals, and resolving dependencies early in the development cycle. Experience navigating matrix organizations and influencing without direct authority.

Developer Experience and Platform EngineeringBackground improving developer productivity through tooling, automation, and process improvement. Experience identifying friction points in development workflows and systematically removing barriers to engineering effectiveness.

Skills

Required skills

Engineering LeadershipProven ability to lead engineering teams effectively, mentor talent, and develop high-performing cultures. Demonstrated success in hiring, onboarding, performance management, and career development.

Software ArchitectureDeep expertise in designing scalable systems, understanding architectural trade-offs, and making decisions that balance technical sustainability with delivery velocity. Ability to communicate architectural concepts across technical and non-technical audiences.

Agile DeliveryStrong experience managing software delivery using agile methodologies, coordinating across teams, and maintaining predictability. Comfort with sprint planning, backlog management, and release coordination.

Technical Decision MakingAbility to maintain informed technical opinions, evaluate technology choices, and guide teams on technical direction. Strong judgment in balancing custom development, open-source solutions, and commercial tools.

Cross-Functional CollaborationSkilled at building partnerships with Product, Design, and other engineering teams. Ability to facilitate alignment, resolve dependencies early, and represent engineering perspectives in product decisions.

Code Quality and Engineering ExcellenceUnderstanding of code quality metrics, testing strategies, technical debt management, and continuous improvement practices. Ability to establish standards and foster a culture of engineering excellence.

Strategic ThinkingCapability to translate business objectives into engineering strategy, prioritize technical investments aligned with business value, and maintain a bias toward actions that drive outcomes.

Nice to have

AI and Machine Learning UnderstandingFamiliarity with AI/ML tools, AI-assisted coding platforms, and experience integrating AI into software development workflows. Understanding of how AI can improve developer productivity and reduce operational toil.

Cloud Architecture and DevOpsExperience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), containerization, infrastructure as code, and modern deployment practices. Familiarity with cloud-native architecture patterns and serverless computing.

Legacy System ModernizationTrack record of successfully leading modernization efforts, decoupling monolithic systems, and managing technical migration projects while maintaining product delivery.

Observability and MonitoringExperience implementing comprehensive observability solutions including metrics, logging, and distributed tracing. Understanding of how to make system health and performance visible across organizations.

Open Source and Community EngagementInvolvement in open-source projects, speaking at conferences, or contributing to the engineering community. Demonstrated commitment to knowledge sharing and industry thought leadership.

Startup or Scale-up ExperienceBackground building or scaling engineering organizations in high-growth environments. Experience managing rapid team growth, evolving processes, and maintaining culture during organizational change.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

CAD 188,000 – 236,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Participation

Eligible for Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) programs and performance-based equity incentives tied to company performance and role level, providing long-term wealth building opportunities.

Annual Performance Bonus

Permanent employees participate in annual bonus programs with performance-based cash incentives determined by individual and company performance metrics.

Comprehensive Health and Wellness Coverage

World-class health, dental, and vision insurance programs alongside wellness initiatives, mental health support, and preventive care services.

Retirement and Savings Programs

Competitive retirement savings plans including employer matching or pension contributions, supporting long-term financial security.

Wellbeing Days

Dedicated paid time off specifically for personal wellness, health appointments, and mental health support, in addition to standard vacation benefits.

Generous Leave Policies

Competitive vacation, sick leave, and parental leave benefits supporting work-life balance and family needs.

Professional Development Budget

Dedicated annual budget for training, certifications, conferences, and professional growth initiatives enabling continuous skill development and industry engagement.

Hybrid Work Flexibility

Flexible working arrangements balancing remote work with designated 'boost days' in modern office spaces, enabling collaboration while maintaining work-life flexibility.

Xero Perks Program

Access to comprehensive employee benefits platform including discounts, wellness programs, and lifestyle benefits curated to support employee wellbeing.

Interview process

1
Application Screening — Initial application review using AI-assisted screening tools that evaluate job-related qualifications and relevant experience. All candidates advance to human review before hiring decisions are made.
2
Recruiter Phone Screening — Conversation with a Xero recruiter to discuss your background, the role expectations, career goals, and cultural fit. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the team, company, and position.
3
Technical Leadership Assessment — Conversation with current or peer engineering leaders at Xero exploring your technical decision-making, architecture philosophy, team leadership approach, and experience managing complex technical challenges.
4
Management and Execution Interview — Discussion focused on your approach to team development, delivery predictability, cross-functional collaboration, and how you balance velocity with technical excellence. May include scenario-based questions.
5
Executive Alignment Conversation — Final stage interview with engineering leadership or executive stakeholder to discuss strategic alignment, organizational impact, and long-term vision for the team and engineering organization.
6
Offer and Reference Checks — Upon successful completion of interviews, references are contacted to validate experience and leadership effectiveness before final offer is extended.