Lead Engineer (API Platform)

Xero1 months ago

Location

CAN: VAN (333 Seymour St)

Type

Full Time

Salary

CAD 173,900 – 217,400

Level

Lead

Role

Lead Engineer

Posted

May 4, 2026

Full TimeLead

The role

Summary

Xero is seeking a hands-on Lead Engineer for their API Platform team in Vancouver, focusing on developing robust, AI-ready API surfaces that enable external partners to embed Xero's accounting capabilities. The ideal candidate will drive technical direction, design composable APIs, and support the company's mission of creating efficient technological solutions for small businesses.

What you'll do

API Platform Strategy: Shape the technical direction for Xero's API and SDK surfaces, treating APIs as first-class products with a focus on external developer experience and internal platform consistency.

Developer Platform Development: Build and enhance the developer platform to provide a seamless path from domain models to integrated, production-ready APIs with robust CI/CD support.

Technical Legacy Modernization: Lead the effort to replace legacy back-channel endpoints with coherent, strongly-typed interfaces and stable contract designs.

Cross-Domain Collaboration: Build strong partnerships across product and engineering domains to ensure effective collaboration and achievement of shared technical goals.

Technical Mentorship: Coach and mentor other engineers, driving and evolving best practices in backend engineering and API design.

What we look for

Technical

Backend EngineeringExtensive expertise in backend and platform engineering at scale, particularly in multi-tenant SaaS or high-throughput environments.

API DesignProven experience in designing external-facing APIs and SDKs that are discoverable, composable, and user-friendly.

Programming LanguagesProficiency in modern backend languages such as C#, Go, or Java for building high-availability services.

AI and Future TechnologiesUnderstanding of AI architectures and ability to design API contracts ready for intelligent automation and LLM orchestration.

Education

Computer ScienceBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred.

Experience

Platform EngineeringMinimum 5-7 years of experience in platform engineering, with significant expertise in API design and backend system architecture.

Leadership ExperienceDemonstrated experience in technical leadership, mentoring, and driving engineering best practices.

Skills

Required skills

API DesignAbility to create robust, scalable, and user-friendly API interfaces

Backend DevelopmentStrong skills in backend engineering across C#, Go, or Java

System ArchitectureExpertise in designing scalable, multi-tenant SaaS platform architectures

Nice to have

Graph TechnologiesExperience with open-source graph technologies and gRPC

AI IntegrationKnowledge of AI architectures and LLM integration strategies

DevOpsUnderstanding of CI/CD processes and production runtime environments

Compensation & benefits

Salary

CAD 173,900 – 217,400 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Variable Pay

Annual bonus and equity (RSU) programs with potential performance-based incentives

Health Benefits

Comprehensive health, wellness, and retirement programs

Wellbeing Days

Additional days off focused on employee wellness

Professional Development

Dedicated budget for continuous learning and skill enhancement

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — AI-assisted application review followed by human recruiter evaluation
2
Technical Interview — In-depth discussion of technical expertise, API design experience, and system architecture skills
3
Leadership Assessment — Evaluation of mentorship capabilities, engineering best practices, and cross-domain collaboration skills
4
Final Interview — Meeting with team leadership to assess cultural fit and strategic alignment