Lead Engineer

XeroYesterday

Location

US: San Mateo (1875 South Grant Street)

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 206,600 – 258,200

Level

Lead

Role

Lead Engineer

Posted

Jul 13, 2026

Full TimeLead

The role

Summary

Join Xero as a Lead Backend Engineer to architect and build a groundbreaking global payments platform from the ground up. This rare greenfield opportunity combines strategic system design with hands-on engineering, requiring deep expertise in distributed systems, high-throughput API design, and cloud-native architecture. You'll lead technical initiatives across a fast-growing Payments Platform organization while directly mentoring senior engineers and shaping the financial infrastructure that powers small businesses worldwide.

What you'll do

Architect High-Throughput Money Movement Services: Design and build core payment processing services using language-agnostic backend technologies including C#, Java, and Go. Establish scalable, reliable architectural patterns that handle transaction volumes at enterprise scale while maintaining sub-millisecond latency and zero-downtime deployments.

Lead System Design and API Strategy: Define foundational system architecture and API-first, headless design patterns for a new global bill payments product. Drive architectural decisions that balance technical debt, feature velocity, and long-term platform extensibility across Xero's entire payments ecosystem.

Scale Distributed Backend Infrastructure: Build and optimize distributed backend systems leveraging cloud-native platforms, relational databases, and NoSQL technologies. Implement horizontal and vertical scaling strategies while ensuring consistency guarantees and operational simplicity across microservices.

Implement Advanced Observability and Monitoring: Integrate comprehensive observability tools including distributed tracing, metrics aggregation, and log analysis to proactively identify and resolve system bottlenecks. Establish SLO-based alerting and incident response workflows that maintain platform reliability and developer confidence.

Lead Technical Mentorship and Engineering Excellence: Actively mentor senior engineers and drive constructive post-incident improvements that elevate team capabilities. Lead design reviews, establish technical standards, and foster a culture of learning that attracts top engineering talent while maintaining platform quality.

Drive Full-Cycle Ownership and Operational Maturity: Contribute directly to production code, participate in on-call rotations, and champion CI/CD best practices. Drive experimentation and de-risk ambitious initiatives while maintaining operational excellence and sustainable engineering velocity without a separate QA organization.

Integrate AI-Driven Innovation: Explore responsible adoption of AI-native tooling and sustainable AI capabilities to enhance developer workflows, code generation, system diagnostics, and personalization features. Evaluate emerging technologies while maintaining security, compliance, and system reliability.

What we look for

Technical

Advanced Distributed Systems DesignDeep expertise designing and implementing distributed backend systems at scale, including microservices architecture, eventual consistency patterns, and handling failure scenarios in production environments with millions of transactions.

High-Throughput API ArchitectureProven track record designing RESTful and/or gRPC APIs capable of handling thousands to millions of requests per second. Experience with API versioning, backward compatibility, rate limiting, and API-first architectural patterns.

Multi-Language Backend DevelopmentProduction experience with multiple backend languages including C#, Java, and/or Go. Proficiency in object-oriented programming concepts, functional programming paradigms, and language-specific optimization techniques.

Cloud-Native and Container OrchestrationHands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure). Understanding of containerization best practices, service mesh implementations, and cloud-native architectural patterns for scalability and resilience.

Database Architecture and PerformanceExpert-level knowledge of relational database optimization (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) including indexing strategies, query planning, and scaling patterns. Experience with NoSQL databases (DynamoDB, MongoDB, Cassandra) for specific use cases.

System Observability and ReliabilityExpertise implementing comprehensive monitoring, logging, and distributed tracing systems. Experience setting SLOs, designing alerting strategies, and conducting incident post-mortems that drive continuous reliability improvements.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldFormal education in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience demonstrating mastery of computer science fundamentals including algorithms, data structures, and systems design.

Continuous Learning in Modern ArchitectureDemonstrated commitment to staying current with distributed systems design patterns, cloud-native technologies, and emerging backend engineering practices through certifications, publications, or open-source contributions.

Experience

Senior Backend Engineering Leadership5+ years of experience in backend engineering with at least 2-3 years in a tech lead or senior architect role. Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives, make architectural trade-off decisions, and influence engineering culture.

Payments or Fintech Domain ExpertisePrior experience in payments platforms, fintech systems, or financial services desirable. Understanding of payment flows, settlement systems, compliance requirements, and the unique challenges of building money movement infrastructure.

Full-Cycle Ownership in Production SystemsExtensive experience owning systems from design through deployment to production support. Comfort with on-call rotations, incident response, and maintaining operational excellence in business-critical systems serving millions of users.

Technical Mentorship and Team LeadershipTrack record coaching and mentoring engineers at various levels, leading design reviews, and elevating team technical capabilities. Experience building high-performing engineering teams that balance velocity with quality.

Skills

Required skills

Backend Software EngineeringProduction-grade proficiency in building scalable backend systems using modern languages (C#, Java, Go) and architectural patterns that prioritize performance, reliability, and maintainability.

Distributed Systems ArchitectureStrong understanding of CAP theorem, consensus algorithms, eventual consistency, and distributed transaction patterns. Ability to design systems that gracefully handle network partitions and node failures.

API Design and DevelopmentExpertise designing robust APIs that serve multiple client types efficiently. Skills in RESTful design principles, GraphQL considerations, API documentation, and client migration strategies.

Cloud Platform ProficiencyHands-on experience deploying and managing applications on AWS, GCP, or Azure. Understanding of cloud services including compute, storage, networking, and managed services for database and messaging.

Database Design and OptimizationSkill optimizing database performance through schema design, indexing strategies, query optimization, and selecting appropriate database technologies for specific data models and access patterns.

System Design and Technical LeadershipAbility to lead architectural discussions, document design decisions, facilitate trade-off conversations, and guide teams toward solutions that balance technical excellence with business timelines.

Nice to have

Payments and Fintech ExperienceBackground building payment platforms, settlement systems, or financial technology infrastructure. Understanding of payment processing flows, regulatory requirements, and security considerations specific to money movement.

Low-Latency System DesignExperience designing systems with strict latency requirements similar to high-frequency trading systems. Proficiency optimizing for microsecond-level performance, understanding hardware constraints, and profiling techniques.

AI and Machine Learning IntegrationExperience integrating AI-native tooling into development workflows, understanding of responsible AI practices, and ability to evaluate and adopt emerging AI capabilities for code generation and system intelligence.

Open Source ContributionsActive participation in distributed systems, payments, or infrastructure open-source projects. Contributions demonstrating deep systems thinking and commitment to engineering excellence.

Post-Incident Analysis and Blameless CultureExperience conducting thorough post-mortem analysis, facilitating psychological safety in incident reviews, and driving organizational learning from production incidents.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 206,600 – 258,200 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Comprehensive Medical Coverage

Medical, dental, and vision insurance providing comprehensive healthcare coverage for you and your family; coverage begins immediately upon employment.

Retirement Planning Support

401(k) matching program helping you build long-term wealth and retirement security; company contribution percentage designed to support your financial future.

Generous Paid Time Off

21 days of PTO annually plus 10 days of Wellbeing Leave for mental health and personal care. Additional 5 days of Xtra Leave, 1 volunteer day, and 12 paid holidays provide flexibility.

Paid Parental Leave

Comprehensive parental leave program supporting work-life balance during significant life events; demonstrates Xero's commitment to supporting all life stages.

Equity and Performance Incentives

Eligible for annual bonus programs and RSU (Restricted Stock Units) awards. Performance-based cash or equity incentives available depending on role level and company performance.

Professional Development

Access to learning resources, conference attendance budgets, and mentorship opportunities. Investment in continuous skill development and career progression aligned with technical career paths.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid working model blending remote productivity with collaborative in-office time at San Mateo headquarters. Flexibility to balance personal commitments with team collaboration needs.

Wellness Programs

Comprehensive wellness benefits including mental health support, fitness programs, and wellness initiatives. Focus on holistic employee wellbeing beyond traditional benefits.

Interview process

1
Initial Application Screening — Your application is screened by AI tools that assess job-related qualifications, followed by human recruiter review. Xero ensures humans evaluate all candidates before any hiring decision; AI assists but does not make autonomous decisions.
2
Recruiter Phone Screen — Initial conversation with Xero recruiter focusing on your background in distributed systems, payment platforms, and leadership experience. Discussion of motivations, work style, and alignment with the Payments Platform organization mission.
3
Technical Screening Interview — Deep-dive technical conversation with a backend engineer assessing system design thinking, distributed systems knowledge, and architectural decision-making. Expect questions on designing high-throughput payment systems and handling failure scenarios.
4
Lead Engineer Technical Interview — Extended interview with a current Lead Engineer or senior architect covering complex system design, database scaling strategies, and production incident handling. Conversation may include architectural trade-offs specific to Xero's payment platform.
5
Leadership and Culture Interview — Interview with engineering manager or team lead focusing on leadership philosophy, mentorship approach, team dynamics, and alignment with Xero's culture. Discussion of how you've elevated team capabilities and navigated technical challenges.
6
Compensation and Final Offer Discussion — Conversation with recruiter addressing compensation package including base salary, equity/RSU details, bonus structure, and benefits. Opportunity to clarify role expectations and onboarding process before final offer extension.