Lead Engineer

XeroYesterday

Location

NZ: Auckland: Xero 4 (96 St Georges Bay Rd, Level 2 & 3)

Type

Full Time

Salary

NZD 130,000 – 180,000

Level

Lead

Role

Lead Engineer

Posted

Jul 24, 2026

Full TimeLead

The role

Summary

Lead Engineer role at Xero's Reporting Platform team, balancing 50% hands-on development with 50% strategic leadership. Oversee technical design, legacy .NET modernization, AI integration, and incident management while mentoring senior engineers on a high-scale platform serving millions of users globally. Requires experience with large-scale systems, full-stack proficiency (C#/.NET, React, SQL), and strong cross-functional collaboration skills.

What you'll do

Technical Design & Implementation Leadership: Lead technical design and implementation of product features for the Reporting Platform, balancing speed, quality, and architectural standards across complex systems serving 150+ reports to millions of users.

Legacy Framework Modernization: Guide modernization initiatives for legacy .NET frameworks, safely managing traffic migration and coordinating large-scale rollouts while maintaining system stability and reliability.

AI Integration & Innovation: Identify and capitalize on opportunities to embed artificial intelligence directly into reporting products and improve the software development lifecycle (SDLC) for enhanced engineer productivity and user experience.

Incident Management & Quality Assurance: Lead incident response efforts, participate in on-call roster responsibilities, establish robust testing frameworks, and implement continuous deployment strategies to maintain system reliability.

Team Leadership & Engineering Mentorship: Coach and elevate senior engineers' capabilities, improve multi-quarter technical planning, foster inclusive engineering culture, and drive knowledge sharing across the team.

Cross-Functional Stakeholder Alignment: Facilitate technical discovery sessions, break down operational silos, and align stakeholders across product, operations, and business teams for multi-quarter strategic initiatives.

What we look for

Technical

Large-Scale System ArchitectureProven experience designing, building, and operating high-volume, high-transaction systems in demanding environments such as fintech, banking, major SaaS platforms, or medtech sectors.

.NET & C# DevelopmentStrong proficiency in .NET and C# with experience in full-stack development, including hands-on coding and architectural decisions for enterprise-scale applications.

Frontend DevelopmentSolid understanding and practical experience with modern frontend frameworks, particularly React, for building responsive user interfaces in web applications.

SQL & Database DesignCompetency in SQL query optimization, database schema design, and performance tuning for systems handling high transaction volumes.

Legacy System ModernizationDemonstrated expertise in refactoring and modernizing legacy codebases while maintaining backward compatibility and managing zero-downtime migrations.

Cloud Architecture & DevOpsExperience with cloud-native development, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code practices for scalable systems.

Education

Computer Science or Related FieldBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. (Note: Xero prioritizes demonstrated skills and architectural problem-solving ability over formal credentials.)

Experience

Senior Engineering LeadershipMinimum 7-10 years of software engineering experience with at least 3+ years in a technical leadership, architect, or principal engineer role guiding team strategy and technical direction.

High-Scale Platform DevelopmentHands-on experience building or maintaining products in high-scale environments serving millions of users with strict reliability, performance, and scalability requirements.

Incident Response & On-Call OperationsProven track record managing production incidents, establishing incident response protocols, and participating in on-call rotations for mission-critical systems.

Cross-Functional CollaborationDemonstrated ability working closely with product managers, data engineers, and business stakeholders to translate technical requirements into scalable solutions.

Team Mentorship & DevelopmentExperience mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering talent, fostering a culture of technical excellence, code quality, and continuous learning.

Skills

Required skills

Full-Stack System DesignAbility to design end-to-end solutions spanning backend services, database layers, and frontend interfaces with consideration for scalability and performance.

Technical Leadership & CommunicationStrong communication skills to articulate complex architectural decisions, facilitate technical discussions, and influence stakeholders across organizational boundaries.

.NET/C# ProficiencyDeep expertise in .NET framework and C# programming language for enterprise application development.

SQL & Database OptimizationAdvanced SQL skills including query optimization, indexing strategies, and schema design for high-performance data retrieval.

Incident ManagementProficiency in diagnosing production issues, implementing rapid resolutions, and establishing preventive monitoring and alerting strategies.

Architectural Problem-SolvingStrategic thinking and bias for action to tackle complex architectural challenges, trade-offs analysis, and iterative improvement of system design.

Nice to have

React Frontend DevelopmentHands-on experience building or maintaining React-based user interfaces and understanding modern frontend development practices.

AI/ML IntegrationExperience integrating artificial intelligence or machine learning models into production systems and understanding AI's impact on software development workflows.

Financial Software Domain KnowledgeBackground working with accounting, reporting, fintech, or other regulated financial software domains with understanding of compliance and audit requirements.

SaaS Platform OperationsExperience operating and scaling SaaS platforms, including multi-tenancy challenges, feature deployment strategies, and user behavior analytics.

Legacy System MigrationProven success modernizing legacy systems, including zero-downtime deployments, gradual traffic shifting, and maintaining system stability during transitions.

Agile & Technical PlanningExperience with multi-quarter technical roadmap planning, sprint planning, and aligning engineering capacity with business objectives.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

NZD 130,000 – 180,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Health & Wellness Coverage

Comprehensive health insurance plans and wellness programs supporting employee physical and mental health.

Professional Development & Learning

Annual professional development budget, access to training programs, and opportunities to attend industry conferences and technical events.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Remote work flexibility with distributed team locations across Wellington and Vancouver, allowing geographic flexibility while maintaining collaboration.

Equity & Stock Options

Competitive equity package and stock options to align team incentives with company growth.

Parental Leave & Family Support

Generous parental leave policies and family-friendly benefits supporting work-life balance.

Retirement & Superannuation

Employer-matched retirement contributions and superannuation schemes supporting long-term financial planning.

Inclusive Workplace Culture

Commitment to diversity and inclusion with values emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and human-centered work environment.

Employee Assistance Program

Confidential support services for personal and professional challenges, including counseling and mental health resources.

Interview process

1
Initial Screening & Resume Review — Recruitment team reviews your background, focusing on relevant experience in large-scale systems, technical leadership, and full-stack development capabilities.
2
Technical Discussion with Engineering Leadership — Conversation with hiring manager and technical leads covering your experience with legacy modernization, system architecture decisions, and your approach to balancing hands-on coding with strategic leadership responsibilities.
3
Architectural Problem-Solving Assessment — Discussion-based evaluation of your ability to tackle complex architectural challenges, design trade-offs, and experience optimizing high-scale systems. No coding challenge required; focus on technical reasoning and communication.
4
Leadership & Team Collaboration Conversation — Interview with senior team members assessing your mentorship philosophy, cross-functional collaboration experience, and cultural alignment with Xero's inclusive values and builder mindset.
5
Executive & Culture Fit Discussion — Final conversation with hiring manager or director discussing long-term growth opportunities, alignment with product vision, and your enthusiasm for driving engineering maturity in the Reporting Platform.