Principal Engineer (Payments Growth & Experience)

Xero1 weeks ago

Location

AU: Sydney (45 Clarence St)

Type

Full Time

Salary

AUD 250,000 – 350,000

Level

Principal

Role

Principal Engineer

Posted

Mar 6, 2026

Full TimePrincipal

The role

Summary

A Principal Engineer role at Xero focused on driving payments growth and product experience through innovative, data-driven engineering strategies. The ideal candidate will lead technical experiments, integrate AI technologies, and create scalable solutions that transform how small businesses manage financial workflows.

What you'll do

Technical Strategy Leadership: Design and lead technical strategy for payments growth, focusing on developing features that improve small business financial management

Experimental Development: Conduct high-velocity, data-driven experiments across full-stack to increase product adoption and enhance customer experience

AI and Workflow Automation: Develop smart, AI-driven capabilities to automate workflows and create time-saving solutions for small business customers

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with product and design leads to solve complex customer problems at scale, ensuring holistic solution development

Engineering Standards: Guide teams through technical challenges, maintain best practices across frontend and backend development, and contribute to global engineering standards

What we look for

Technical

Web TechnologiesMastery of modern web technologies and full-stack development, with expertise in microservices architecture

Programming LanguagesStrong proficiency in React and .NET ecosystem

Cloud PlatformsAdvanced knowledge of AWS cloud infrastructure and services

Education

Advanced DegreeBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

SaaS Product ExperienceProven track record working on customer-facing SaaS products with deep understanding of small business challenges

Growth ExperimentationDemonstrated ability to design, execute, and analyze A/B tests that drive product usage and growth

Technical LeadershipExtensive experience in mentoring teams, fostering innovation, and driving technical excellence

Skills

Required skills

Full-Stack DevelopmentComprehensive expertise in developing end-to-end web applications

AI IntegrationAbility to leverage AI tools to enhance engineering productivity and automate workflows

Experimental DesignProficiency in designing and analyzing data-driven product experiments

Nice to have

Payments Domain KnowledgeUnderstanding of financial technology and payment ecosystem complexities

Machine LearningExperience with AI and machine learning technologies for product enhancement

Compensation & benefits

Salary

AUD 250,000 – 350,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Hybrid Work Model

Flexible working arrangements with office connection opportunities

Quarterly Travel

Opportunities to visit New Zealand teams for collaborative workshops

Professional Development

Access to cutting-edge AI tools and continuous learning initiatives

Global Engineering Community

Connection with Principal Engineers across Xero's international teams

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — HR review of application and initial skills assessment
2
Technical Phone Screen — Detailed discussion of technical background, experience with SaaS products, and growth experimentation
3
Technical Challenge — Hands-on coding assessment focusing on full-stack development and problem-solving skills
4
Leadership and Design Interview — In-depth discussion of technical leadership approach, architectural design, and innovation strategies
5
Final Panel Interview — Meeting with engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to assess cultural fit and strategic alignment