Senior Engineer

Xero2 weeks ago

Location

CAN: VAN (333 Seymour St)

Type

Full Time

Salary

CAD 155,000 – 205,000

Level

Senior

Role

Senior Engineer

Posted

Jul 8, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

Senior Engineer role at Xero, a leading cloud-based accounting software platform. This position focuses on architecting and implementing distributed systems at scale, refactoring monolithic applications into scalable microservices, and mentoring engineering teams. Based in Vancouver with hybrid flexibility, the role requires extensive experience with large-scale system design, modern engineering practices, and a strong commitment to technical excellence and knowledge sharing within cross-functional teams.

What you'll do

Architect and Implement Distributed Systems: Lead the design and implementation of large-scale distributed systems that serve millions of global users. Refactor complex monolithic components into scalable microservices architectures, ensuring high availability, fault tolerance, and optimal performance across cloud infrastructure on AWS and Kubernetes.

Drive Technical Excellence and Code Quality: Make major code design decisions and establish technical standards that guide the engineering organization. Champion automated testing practices, test-driven development (TDD), and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) methodologies to maintain the platform's robustness and reliability.

Mentor and Coach Engineering Teams: Act as a technical mentor to junior and mid-level engineers, providing guidance through complex technical challenges and fostering their professional growth. Participate actively in code reviews, knowledge-sharing sessions, and technical discussions to elevate team capabilities and maintain a culture of continuous learning.

Enhance Developer Experience and Tooling: Spearhead initiatives to mature CI/CD concepts, infrastructure tooling, and deployment automation. Collaborate with platform and DevOps teams to improve developer productivity, reduce friction in the development workflow, and establish best practices for deployment and operational excellence.

Contribute to Engineering Strategy and Solutioning: Participate in architectural reviews and technical strategy sessions to align engineering efforts with long-term business objectives. Develop comprehensive technical solution designs that address scalability, maintainability, and performance requirements across the platform.

Collaborate Across Functional Teams: Work closely with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions. Balance feature delivery with architectural improvements to ensure the platform evolves to meet growing customer demands.

What we look for

Technical

Large-Scale Distributed Systems DesignProven experience designing, building, and operating complex distributed systems in high-availability environments. Demonstrated understanding of system design principles including scalability, resilience, fault tolerance, load balancing, and eventual consistency patterns.

Multi-Language Programming ProficiencyStrong fundamentals in multiple programming languages with the ability to rapidly learn adjacent technologies. Primary focus on C# and .NET ecosystem, with demonstrated competency in building production-grade applications and frameworks.

Modern Software ArchitectureExpert-level knowledge of microservices architecture, API design, and distributed system patterns. Experience refactoring monolithic applications into service-oriented architectures and managing the complexities of distributed system operations.

Cloud Infrastructure and DevOpsHands-on experience with AWS cloud services, containerization technologies (Docker), and orchestration platforms (Kubernetes). Deep understanding of infrastructure-as-code, deployment automation, and cloud-native application design principles.

Modern Engineering PracticesExtensive experience with test-driven development (TDD), automated testing frameworks, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and agile delivery methodologies. Proficiency in code review processes and collaborative development workflows.

Frontend Development (React)Solid understanding of modern frontend frameworks and libraries, particularly React. Ability to collaborate effectively with frontend engineers and understand full-stack system design implications.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldFormal education in computer science, software engineering, or equivalent discipline. Knowledge of data structures, algorithms, system design principles, and software engineering fundamentals required.

Continuous Learning and Technical CertificationsDemonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development through cloud certifications (AWS, Azure), distributed systems training, or advanced software architecture courses. Evidence of staying current with industry best practices and emerging technologies.

Experience

Large-Scale System OperationsMinimum 7+ years of professional software engineering experience with at least 3-4 years focused on designing, building, and operating systems at scale serving large user bases. Experience managing systems handling high concurrency, large data volumes, and stringent reliability requirements.

Technical Leadership and MentorshipDemonstrated track record of mentoring junior and mid-level engineers, contributing to their technical growth through code reviews, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem-solving. Evidence of raising team technical standards and influencing engineering culture.

Architecture and Design LeadershipProven ability to lead major architectural decisions, conduct design reviews, and contribute to engineering strategy. Experience translating business requirements into scalable technical solutions and managing technical debt in production systems.

Cross-Functional CollaborationSignificant experience working with product teams, designers, and stakeholders to deliver features while maintaining code quality. Demonstrated ability to balance technical improvements with business timelines in agile environments.

Skills

Required skills

C# and .NET FrameworkExpert-level proficiency in C# and the .NET ecosystem. Ability to design and implement robust, maintainable code using modern language features, LINQ, async/await patterns, and dependency injection frameworks.

Distributed Systems ArchitectureDeep expertise in designing fault-tolerant, scalable systems. Knowledge of CAP theorem, eventual consistency, distributed transactions, message queues, and event-driven architectures.

AWS Cloud ServicesProficient with core AWS services including EC2, RDS, S3, Lambda, API Gateway, SQS, and SNS. Experience designing cloud-native applications and optimizing cloud infrastructure for performance and cost efficiency.

Kubernetes and Container OrchestrationHands-on experience deploying and managing applications on Kubernetes. Knowledge of container networking, stateful workloads, resource management, and Kubernetes operators for production environments.

React Frontend DevelopmentSolid understanding of React architecture, component lifecycle, state management, and modern frontend build tools. Ability to understand and influence full-stack system design decisions.

CI/CD and AutomationExpertise in designing and implementing continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines. Experience with tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI to automate testing, building, and deployment processes.

Test-Driven Development (TDD)Proficient in writing unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests. Experience with testing frameworks and the discipline of developing features test-first to ensure code quality and maintainability.

System Design and RefactoringAbility to analyze legacy monolithic systems and design refactoring strategies to decompose them into scalable microservices. Experience managing technical debt and executing large-scale architectural migrations.

Nice to have

Additional Programming LanguagesExperience with languages such as Java, Python, Go, or TypeScript demonstrates adaptability and strength in multiple programming paradigms. Valuable for understanding adjacent technologies and system integration challenges.

Database Design and OptimizationAdvanced knowledge of SQL databases, query optimization, indexing strategies, and schema design. Experience with NoSQL databases and understanding of polyglot persistence patterns in distributed systems.

Message Queues and Event StreamingPractical experience with technologies like Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, or AWS SNS/SQS. Understanding of event-driven architectures, message ordering guarantees, and eventual consistency patterns.

Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC)Proficiency with tools like Terraform, CloudFormation, or Helm for managing infrastructure programmatically. Experience defining infrastructure in code to enable reproducible, version-controlled deployments.

Observability and MonitoringExperience with monitoring, logging, and distributed tracing tools (e.g., ELK Stack, Datadog, New Relic, Jaeger). Ability to design comprehensive observability strategies for complex systems.

Open Source ContributionsActive involvement in open source projects, particularly in areas like cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, or developer tooling. Demonstrates community engagement and commitment to knowledge sharing.

Agile and SAFe MethodologiesExperience working in agile environments with exposure to SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), Scrum, or Kanban practices. Understanding of how to balance engineering excellence with delivery timelines.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

CAD 155,000 – 205,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Comprehensive Health and Wellness Benefits

World-class health insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support. Access to wellness programs, fitness subsidies, and preventive care initiatives designed to support employee wellbeing.

Retirement and Financial Planning

Employer-matched retirement savings plans with flexible contribution options. Financial wellness resources and planning tools to support long-term financial security and retirement planning.

Professional Development and Learning

Annual learning and development budget for courses, certifications, and conferences. Access to technical training platforms, mentorship programs, and skill development opportunities to advance your engineering career.

Flexible and Hybrid Work Model

Hybrid working arrangement in Vancouver office with 1-2 days per week in-office for collaboration and team building. Flexibility to work remotely while maintaining strong team connection and support for work-life balance.

Equity and Performance-Based Compensation

Eligible for equity (stock options or grants) to share in company success and long-term value creation. Performance incentives aligned with individual and team goals to reward exceptional contributions.

Generous Time Off and Paid Leave

Competitive paid time off including vacation days, sick leave, and personal days. Recognition of work-life balance importance with paid parental leave and other leave options.

Xero Perks and Employee Benefits

Comprehensive employee benefits package including subsidized technology purchases, discounted software licenses, commuter benefits, and access to employee discount programs from partner companies.

Career Growth and Advancement Opportunities

Clear career progression paths with opportunities to move into senior technical roles, staff engineer positions, or engineering management. Access to mentorship and leadership development programs to support your career trajectory.

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