Software Engineer

Xero5 days ago

Location

NZ: Remote Worker

Workplace

Remote

Type

Full Time

Salary

NZD 100,000 – 140,000

Level

Mid

Role

Software Engineer

Posted

Jul 14, 2026

Full TimeRemoteMid

The role

Summary

Xero seeks a Software Engineer to join the Practice Tools division, a core team serving accountants and bookkeepers through robust, scalable platform development. This role emphasizes modernizing legacy systems using C# and React, with direct impact on the onboarding lifecycle and infrastructure resilience. You will collaborate with product and engineering leadership to deliver quality-first solutions that automate manual processes and accelerate value delivery across the platform.

What you'll do

Sprint Development & Feature Delivery: Contribute to sprint cycles and build scalable software solutions utilizing C# and React, delivering features that directly serve accountants and bookkeepers. Participate in estimation, planning, and iterative development processes with the Practice Tools team.

Legacy System Modernization: Refactor and modernize legacy codebases using pattern-based architecture, micro-frontend events, and architectural accelerators. Transform inherited systems into maintainable, performant solutions aligned with current engineering best practices.

Production Support & On-Call Response: Join the team's on-call roster, familiarizing yourself with system components to confidently handle production incidents and interrupts. Participate in incident responses, triaging development issues, and ensuring platform resilience during critical situations.

Infrastructure & Full-Stack Debugging: Debug and troubleshoot across the complete technology stack, including frontend, backend, cloud infrastructure, and deployment pipelines. Collaborate with infrastructure and platform teams to maintain system reliability and performance.

Code Quality & Collaborative Development: Participate actively in code reviews, maintaining a quality-first mindset through test-driven development and trunk-based development practices. Share technical knowledge with the team and contribute to establishing engineering standards and best practices.

AI-Assisted Development & Tooling: Leverage modern development tools including GitHub Copilot, Cloud Code, and emerging AI agents to enhance coding productivity and efficiency. Stay current with engineering productivity innovations and integrate them into the development workflow.

Technical Problem-Solving & Design: Take high-level requirements, independently research architectural options, and deliver clear technical recommendations. Design robust, scalable applications that solve complex engineering problems while making data-driven decisions for feature releases.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Engineering Manager, Lead Engineer, and Product Manager daily to align technical delivery with product vision. Communicate technical concepts effectively, participate in design discussions, and ensure technical excellence across the Practice Tools platform.

What we look for

Technical

C# and .NET FrameworkProficiency building and maintaining backend services and APIs using C# and the .NET ecosystem. Experience with async/await patterns, dependency injection, and enterprise application architecture is highly valuable.

React JavaScript FrameworkSolid experience building interactive user interfaces and components using React. Familiarity with state management, hooks, and modern frontend development workflows is essential for the UI layer of this role.

Full-Stack Debugging & TroubleshootingAbility to debug across multiple layers of the technology stack, from frontend JavaScript to backend C# services to cloud infrastructure. Experience with debugging tools, log analysis, and root cause analysis is critical.

Cloud Infrastructure & DeploymentFoundation in managing cloud resources, understanding deployment pipelines, and working with cloud platforms. Experience with containerization, orchestration, or infrastructure-as-code will strengthen your candidacy.

Test-Driven Development & Testing PracticesDemonstrated experience with test-driven development methodologies, unit testing frameworks, and integration testing. Proficiency in writing maintainable test suites and ensuring code quality through automated testing.

Version Control & Trunk-Based DevelopmentStrong proficiency with Git and modern version control workflows, including trunk-based development, continuous integration, and code branching strategies. Experience with feature flags and continuous deployment practices is beneficial.

AI Development Tools & AssistantsComfort exploring and leveraging AI-powered development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cloud Code, Windsurf, or similar code assistants. Ability to evaluate and integrate new productivity tools into your development workflow.

Education

Computer Science or Software Engineering DegreeBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field. Equivalent demonstrated experience through work history is also valued, particularly for candidates with strong self-taught backgrounds.

Continuous Learning CommitmentDemonstrated commitment to professional development through certifications, online courses, technical blogs, open-source contributions, or attendance at engineering conferences. Xero values engineers who invest in staying current with industry trends.

Experience

Production Software Development2-5 years of professional software engineering experience building and maintaining production systems. Experience working in agile team environments with established code review processes and continuous delivery practices.

Legacy System ModernizationExperience refactoring, maintaining, or modernizing existing codebases. Familiarity with architectural patterns and approaches to gradually improving legacy systems without complete rewrites is valuable.

On-Call & Incident ResponseExperience participating in on-call rotations and handling production incidents. Comfort with production monitoring tools, alerting systems, and incident communication during critical situations.

Collaborative Team DevelopmentTrack record of working effectively in cross-functional engineering teams with strong code review cultures. Experience engaging with product managers, engineering leadership, and domain experts to shape technical decisions.

Skills

Required skills

C# Backend DevelopmentProduction-grade expertise building and maintaining C# and .NET services, APIs, and business logic layers for scalable applications.

React Frontend DevelopmentProfessional experience building interactive React components, managing component state, and implementing responsive user interfaces for complex applications.

Full-Stack System DebuggingProficiency diagnosing and resolving issues across frontend, backend, and infrastructure layers using appropriate debugging tools and techniques.

Test-Driven DevelopmentStrong practice of writing unit tests before implementation, maintaining high code coverage, and ensuring application quality through automated testing strategies.

Technical Communication & CollaborationClear articulation of technical concepts, active participation in code reviews, and ability to discuss architectural decisions with team members and stakeholders.

Nice to have

Micro-Frontend ArchitectureExperience implementing or working with micro-frontend patterns, event-driven communication between frontend modules, and federated component systems.

Cloud Infrastructure ManagementBackground deploying applications to cloud platforms, configuring infrastructure, managing deployments, or using infrastructure-as-code tooling.

GitHub Copilot & AI Development ToolsHands-on experience leveraging GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cloud Code, or similar AI-assisted development tools to accelerate engineering productivity.

SaaS Platform ExperiencePrior experience working on Software-as-a-Service platforms, particularly in fintech, accounting, or similar regulated industries with complex compliance requirements.

Agile & Lean Development MethodologiesExperience working in sprint-based environments with agile ceremonies, continuous integration/deployment pipelines, and data-driven release decisions.

Pattern-Based ArchitectureFamiliarity with architectural patterns such as CQRS, event sourcing, repository patterns, or domain-driven design applied to modernizing legacy systems.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

NZD 100,000 – 140,000 (annual)

Benefits

Flexible Work Arrangements

Remote and hybrid work options based in New Zealand, providing flexibility to work from home while maintaining team connection and collaboration.

Work-Life Balance Support

Autonomous work management structures and tools that support maintaining focus, managing workload, and achieving healthy work-life balance.

Professional Development

Access to learning resources, training opportunities, and support for staying current with engineering technologies and industry best practices.

Collaborative Engineering Culture

Team environment emphasizing constructive communication, knowledge sharing, code reviews, and technical excellence within the Practice Tools division.

Modern Development Tools & Infrastructure

Access to contemporary development tools, AI-powered assistants, automated testing infrastructure, and cloud platforms for efficient, high-quality software development.

Inclusive Hiring Philosophy

Xero hires based on skills, passion, and unique perspective; experience doesn't need to be a perfect match. Strong emphasis on bringing diverse viewpoints to enhance culture and team dynamics.

Interview process

1
Application Review — Your resume, portfolio, and application answers will be reviewed against the role requirements. Xero evaluates skills, passion, and the perspective you bring rather than requiring perfect experience matches.
2
Initial Screening Conversation — A conversation with a member of the recruiting team to understand your background, motivations for joining Xero, and initial assessment of technical fit with the Practice Tools division.
3
Technical Assessment or Code Interview — Assessment of your proficiency with C#, React, or full-stack development. This may include live coding, technical problem-solving, or reviewing past project examples to evaluate your engineering approach.
4
Engineering Team Interview — Conversations with the Engineering Manager, Lead Engineer, and potentially other team members to assess collaboration style, problem-solving approach, and cultural fit within the team.
5
Product & Cross-Functional Discussion — Engagement with the Product Manager or cross-functional stakeholders to discuss how you approach product understanding, feature prioritization, and balancing technical excellence with business needs.
6
Final Offer Stage — Comprehensive discussion of compensation, benefits, work arrangements, and any final questions about the role, team structure, or organizational expectations.