Software Engineer - Database
Backend Engineer · Mid · Full Time
Opens Xero's application page
Role
What you'll do.
Join Xero's Database Reliability Team as a Software Engineer, splitting your time between backend software engineering and database reliability engineering. You'll build internal tooling and infrastructure to manage Xero's evolving database platform while ensuring reliability, performance, and observability for millions of customers globally. This role requires expertise in backend development, database systems like SQL Server and PostgreSQL, and cloud platforms, with a strong collaborative mindset and passion for platform engineering.
Responsibilities
- Platform Reliability and Health: Monitor database platform performance metrics, improve system observability, and investigate production issues before they impact users. Implement proactive monitoring solutions and establish alerting mechanisms to maintain platform resilience across Xero's infrastructure serving millions of global customers.
- Internal Tooling Development: Design and build internal tools for fleet management and database platform operations that streamline processes and automate manual workflows. Focus on creating developer-friendly solutions that enhance team productivity and reduce operational overhead for engineering teams across Xero.
- Database Platform Migration: Contribute to the evolution of Xero's database platform, supporting the migration from self-managed SQL Server to Amazon RDS and PostgreSQL. Ensure data integrity, performance optimization, and minimal disruption during transition phases while maintaining system reliability.
- Performance Engineering and Tuning: Analyze database query performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement optimization strategies. Collaborate with engineering teams to support load balancing, improve system resilience, and ensure backend systems scale efficiently as demand grows.
- Observability and Logging: Design and enhance platform observability solutions to provide visibility into system behavior, performance characteristics, and error patterns. Implement comprehensive logging and metrics collection to support effective troubleshooting and performance analysis.
- Collaborative Engineering Excellence: Work alongside engineering teams across Xero to ensure database platform capabilities support their needs. Share knowledge, mentor peers, and contribute to continuous improvement of engineering practices and platform reliability standards.
Qualifications
What we look for.
Technical
Backend Software Engineering
Strong proficiency in backend software development with expertise in building scalable, maintainable systems. Demonstrate ability to write clean, well-tested code and design resilient software architectures that handle production-scale traffic.
Database Platform Knowledge
Practical experience with relational database platforms including SQL Server, Amazon RDS, or PostgreSQL. Understanding of database architecture, indexing strategies, query optimization, and replication mechanisms.
AWS Cloud Platform
Working knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS), particularly RDS, EC2, and related database services. Ability to design, deploy, and manage infrastructure on cloud platforms while optimizing for cost and performance.
System Observability and Monitoring
Experience with monitoring tools, metrics collection, and logging systems. Understanding of performance profiling, distributed tracing, and incident response procedures to maintain system health and reliability.
Production Issue Investigation
Capability to diagnose and resolve production incidents, perform root cause analysis, and implement preventative measures. Experience working in on-call rotations or supporting critical systems.
Automation and Infrastructure as Code
Experience automating manual processes, writing infrastructure-as-code templates, and building deployment pipelines. Familiarity with tools and practices that improve operational efficiency and reduce human error.
Education
Computer Science or Related Discipline
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating strong foundational knowledge in computer systems and algorithms.
Experience
Backend Software Engineering
3-5 years of professional experience in backend software development, building production systems, and working with distributed databases. Experience should demonstrate progression in technical complexity and system scale.
Database Systems
2+ years of hands-on experience with relational database systems in production environments. Experience optimizing database performance, managing schema changes, or supporting database infrastructure.
Platform or Infrastructure Engineering
Experience building internal tools, supporting infrastructure operations, or working on platform engineering teams. Exposure to the operational side of software systems and understanding of platform reliability principles.
Skills
Required
C# and .NET Development
Strong proficiency in C# and .NET framework for building backend services, APIs, and internal tools. Experience with async/await patterns, dependency injection, and modern .NET practices for cloud-native applications.
SQL and Query Optimization
Expertise in writing complex SQL queries, understanding execution plans, and optimizing database queries for performance. Knowledge of indexing strategies, query analysis, and database tuning.
Database Administration
Practical skills in managing database systems, including backup/restore procedures, schema management, migration planning, and capacity planning. Understanding of replication and high availability concepts.
AWS Services
Hands-on experience with AWS services, particularly Amazon RDS for managed relational databases. Familiarity with security groups, VPC networking, and AWS monitoring tools.
System Design and Architecture
Ability to design scalable, resilient backend systems and database architectures. Understanding of distributed system principles, load balancing, and fault tolerance.
Problem-Solving and Debugging
Strong analytical skills for troubleshooting complex technical issues, reading log files, and using profiling tools to identify performance bottlenecks in production systems.
Preferred
PostgreSQL Administration
Nice to haveExperience with PostgreSQL database system, including configuration, performance tuning, and migration from other database platforms. Familiarity with PostgreSQL-specific features and tooling.
Containerization and Orchestration
Nice to haveFamiliarity with Docker containers and Kubernetes orchestration for deploying and managing database workloads and backend services at scale.
Monitoring and Observability Tools
Nice to haveExperience with monitoring platforms such as Prometheus, Datadog, New Relic, or similar tools. Knowledge of building dashboards, alerts, and implementing observability best practices.
Infrastructure as Code
Nice to haveExperience with infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform, CloudFormation, or similar technologies to manage cloud infrastructure programmatically and version control infrastructure changes.
Machine Learning Operations
Nice to haveUnderstanding of AI/ML workflows, model deployment, or operational aspects of machine learning systems. Experience with AI-assisted development tools and integration into development practices.
Incident Management
Nice to haveExperience with incident response procedures, post-incident reviews, and building systems for reliability. Familiarity with SLOs, SLAs, and error budgeting concepts for platform reliability.
Event-Driven Architecture
Nice to haveExperience with message queues, event streaming platforms, or asynchronous communication patterns in distributed systems to support scalable backend architectures.
Tech stack
Languages
Frameworks
Databases
Tools
Other
Compensation
Pay and benefits.
Base·NZD 130,000 – 180,000
Equity·Stock options
Benefits
Hybrid Flexible Working Arrangement
Work with flexibility using a hybrid setup with dedicated boost days in the office for team collaboration. Modern remote working facilities support productivity and work-life balance while maintaining strong team connection.
Platform Impact and Scale
Directly contribute to infrastructure supporting millions of Xero customers globally. Your work on database reliability and platform engineering shapes the foundation of mission-critical accounting systems.
Continuous Learning and Development
Join a collaborative team passionate about continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Opportunities to expand expertise in modern database platforms, cloud engineering, and AI-assisted development practices.
Collaborative Technical Environment
Work alongside talented engineering teams across Xero solving complex technical challenges. Mentoring opportunities and knowledge-sharing culture enhance professional growth and team capability.
Cutting-Edge Technology Stack
Engage with modern technology including AWS cloud platforms, multi-database strategies, and AI-driven workflows. Participate in platform evolution from traditional SQL Server to cloud-native PostgreSQL.
Mission-Critical Systems
Work on systems that directly impact business reliability and performance. Develop deep expertise in database platform reliability, performance engineering, and infrastructure automation.
Process
Interview steps.
- 01
Initial Application and Resume Screening
Submit your application through the Ashby jobs portal with resume highlighting relevant backend engineering, database systems, and cloud platform experience. Screening focuses on technical background and alignment with database reliability engineering focus.
- 02
Technical Screening Call
Preliminary conversation with hiring manager or technical recruiter covering your experience with C#/.NET, database systems, and AWS. Discuss your background with SQL Server, RDS, or PostgreSQL and your interest in platform reliability engineering.
- 03
Technical Assessment or Coding Exercise
Practical technical evaluation assessing backend development skills, SQL query optimization, or problem-solving abilities. May include system design questions related to database architecture, scalability, or observability.
- 04
Backend Engineer Interview
Technical depth interview with backend engineering team members. Covers database design, query optimization, AWS services, and experience building scalable backend systems. Discuss specific production challenges you've solved.
- 05
Platform/Database Reliability Interview
Conversation with database reliability team members covering observability practices, incident response experience, and platform engineering mindset. Discuss monitoring, performance tuning, and operational automation approaches.
- 06
Team and Culture Fit Discussion
Final stage conversation with engineering leadership or team members assessing collaboration style, learning mindset, and cultural alignment. Discuss your approach to knowledge sharing, mentoring, and working in hybrid team environments.
Full posting
Original listing.
The role / impact
Join Xero's Database Reliability Team as a Software Engineer with a focus on database reliability. In this role, your time will be split roughly 50% on software engineering and 50% on database reliability, building internal tooling that improves fleet management and makes managing Xero's database platform more efficient.
You will keep the platform healthy, resilient, and performant by monitoring performance, improving observability, and investigating production issues before they affect users. Your work will strengthen the underlying platform supporting engineering teams across Xero, directly shaping a fast, reliable experience for millions of global customers.
The team / how they connect
You will join a fun, collaborative team that owns the database platform powering Xero's core products. The team shares knowledge, solves complex technical challenges together, and works alongside engineering teams across Xero to ensure backend systems scale smoothly as demand grows. Together, they focus on continuously improving platform reliability and integrating modern engineering practices, including AI-driven workflows.
The team is currently working on
Evolution of the database platform, migrating from self-managed SQL Server to Amazon RDS and transitioning towards PostgreSQL.
Internal tooling enhancements to streamline fleet management, automate processes, and boost developer efficiency.
Platform observability and performance engineering to identify bottlenecks, support load balancing, and improve resilience.
Integration of AI tools into daily workflows to enhance engineering quality and productivity.
Where and how you can work
At Xero, we offer flexible working arrangements tailored to support productivity and connection. You can work using a hybrid setup with dedicated boost days in the office to collaborate in person with your team, supported by modern remote working facilities.
Here are some of the things we're looking for
Experience across .NET, C#, and AWS environments, or strong proficiency in backend software engineering with a language-agnostic mindset.
Practical knowledge of database platforms like SQL Server, Amazon RDS, or PostgreSQL, paired with a drive to expand into platform engineering.
Expertise in building scalable backend tools, writing clean code, and automating manual processes.
A strong grasp of system observability, database performance tuning, and responding to production issues.
Capability to design resilient software solutions while leveraging modern development tools, including AI tools, to optimise workflows.
A collaborative mindset with a passion for continuous learning, sharing knowledge, and mentoring peers.
Apply even if your experience isn't a perfect match! At Xero, we hire based on your skills, passion, and the unique perspective you can bring to enhance our culture and team.
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