Head of Engineering
Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive.
At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.
How you’ll make an impact
As Head of Engineering You will lead, grow, and manage a portfolio across multiple product teams to deliver high-quality software which improves the working lives of hundreds of thousands of small business customers, accountants and bookkeepers and their employees. You and your team will hone development practices and improve engineering culture to create a world-class software engineering environment at Xero. You will work closely with Product Management, Delivery Coaches, Architecture and other Engineering Managers to continuously improve Xero’s technology platform so that it meets customer needs, is secure, performant and highly available.
What you’ll do
- Contribute to your Products strategy, ensuring alignment with Xero Engineering standards and strategy.
- As a key member of your group’s leadership team you’ll drive performance and an inspiring work environment aligned with the Xero strategy.
- Work with other leaders in Product, Design and Engineering to ensure engineering initiatives are appropriately represented in planning and in Product roadmaps.
- Ensure that the performance of all engineering teams is actively measured and monitored. Impediments should be identified as quickly as possible and actively managed to resolution.
- Work with your group’s people leaders to ensure that the right training and tooling are allocated to teams to balance working styles, experience, capability and career aspirations. You’ll trade-off team stability against the need to have the right people working on the right projects.
- Lead Engineering Managers in your portfolio, enable them to thrive in the organization, support them in their career development and goals.
- Ensure that Xero’s people management processes are followed, including personal development plans, objectives and key results, performance management, regular 1:1s, succession planning etc for your direct and indirect reports.
- Govern the metrics and reporting produced by teams to ensure correct and timely information is provided to all stakeholders.
- Work with the Delivery Coaches to ensure all teams understand what it means to be Lean and are able to implement efficient and effective Lean software development practices
- Encourage teams to experiment with new technologies, tools and processes in a way that does not compromise delivery, within the boundaries of technical decision-making frameworks.
- Lead the development of a Xero engineering culture where teams take pride in the quality of the software they produce and the impact it has on customers.
- Lead initiatives to improve on-boarding, on-going training and knowledge sharing between teams.
- Champion the development of an ownership culture where engineering teams take full responsibility for a well-defined section of the product, including identifying and resolving operational issues, tracking and resolving common problems raised and investing in the repayment of technical debt.
- Work with your peers in other areas of the business to ensure that cross-team technical initiatives (such as, .NET Framework Upgrades, Technical Debt repayment projects) are prioritized and included in Product roadmaps.
- Represent your team at a Senior and Executive level, working with these leaders as required.
- Ensure your Product group’s engineers are well connected to Xero’s Engineering community, and that Engineering best practice and its implications are amplified across your entire Platform group.
Success looks like
- All teams are continuously delivering high quality software to production and predictably meeting timelines and satisfying stakeholder expectations.
- Teams clearly understand the products they own and are taking responsibility for the operation and ongoing improvement of those products.
- Your global engineering team has a strong culture where teams take pride in what they produce and in the craft of software engineering. Your group has a reputation for being a great place to work for engineers and staff retention is high.
- All of your team have a clear understanding of what they are working on, why they are doing that work, what is expected of them and what opportunities are available for them in the future.
- All of your wider Product group (including non-engineers) are aware of the importance of Engineering best practice, and factor it into their decision-making accordingly.
What you’ll bring with you (Critical competencies)
- Living the vision & values. Keeps Xero’s vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and actions. Communicates and helps others understand the importance of the vision and values. Translates the vision and values into day-to-day activities and behaviors.
- High E.Q. Self-aware, self-regulated, motivated and empathetic, with great interpersonal skills.
- Growth mindset. Understands that competency is not fixed but is enhanced through dedication and hard work.
- Successfully builds trust and credibility with stakeholders and working relationships across all levels of the business.
- Leadership and coaching. Has an adaptive and collaborative style that meets the needs of the individual or group. Has a range of appropriate responses — knows when to step in and step back. Celebrates others’ successes with them and helps others learn when things don’t go as planned.
- Great communication skills. Speaks and writes clearly and articulately without being overly verbose or talkative, and relying on jargon.
- Knowledgeable in modern product principles and practices.
- Data-informed. Champion a scientific, evidence-based approach.
- Comfortable with uncertainty and change — and bring clarity for others amongst it.
- Great facilitation skills. Can lead workshops unaided.
What you’ll bring with you (Experience)
- Experience of managing teams of people in product or technology companies.
- Proven ability to navigate areas of conflict in an open, positive and proactive way.
- Proven ability to plan and implement strategic change, while getting buy-in from stakeholders.
Xero celebrates diversity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where our employees can do the best work of their lives. We are committed to transparency and to equal pay for equal work. Total compensation for this role includes a base salary of $160,000 - $180,000, commensurate with experience, plus an annual grant of Xero shares, calculated as a percentage of base salary.
Xero offers access to low-cost, high-quality health care options through Cigna and Kaiser (in CA & CO only)
Xero will match 100% on the first 3% of 401k contributions plus 50% match on next 2% of contributions
Employees enjoy 21 days of paid time off per year
Employees also have 10 days of wellbeing leave to care for their minds, bodies, and families
US employees enjoy 11 paid holidays per year
Xero offers an industry-leading 26 weeks of parental leave at 100% pay
Xero offers a number of employee wellness programs, to include yoga, mindfulness and nutrition workshops, EAP, free flu shots, team meals, and a monthly wellbeing allowance
Why Xero?
Diversity of people brings diversity of thought, and we like that. A collaborative and inclusive environment is important to us. Working at Xero will provide you with a diverse and inclusive environment alongside people who will respect, challenge and support you to have fun while you do the best work of your life. We are a place where personal development, flexible working, innovation, and well-being are not just inspired but celebrated. We value our people and offer a wide range of compelling benefits and perks, including Xero shares.
Xero’s collaborative culture is underscored by our values - #Ownership, #Challenge, #Beautiful, #Human and #Team - which empower us to understand and serve customers, attract top talent and continuously innovate. From the moment you step through our doors, you’ll feel welcome and supported to do the best work of your life.