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 part of our global Legal leadership team, you will lead a team responsible for Xero's Regulatory and Compliance advisory function, ensuring Xero is empowered to adhere to relevant regulatory obligations across Xero global operations. You will provide leadership and strategic oversight to evolve and maintain the global management of Xero's regulatory and compliance frameworks.
You will lead a team tasked with partnering proactively with the business; ensuring robust and commercially acute legal advice is provided, and regulatory and compliance matters affecting the organisation are managed effectively. Embedding a culture of regulatory compliance and identifying opportunities to increase knowledge around regulatory and compliance matters within the business will be a passion for you. This role will see you working closely with the wider global Legal team, external advisors, and stakeholders to support and own Xero's legal function across areas under your purview.
What you'll do...
• Provide strategic leadership to build and maintain an effective regulatory and compliance framework at Xero
• Drive a proactive approach towards the identification of and advice on management of regulatory and compliance risk and potential impacts to Xero across the global business.
• Lead the function responsible for advising on most regulatory areas relevant to Xero, such as financial services, privacy/data protection, antitrust, data access, and emerging regulation.
• Establish and lead a "second line" regulatory compliance function with a particular focus on understanding and supporting compliance obligations as Xero explores expanded participation in financial services workflows
• Provide direction and support to ensure advice and problem solving is informed by a strong understanding of strategy and commercial drivers within the business
• Advise senior management and the Board on key regulatory and compliance issues.
• To allow for maximum scalability, lead the creation of global standards, approaches and education (to the extent appropriate and with regional variations as necessary)
• Be a trusted strategic adviser to not only the Legal function, but within the wider Xero business; supporting your team to identify and proactively manage Xero's regulatory obligations and risks while finding ways to facilitate business key deliverables
• Foster cross-functional, cross-regional collaboration and sharing of learnings to help align structure and tactics and standardise approaches
• Keep abreast of changes to law globally within the role's purview, ensuring the Chief Legal Officer and relevant EGMs and legal team members are informed of relevant matters, particularly where projects and resources will be required to implement legislative requirements
• In collaboration with the government relations team, support Xero's response to external regulatory advocacy and regulatory policy matters, including supporting advocacy with government and regulatory bodies for change and contributing to or leading submissions on proposed changes to the law relevant to Xero's business
What you'll bring...
The successful candidate will possess more than 15 years PQE with at least 5 of those years spent in-house. It will be necessary for you to possess a relevant law degree and ideally with a current practising certificate in any number of the jurisdictions Xero is domiciled. Critical to your ability to succeed in this role will be your significant experience leading a high performing regulatory and compliance function and advising global, growth focussed businesses (ideally with a technology/SaaS focus). You will be an expert in dealing with regulatory bodies, confident in your management of regulators and have a track record of proactive and creative approaches to problem solving. Experience in, or qualification in, financial services regulation and/or privacy would be advantageous as would knowledge of AML/CTF compliance obligations.
This role presents an outstanding opportunity to embed a Regulatory and Compliance team that is recognised by Xero globally as a valuable and trusted advisor/partner.
Here at Xero Legal, we're not your average legal team. We're valued by our colleagues for our collaboration, innovation, business partnering and having a growth mindset.
Xero is an equal opportunity employer. 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 $250,000 - $270, 000 USD commensurate with experience, plus bonuses.
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 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 and great parental leave policies.
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.