Lead Engineer - Applied AI

K1 Industries; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Xero is seeking a Lead Engineer for its Internal AI Accelerator Squad to co-design and deploy agentic AI workflows that remove manual toil and transform how teams work end-to-end.

You will lead high-stakes AI agents from discovery to production, setting patterns, guardrails, and tooling so the company can safely harness AI at scale.

Qualifications

• Experience building and operating applications or automations in production with APIs and cloud infra.
• Hands-on delivery of AI-driven solutions such as agents, copilots, or RAG systems using LLMs like Claude or Gemini.
• Strong programming with Python or TypeScript; comfortable with SDKs and webhooks.
• Systems-thinking approach to design with security, auditability and blast radius controls.
• Ability to translate business pain points into technical designs with non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy AI agents and workflow orchestrations across business teams.
• Integrate AI systems with core enterprise platforms (Salesforce, Workday, Slack, NetSuite).
• Develop reusable automation patterns and templates for the business.
• Build evaluation and monitoring frameworks to measure performance and safety of AI-native workflows.

Skills

API integration

Cloud infrastructure

Python

TypeScript

LLMs (Claude, Gemini)

Security & governance

Stakeholder collaboration

Coaching AI fluency

Tools

Claude

Gemini

MCP

Salesforce

Workday

Slack

NetSuite

Job description

The role / impact

As a Lead Engineer within the Internal AI Accelerator Squad, you will be at the forefront of Xero’s transformation into an AI-native company. You will act as a forward-deployed engineer, embedding yourself within various internal business teams to co-design and operationalise agentic AI workflows that remove manual toil and fundamentally reshape how our people work end-to-end.

Your impact extends beyond the code; you will lead the delivery of high-stakes AI agents from discovery to production, while acting as a technical partner and evangelist. By defining the patterns, guardrails, and tooling for intelligent automation, you will create the blueprint that enables the rest of Xero to harness the power of AI safely and effectively.

The team / how they connect

You will join a dedicated, high-velocity squad focused on boosting the adoption of agentic AI and intelligent automation across the global business. The team connects through a shared mission of rapid experimentation and "vibe-coding," working closely with product owners and SMEs to turn complex, messy workflows into elegant, automated solutions.

The team is currently working on / Initially, you will focus on

• Designing and iterating on AI agents and workflow orchestrations using tools like Claude, Gemini, and MCP.

• Integrating AI systems with core enterprise platforms including Salesforce, Workday, Slack, and NetSuite.

• Developing reusable automation patterns and shared templates to be used by the business

• Building evaluation and monitoring frameworks to measure performance and ensure the safety of AI-native workflows.

Where and how you can work

At Xero, we embrace a hybrid way of working that prioritises both flexibility and meaningful connection. You will have the autonomy to work from home, supported by regular boost days in our modern office spaces designed to foster collaboration, brainstorming, and team bonding.

Here are some of the things we are looking for

• You bring a wealth of experience in building and operating applications or automations within production environments, particularly involving APIs and cloud infrastructure.

• Your background includes hands-on delivery of AI-driven solutions such as agents, copilots, or RAG systems using LLMs like Claude or Gemini.

• You possess proficiency in programming languages such as Python or TypeScript and feel comfortable navigating SDKs and webhooks.

• A systems-thinking approach is part of your toolkit, allowing you to design agents with security, auditability, and controlled blast radius at the forefront.

• You have a track record of partnering with non-technical stakeholders to translate business pain points into technical solution designs.

• You are a natural coach who enjoys uplifting the AI fluency of those around you through pairing, workshops, and clear communication.