Senior Strategy Manager

Xero Limited; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Xero Limited in Australia is seeking a Senior Manager, Strategy & Operations to lead the company’s internal AI transformation and deliver high-impact strategic programs. You’ll operate across big-picture strategy and hands-on delivery, scoping opportunities, building business cases, and guiding cross-functional teams toward cohesive outcomes.

Based in Melbourne or Sydney with a hybrid work model, the role emphasizes stakeholder alignment, structured problem solving, and commercial judgment to

Qualifications

• Background in strategy, operations, or transformation in tech or SaaS.
• Proven experience leading multi-stakeholder programs end to end.
• Structured thinking with credible analyses and recommendations.
• Experience with AI strategy or AI-enabled ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic work streams for the internal AI transformation from scope to adoption.
• Translate AI ambitions into measurable scope, requirements and delivery plans.
• Frame ambiguous problems into clear questions and recommendations for leadership.
• Build business cases and exercise commercial judgment on trade-offs.

Skills

Strategy & Operations

AI Transformation

Program Management

Stakeholder Management

Financial Acumen

Job description

Xero's Strategy & Operations team partners across the business to shape long term direction, drive critical decision making and translate strategy into execution. We're looking for a Senior Manager, Strategy & Operations to lead Xero's internal AI transformation and deliver high impact strategic programs across the business - someone who moves comfortably between big picture thinking and hands on delivery.

As an individual contributor, you'll scope opportunities, build business cases and drive design and implementation across some of Xero's most consequential AI initiatives, connecting the dots between company wide efforts so they add up to something cohesive. You'll coordinate across technical and non-technical stakeholders, close alignment gaps, and keep momentum going - all while building the credibility and influence to get things done without relying on authority.

The team & how they connect

The team sits at the centre of how Xero plans and executes, designing the systems that help other teams do their best work. They partner closely with leaders across the business to structure ambiguous problems into clear recommendations, then stay close to delivery to make sure those recommendations land. It's a small, tight knit group that works collaboratively across functions.

Initially, the role will focus on

• Leading strategic work streams supporting Xero's internal AI transformation, from scoping through to stabilization and adoption

• Translating AI ambitions into clear scope, requirements and delivery plans with measurable outcomes

• Structuring ambiguous business problems into sharp questions and well reasoned recommendations for senior audiences

• Building business cases and bringing commercial judgement to trade offs and investment decisions

Where and how you can work

This role is based in our Melbourne or Sydney office working in a hybrid model that combines in office collaboration with the flexibility to work from home. Our boost days bring the team together in person for connection and collaborative work, with the rest of the week flexible to suit how you work best.

Here are some of the things we're looking for, for this role

• Experience at top-tier consulting firm highly preferred; or, comparable experience in strategy, operations, transformation, and/or related roles within a global technology or SaaS environment.

• You've led complex, multi stakeholder programs end to end, from problem definition through to delivery

• Structured, rigorous thinking comes naturally to you, and you can frame ambiguous problems into credible analyses and clear recommendations

• You bring a background in operating model and technology transformation, along with experience and/or aptitude in AI strategy or AI enabled ways of working

• You model an AI builder mindset for reimagining workflows, actively building your own AI fluency, and rapidly experimenting

• Strong financial and commercial acumen underpins how you build and interrogate business cases

• Your written and verbal communication is polished and precise, with deliverables that rarely need heavy editing

• You enjoy developing others, whether that's mentoring, giving candid feedback or building team capability