Engineer

Apply; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 158,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) match

21 days PTO

Wellbeing leave

Xtra Leave

Volunteer day

12 paid holidays

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Xero on the US West Coast is seeking an engineer to own end-to-end payroll beta features, from design through deployment and iteration. You will shape architecture, refine user-facing functionality, and participate in on-call reliability, contributing to clean APIs and high technical standards.

You will collaborate across a flat team with time-zone overlap with APAC, using a modern stack (TypeScript, React, C#, Postgres, Temporal) and exploring AI-enhanced workflows.

Qualifications

• Full-stack experience with modern web tech including TypeScript/React/C# and relational databases.
• Experience designing end-to-end product features and complex workflows.
• Familiarity with AI tools to improve engineering workflows.
• Strong focus on test-driven development and clean API design.
• Proven debugging across the full stack and handling production incidents.
• Mentoring teammates and contributing to an inclusive engineering culture.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end product features from design to deployment and iteration.
• Make key code design decisions across the development lifecycle.
• Refine features based on user feedback and beta testing.
• Contribute to on-call reliability and incident response.

Skills

TypeScript

React

C#

Postgres

Temporal

Job description

The role / impact

At Xero, we are on a mission to supercharge small businesses by connecting them with technology that helps them thrive. As an engineer on our US West Coast team, you will build upon the recent beta release of our new US payroll solution, tackling complex engineering challenges on a clean technical stack with minimal legacy debt.

You will take end-to-end product ownership, making key code design choices across the entire development lifecycle while refining features based on initial user feedback. Your work will elevate our technical standards, improve developer efficiency, and ensure round-the-clock reliability through participation in our on-call roster.

The team & how they connect

You will join a flat-structured team based on the US West Coast, designed for seamless collaboration and time zone overlap with our counterparts in Australia and New Zealand. We work with fluid, organic practices that let you transition smoothly between front-end and back-end focus without being siloed. Our culture thrives on transparent communication, shared technical ownership, and supporting one another to grow.

The team is currently working on

• Iterating on our freshly launched US payroll beta product, using live feedback to refine architecture and user experience.
• Developing with a modern stack featuring TypeScript, React, C#, Postgres, and Temporal for workflow orchestration.
• Integrating artificial intelligence tools into daily development workflows to enhance productivity and streamline operations.
• Preparing systems for scale by expanding automated delivery pipelines, resilient design patterns, and high-performing APIs.

Where and how you can work

This role is based on the US West Coast to support time zone alignment with our Asia-Pacific teams. We offer flexible hybrid working options that combine working from home with time in our office spaces, including designated boost days for intentional team collaboration and connection.

Here are some of the things we are looking for

• You bring full-stack experience using TypeScript, React, C#, or relational databases such as Postgres.
• Your background includes working on end-to-end product features and managing complex workflow architectures.
• Practical familiarity with artificial intelligence tools to streamline personal engineering workflows and daily output.
• A strong commitment to technical craft through test-driven development, trunk-based delivery, and clean API design.
• Demonstrated debugging skills across the entire stack, alongside experience responding to production incidents to ensure system reliability.
• An empathetic approach to mentoring teammates, exchanging constructive feedback, and shaping an inclusive engineering culture.

**This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.

Compensation & Total Rewards

At Xero, we value the impact and skills you bring to the team. We don’t just hire for a role; we invest in people. We believe in a Total Package philosophy - which means your value isn't just a single number on a paycheck. While base salary is a core component, we look at your compensation through a holistic lens that includes equity, performance incentives, and world-class benefits.

The expected base salary range for this role in:

• California: $158K - $198K USD

Individual pay is determined by various factors, including geography, level of experience, and the specific skills you bring to the role.

In addition to base pay, Xero’s roles are eligible for the following forms of variable compensation:

• Variable Pay: Permanent employees are eligible to participate in our annual bonus and equity (RSU) programs. You may also be eligible for performance-based cash or equity (RSUs) incentives depending on your role level, and company performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, and 21 days PTO, 10 days of Wellbeing leave, 5 days of Xtra Leave, 1 volunteer day, 12 paid holidays, paid parental leave. Further information included on ourXero Perks page.

Xero uses AI to help screen applications based on job-related qualifications. These tools assist our recruiters but do not make automated hiring decisions. A human recruiter reviews all candidates before any hiring action is taken.