Lead Engineer - Accounting Core

Xero; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 206,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Annual bonus

RSUs

Medical, dental, vision

PTO 21 days

Wellbeing leave 10 days

Xtra Leave 5 days

Volunteer day

Paid holidays 12

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Xero is seeking an engineer to solve scale challenges by refactoring monolithic systems into distributed architectures. You will influence architecture, ensure reliability for millions of users, and collaborate with product, design, and engineering to ship robust software.

The role emphasizes growth, mastery, and engagement in code reviews and knowledge sharing. You’ll work across tech stacks including C#, .NET, React, AWS, and Kubernetes, with remote options available for eligible applicants in

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering and operating complex, large-scale systems (distributed/high-availability environments).
• Growth mindset and willingness to share knowledge with peers.
• Designing and building high-quality software using various languages and tools.
• Ability to lead major code design decisions and contribute to technical solutioning.
• Experience with automated testing, refactoring, and agile delivery.

Responsibilities

• Modernizing systems by refactoring monolithic components into distributed, scalable architectures.
• Enhancing the developer experience through CI/CD concepts, tooling, and TDD practices.
• Building and maintaining a diverse tech stack including C#, .NET, React, AWS, and Kubernetes.
• Developing and implementing technical solution designs aligned with long-term engineering frameworks.

Skills

Distributed systems

Mentoring engineers

Agile delivery

Refactoring

CI/CD

TDD practices

Job description

The role / impact

You will focus on solving engineering problems at scale, moving beyond feature delivery to influence the architecture and implementation of distributed systems. By refactoring complex, monolithic systems and building high-quality, scalable software, your work ensures our platform remains robust and reliable for millions of global users.

The team / how they connect

You will join a collaborative environment where engineers, product owners, and designers work together using agile and delivery practices to ship meaningful code. The team prioritises continuous learning and mastery, frequently participating in code reviews and knowledge-sharing sessions to maintain a high bar for technical craft.

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

• Modernizing systems by refactoring monolithic components into distributed, scalable architectures.
• Enhancing the developer experience through the maturation of CI/CD concepts, tooling, and TDD practices.
• Building and maintaining a diverse tech stack that includes C#, .Net, React, AWS, and Kubernetes.
• Developing and implementing technical solution designs that align with long-term engineering frameworks.

Where and how you can work

This position is open to remote applicants based within the Greater Seattle Area, Washington State. Because this role requires close cross-functional collaboration with our teams in Australia and New Zealand, working within the Pacific time zone helps align our schedules for essential catch-ups. You will also have the flexibility to balance your remote focus with in-person connection during team alignment days and local hub events. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship

Here are some of the things we are looking for

• Proven experience delivering and operating complex, large-scale systems (distributed/high-availability environments), with strong fundamentals and the ability to ramp quickly across adjacent technologies (we’re tech-stack agnostic).
• You bring a growth mindset and a passion for proactively maintaining and sharing technical knowledge with your peers.
• A background in designing and building high-quality software within a range of languages and tools is essential.
• You possess the ability to lead major code design decisions and contribute to wider technical solutioning.
• Experience with modern engineering practices like automated testing, refactoring, and agile delivery is key to your success.
• You enjoy mentoring other engineers and helping them grow their technical skills through supportive coaching.
• A deep care for technical excellence and a drive to solve large-scale engineering challenges motivates your daily work.

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 paycheque. 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:

• $206,000 - $260,000 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 our Xero Perks page.

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

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.