Team Lead - Engineering

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

You will be managing a group of engineers while directly contributing to the successful outcomes of the team by supporting excellent engineering and delivery practices which enable rapid delivery of high quality software engineering. You will be responsible for supporting your direct reports in becoming awesome Xeros, empowering them to deliver high-quality software to customers and fostering the growth of a world-class engineering culture.

You’ll maintain a working environment in which your team can do their best work predictably and sustainably. You’ll make sure the team has all the information they need and the right feedback loops in place to discover and deliver valuable, usable, and buildable outcomes. You’ll monitor and look to support the operational health of your team and products, aiming for resilience.

You will support your team to hone their engineering skills and grow as individuals in order to meet the capabilities required for the team. Your focus will be on driving engineering initiatives and ensuring the team makes progress towards their goals.

• Maintain a positive and constructive relationship between yourself, your product peers, and your team.
• Ensure your team’s delivery pipeline is flowing at a predictable and sustainable pace, raising and addressing blockers as appropriate.
• Ensure accurate, fit for purpose and sustainable delivery systems exist in your team. You'll be responsible for your team providing informed estimates, delivery forecasting, capacity planning, and associated reporting.
• Ensure the health of all the teamʼs products is well understood by the team, discoverable by the wider organisation, and able to be addressed, should problems occur.
• Understand and advocate the Xero Engineering Standards. Working as part of a leadership group, you’ll facilitate an engineering approach that is compliant to these standards and fosters sustainably excellent engineering.
• Working with your peers in Product and your team, assist in the development roadmaps and plans which effectively and efficiently deliver business outcomes.
• Maintain a current knowledge of engineering technologies used in the development of Xero’s software applications. Stay up-to-date with emerging engineering practices, techniques and frameworks.
• Work with engineers and CX teams to troubleshoot and resolve production issues, where appropriate. Ensure that post-incident learnings are collected and actioned.
• Coach and enable your team toward effective and efficient delivery.

• As required, lead, develop and grow a high performing team through coaching, mentoring and setting a clear direction by connecting the work they do to the Technology and Xero’s strategic objectives.
• Support each member of your team to identify, grow and develop engineering capabilities and overall personal development and work with them to understand career growth opportunities.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders to develop a high performing cross functional leadership team at the pod level.
• Have authentic conversations around your peoples’ wellbeing, capabilities and engagement.
• Attract, recruit and retain capable individuals, building on and complementing the diversity of teams.
• Execute and improve talent management initiatives and processes within your team such as recruitment, growth and performance management. Drive a culture of engagement and improvement, making sure the team understands how they help our customers and our business achieve great outcomes.
• Create a culture of psychological safety and inclusion. Ensure the health of your team is monitored, that all members of your team are empowered to raise ideas and concerns, and that everyone contributes to improvements in how the team works together.
• Driving continuous improvement through reviewing, developing and implementing best practice ways of working.
• You will facilitate team events such as off-sites, days out, team building activities etc.
• Help to cultivate a fun, appreciative, rewarding, innovative and results-driven culture that lives and breathes our Xero values.

• Experience of managing software delivery and/or other teams using Lean-Agile techniques.
• Excellent grasp of modern software delivery practices and life cycle.
• Proven ability to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the business.
• Experience with coaching and mentoring.
• Previously worked in a digital product or SaaS environment.
• Coach & mentor - Utilizing software delivery, technical experience and expertise, offer the right knowledge, at the right time in the right way - understanding why and how people learn.
• Growth mindset - Understand that competency is not fixed but is enhanced through dedication and hard work. Demonstrate a love of learning and resilience to adversity that is essential for great accomplishment.
• High EQ - Self aware, self regulated, motivated and empathetic, with great interpersonal skills.
• Leading/living the vision & values - Build and foster an inclusive and positive team culture. Keep the team’s vision and values at the forefront of decision-making. Communicate and help others understand the importance of the vision and values. Translate the vision and values into day-to-day activities and behaviors.
• Have a good understanding of the importance of Xero's Engineering standards and practices and are able to coach teams to adhere to them.
• People Leadership - Demonstrate honesty and integrity. Provide objectives and goals with loose guidelines/directions. Clearly communicate expectations. Have an open mind and the flexibility to change opinions. Develop and support others.
• Teamwork - Work with peers and stakeholders to establish an overall collaborative relationship.
• Outstanding communication and time management skills.

Our collaborative and inclusive culture is one we’re immensely proud of. We know that a diverse workforce is a strength that enables businesses, including ours, to better understand and serve customers, attract top talent and innovate successfully. At Xero we embrace diversity and inclusion and value a #challenge mindset.

Research has shown that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single competency or experience. If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be just the right person for this role and Xero. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application and throughout the interview process.

Xero is an NZ Immigration Accredited Employer and Rainbow Tick certified too.