
Senior Engineer - AI Workflows at Xero (Vancouver, Canada)
Xero· Vancouver, Canada·
Role details
Xero at a glance
Cloud accounting and financial-management software for small businesses and their advisors.
Xero is cloud-based accounting software for small businesses and the accountants and bookkeepers who serve them. It automates invoicing, bank reconciliation, bill and expense capture, reporting and cash-flow forecasting, and connects to more than 1,000 third-party apps. Its newer AI agent, JAX, automates routine tasks and answers plain-language questions about a business's finances.
Job description
The role / impact
As a Senior 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.
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:
- CAD $180K – CAD $210K
- Plus bonus and equity
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 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. Xero also provides eligible employees with Wellbeing leave, volunteer leave, holidays, paid parental leave. Further information included on our Xero Perks page.
Apply even if your experience isn't a perfect match! At Xero, we hire based on your skills, passion, and the unique perspective you can bring to enhance our culture and team.
Why work at Xero
- Culture: Values-driven, human-centric organisation with a focus on making a tangible impact on small businesses globally.
- Flexibility: Emphasises a flexible environment and time for what matters most (remote/hybrid policy not explicitly stated but implied).
- Perks & benefits:
- One paid day off per year for volunteering (Community Connect programme).
- Free access to Sumday carbon accounting app for employees.
- Financial literacy resources and mentorship programmes.
- Engineering & innovation: Dedicated Engineering and Data & AI teams (open roles visible on careers page). Global collaboration across 7+ countries.
- Diversity & inclusion: Indigenous inclusion initiatives (te ao Māori in NZ, Reconciliation Action Plan in Australia), support for Indigenous communities.
- Sustainability focus: Employees can contribute to environmental goals through company-wide initiatives.