Principal Engineer

Role Overview

We are seeking several Principal Engineers to join our dynamic teams located in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. In this position, you will lead technical innovation and advance the design of intricate distributed software systems that support critical functions for millions of small businesses worldwide. Your responsibilities will include shaping system architecture, addressing complex large-scale engineering challenges, and defining new technical standards throughout the company.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, refactor, and modernize legacy monolithic systems into scalable, resilient distributed microservices.
• Drive the adoption of fundamental CI/CD pipelines, test-driven development, and comprehensive automated testing practices within engineering teams.
• Work extensively with cloud-based infrastructure on AWS, utilizing technologies such as C#, React, Kubernetes, and event-driven distributed systems.
• Develop and enforce architectural patterns and company-wide technical guidelines to maintain high engineering quality.

Team and Work Culture

You will be part of a supportive engineering collective composed of cross-functional development teams, product managers, and architecture leaders. The environment emphasizes open communication, ongoing learning, and collective responsibility for technical governance. Together, you will align strategic product goals with hands-on technical implementation to create seamless digital solutions.

We provide a flexible hybrid work model that combines remote work with in-office collaboration days designed for team culture building, strategic planning, and cooperative innovation at modern office spaces across multiple cities.

Candidate Profile

• Proven extensive experience in software engineering, especially in designing and managing complex distributed cloud platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to lead major system design decisions and transition monolithic architectures to modular microservices.
• Expertise in modern engineering methodologies such as automated testing, continuous integration/delivery, and domain-driven design.
• Strong leadership skills with a passion for mentoring and uplifting the technical proficiency of colleagues.
• Good knowledge of contemporary technology stacks, cloud architecture, and containerization techniques.
• Excellent communication skills to clearly present complex technical concepts to both technical teams and other stakeholders.

Additional Information

We encourage candidates to apply regardless of exact experience match; we value skills, enthusiasm, and unique contributions to the team culture at Xero.