Team Lead - Engineering (Payroll)

As a Team Lead - Engineering at Xero, your responsibilities will revolve around leading two pods of engineers in our Payroll division. You'll be driving a culture of engagement and improvement, ensuring the team understands how their work contributes to customer satisfaction and business success. You'll also build strong relationships with key stakeholders, facilitate efficient delivery, and help resolve any roadblocks the team encounters. Additionally, you’ll focus on mentoring your team to reach their full potential and adhere to Xero’s engineering practices, all while working with a modern tech stack including .NET, AWS, Docker, and more.

To thrive as a Team Lead - Engineering at Xero, you'll need a solid background in software development and people leadership. Experience in relevant technologies such as .NET (C#), AWS, and CI/CD tools is essential. Strong interpersonal skills are crucial since you'll be engaging with various teams and stakeholders. You should have experience in mentoring or coaching others and an understanding of agile delivery practices is a plus. Most importantly, a passion for helping small businesses and an inclusive mindset will greatly align with our mission.

At Xero, we believe in the continuous growth of our Team Lead - Engineering and their teams. You'll benefit from a comprehensive performance management framework, where you can leverage a variety of techniques, including performance feedback, coaching, and mentoring. Regular meetings with your direct reports will provide you with insights that can guide their career development. Moreover, Xero's commitment to flexible work arrangements and wellbeing programs ensures that you and your team can thrive both professionally and personally.

As a Team Lead - Engineering at Xero, your teams will be working with an impressive tech stack that includes .NET (C#), AWS for cloud services, and Docker & Kubernetes for container orchestration. On the front-end, expect to collaborate with React and other front-end technologies, alongside SQL Server for database management. Coupled with industry-leading CI/CD, monitoring, and logging tools, your engineering teams will be equipped with everything they need to deliver high-quality software.

Xero fosters a collaborative and inclusive culture where Team Leads play a crucial role in shaping their teams. We celebrate diversity, believing that a mix of perspectives enhances creativity and problem-solving. Xero is a member of Pride in Diversity, reinforcing our commitment to an inclusive workplace. You’ll also enjoy generous employee benefits and flexible working conditions that prioritize your wellbeing, making it an environment where you and your team can do your best work while feeling valued and supported.

When answering this question, highlight your specific leadership approach. Discuss how you prioritize communication, collaboration, and empowerment within your team. Use examples of how you've successfully fostered a culture where team members feel included and motivated to contribute meaningfully.

In your response, emphasize the importance of open communication in resolving conflicts. Detail your step-by-step approach—such as listening to both sides, mediating the conversation, and finding common ground. Ensure you convey that maintaining a healthy team dynamic is a priority.

When discussing strategies, mention techniques like regular one-on-ones with team members, recognizing achievements, and encouraging professional growth through training or conferences. Highlight how these methods contribute to a positive team culture and better performance.

Explain that you promote engineering best practices by fostering a culture of accountability and quality. Discuss your approach to regular code reviews, encouraging unit testing, and organizing knowledge-sharing sessions to keep everyone aligned with Xero's engineering standards.

Provide a specific example that showcases your problem-solving skills. Describe the challenges faced, your strategic approach to overcoming them, and the successful outcomes. Be sure to highlight teamwork, adaptability, and the lessons learned.

Talk about fostering a supportive environment where junior engineers feel comfortable seeking help. Mention specific mentoring techniques you use, like pairing for code reviews, conducting coding workshops, and providing constructive feedback to help them improve.

Discuss how you set clear KPIs and objectives for projects and how you track progress against them. Highlight the importance of gathering feedback from stakeholders and your team to continuously improve delivery methods and outcomes.

Mention tools that facilitate communication and collaboration within the team, like Jira for task management and Slack for communication. Explain how these tools help keep projects on track and encourage teamwork.

Express your commitment to continuous learning by mentioning ways you stay informed, such as following industry blogs, attending conferences, and participating in relevant forums to share knowledge and experiences with others.

Share a genuine response that reflects your passion for Xero's mission and values. Focus on how you align with their culture, your enthusiasm for working with cutting-edge technologies, and your excitement about the opportunity to lead and inspire a team that makes a difference for small businesses.