GM Business Operations - Product

You will be one of the key leaders linking the Xero nervous system together. You will work closely with the EGM of Product & Technology Operations, supporting each other to maintain strong operational focus across Xero’s Product leadership teams. 

You will unlock massive amounts of value for our Product teams at Xero through partnering closely with Product leaders and by evangelizing and executing the key planning & operational processes and frameworks that empower our teams to deliver world class product.

You will help drive strong business and commercial outcomes for Xero as a whole, by helping steer our resource allocations to the most meaningful areas in a data-driven way.

You will establish a truly high performance culture in the embedded Product Operations team, driving a culture of professional development, performance and open communication.

You will work closely with your EGM to ensure the wider Product & Technology Operations team is continuously improving and driving more value for Xero, and be a key support in the functioning of the Product and Engineering leadership team (PELT).

In short, you will become one of the most trusted and influential advisors within the Product & Technology team, with strong relationships across the entire community of Product & Tech leaders.

• Work directly with our Chief Business Operations & Strategy Officer, Chief Product & Technology Officer, EGM of Product & Technology Operations and the most senior leaders across Product to manage the P&T Operating system, supporting the successful execution of Xero’s strategy

• Lead a team of embedded operations professionals across Product, supporting Product leaders to make it easy for them to get the right stuff done

• Ensure we have the data to know that we have the right resources in the right places in each portfolio, aligning this to our overall resourcing / budgeting / hiring plans, and ensuring product teams have the right support from your team to develop robust business cases that allow us to make informed decisions

• Be an evangelist for planning at Xero to ensure buy-in across product and efficiency and effectiveness of Xero’s planning process

• Define the operational cadence that our product divisions need to operate by, and oversee your team to implement this (team meetings, QBRs, board packs etc)

• Be one of the most knowledgeable people at Xero with regard to the potential commercial return of Xero’s product investments, and ensure this is accurately fed into our regional GTM plans as they evolve

• Work closely with Finance to ensure our forecasts are accurately reflected in Xero’s long term planning mechanisms, and that the Product & Technology organisations are bought into Xero’s long term financial model

• Lead special projects on behalf of our Chief Product & Technology Officer

• You develop a world class operations team of high performing, great people to work with. Your team are famous across Xero for making it easy for Product and Technology leaders to get the right stuff done

• Planning and operating rhythms are successfully embedded across Product

Product is resourced adequately to achieve its goals, aligned with Xero’s strategy

• Product is armed with the right metrics, reporting and insights to make the most effective commercial investment decisions.

• Return from product investment is linked clearly back into Xero’s overall operating plan and strategy

• Our Chief Product & Technology Officer and senior Product & Tech leaders see you and your team as ‘people who can get stuff done’

• 12+ years in strategy or operational roles within complex operational ecosystems

• Proven experience running operations teams in SaaS businesses

• Significant experience building and managing high performing teams using modern leadership techniques to deliver against strategy

• Proven experience and credibility in communicating at C suite and Board level

• Experience navigating organisational planning processes, either through direct control, collaboration, or influence

• Proven delivery of programmes of work

• Awareness of modern delivery principles and practices in SaaS environments

• Proficiency in analytical approaches to solve problems, with a ‘data first’ mentality

• Proven ability to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the business

• Proven ability to deliver on commitments and balance priorities

• Excellent people leader

• Highly commercial

• Delivery mindset

• Ability to deliver programmes of work, focusing on realising customer value.

• Deep, structured, forward looking thinker

• Able to turn underlying symptoms of process problems into clearly identified root causes

• Prioritising techniques or methodologies to assist with prioritising amongst a range of urgent and important asks/needs