VP, Global Strategy & Operations - 6 month FTC

At Xero, we’re here to supercharge small businesses. By making small business more efficient every day, connecting them with big business technology and empowering a community behind them, their potential is limitless. When that happens, we’re not only helping small business, we’ll be building a stronger economy that can change the world.

Location

This role can be based in either of these locations:

• San Mateo, California, USA (Hybrid)

• Australia, Melbourne, Sydney (Hybrid)

Xero’s Strategy & Operations team partners across the company to shape long-term direction, drive critical decision-making, and ensure alignment with our mission - then translate strategy into execution by enabling teams with insights, processes, and operational excellence to deliver impact at scale.

We’re hiring a 6 month fixed term VP, Global Strategy & Operations to help accelerate Xero’s next phase of transformation and growth. This role is ideal for a high-horsepower operator and strategist who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly, and can turn complex problems into structured action.

You’ll partner closely with senior leaders across the business and lead a small team to drive strategic initiatives, operational execution, enterprise transformation programs, and planning rhythms that improve focus, alignment, and business performance.

In this role, you will:

• Own a key workstream within our enterprise transformation efforts – including operational improvements and AI-enabled workflow transformations – ensuring that design decisions thoughtfully connect business outcomes with the employee experience.

• Collaborate with senior leaders throughout the lifecycle of change initiatives, from shaping design principles and operational models to hands-on implementation and adoption.

• Partner with leaders to assess organisational health, identifying opportunities to refine structures, clarify accountability, streamline decision-making and improve cross-functional ways of working.

• Drive high-impact problem solving: structure ambiguous business issues, evaluate trade-offs, and develop data-driven recommendations for executive decision-making.

• Operate effectively in fast-moving environments where priorities evolve quickly and leaders must balance short-term execution with long-term thinking.

We’re looking for a strategic operator who combines strong analytical thinking, with practical execution capability and mature judgement.

Required capabilities

• Experience supporting enterprise transformation, operating model redesign, AI enablement, or large-scale business change

• Significant experience in strategy, operations, transformation, consulting, business management, or related leadership roles within a global technology or SaaS environment.

• Proven ability to design and lead complex cross-functional org design and transformational projects

• Highly logical and structured thinker and communicator: crisp framing, clear storylines, and strong prioritisation.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen; comfortable evaluating trade-offs, investments, operating performance, and business impact.

• Proven ability to influence senior executives and align diverse stakeholders in complex environments.

• Ability to operate at both strategic altitude and execution depth — comfortable in executive discussions and close to the work where needed to drive outcomes.

• Combines strong strategic and analytical capability with operational rigor and a bias for action.

The leadership style that will win here

• High drive with calm execution: brings energy and urgency while creating clarity in ambiguous environments.

• Structured and pragmatic: balances strategic thinking with operational follow-through.

• Collaborative influencer: builds trust quickly and works effectively across teams without relying on hierarchy.

• Curious and adaptable: learns fast, asks thoughtful questions, and adjusts approach as the business evolves.

• Team-oriented leader: raises the bar for quality, execution, and partnership across the organization.

Why Xero

At Xero, Strategy and Operations plays a unique role in connecting the business — shaping direction, designing the operating system that helps teams execute, and enabling impact at scale.

If you love complexity, pace, and building foundations that help a global company grow, this is a rare seat at the centre of the system.