2021 GRADUATE PROGRAM
Applications have now closed
What we do
Product designers help shape our products. We understand how people use Xero, then we work with cross-disciplinary teams to build the most delightful and effective experiences.
The product design team challenges assumptions and ideas to make the software helpful and easy to use. We work through ideas and designs with customers, engineers, researchers, writers, and product managers, and we prototype experiences quickly.
We’re hiring both product designers and design researchers for the product design team.
Product designers think about the entire Xero experience, from tiny interface details to making our customers lives’ better. We’re interested in how someone uses a design, not just the look of a button or screen.
As a product designer grad, you’ll be responsible for designing the interface architecture, workflow, and visual design of our product.
Design researchers plan, research, analyse, and share insights about the attitudes and behaviours of current and future Xero users. The design research team focuses on the problem identification part of the design process.
As a design research grad, you’ll develop research programmes, conduct studies, analyse results, and report back to product teams.
What we need from you
You’ll be a great listener and able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. You’ll have an analytical side and a knack for crafting beautiful user experiences.
For the product designer role, ideally you’ll have a design degree, including digital, visual communications, graphic, industrial, interaction, and media design. Please note that we are now only accepting applications for Auckland; applications for Wellington have now closed.
For the design researcher role, please note that we are no longer accepting applications for either Auckland or Wellington.
Our product design team is looking for:
excellent communicators and team players
problem solvers who can take a logical, analytical approach while being user-focused
creative, agile, motivated and passionate people
people who like to question the status quo and take initiative
If this sounds like you, get in touch! We’d love to hear from you.
How to apply
Applications for our 2021 grad program open on 2 March 2020 and we’re hiring in both our Wellington and Auckland offices.
We’ll need a copy of your CV, cover letter, portfolio and links to online projects, your website or Behance pages and anything else you want to show us.
We’ll also need a copy of your academic transcript – we know it won’t be complete until the end of the year, so just send us everything so far.
In your portfolio you should include examples of a few projects you’ve worked on that you’re proud of, including some web or app projects.
We want your portfolio to:
show how you have identified and solved problems with design
explain some of your design process
show how users interact with your design, using InVision or a video of the interface
You need to be a citizen or permanent resident to apply. We’ll need a copy of your passport and/or visa for a start date in Feb 2021.
Due to the sheer number of applications we receive, we ask that you only apply for one role in one location. Please take some time to research each opportunity available before submitting your application.
Applications have now closed.
Graduate product design: Auckland
Applications have now closed
Graduate product design: Wellington
Applications have now closed
What to expect from the recruitment process
Our recruitment process has several different stages. Each is an opportunity for you to show us a little bit more about what makes you, you.
After submitting your online application with your portfolio, we’ll carefully review your submission and invite candidates to our offices for interviews, before making our decision.
Here’s what’s involved in the application
24 JUL
Applications close
10 – 18 AUG
Invitations to interviews sent out
1 SEP – 3 SEP
Interviews
7 SEP
Job offers made
FEB 2021
Start at Xero
What to expect when you start
Your first day at Xero will be memorable. We’ll kick things off with an induction week bringing all our grads together.
In between some awesome social events, you’ll learn about the whole of Xero, including what different teams around the business do and how they contribute to our overall strategy.
We’ll make sure you’re all set up with the right tech and then you’ll get to spend some time with the team, understanding the scope of the work they’ve got on and how you’ll contribute.
You’ll have time to get to know your manager and start working on mapping out what you want to achieve over the next year.
