Staff Full-Stack Engineer (Java leaning) Canva AI

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hey, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora, 你好, hallo, vítejte!Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time-consuming, and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.

Where and how you can work

Our flagship campus is in Sydney. We also have a campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. But you have a choice in where and how you work – we trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.

What you’d be doing in this role

As Canva scales, change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this will likely evolve.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Leading the backend architecture that powers Canva AI’s agent, context, and tooling conversational experience platforms.

• Initiating ideas and opportunities to platformize Canva AI architecture into reusable building blocks so every single Canva engineer can leverage them

• Designing and implementing robust, scalable backend solutions used by 150M+ users.

• Enhancing platform flexibility for seamless integration of Canva’s internal APIs and external LLMs and AI capabilities.

• Driving measurable improvements in platform latency, reliability, and uptime.

• Championing engineering excellence by mentoring peers and uplifting technical standards.

• Partnering with cross-functional teams to continuously refine the product vision

You're probably a match if

• You are a product-minded engineer with a track record of initiating new product features and platform capabilities. You are a self-starter, initiating projects instead of being given.

• You’re a hands-on, full-stack engineer with a backend focus in Java, a strong sense of ownership You’ll be assessed across both frontend and backend skills during the interview process.

• You thrive in ambiguity and bring clarity through decisive action and systems thinking.

• You’ve led strategic, high-impact backend projects in complex environments.

• You’re passionate about AI, constantly exploring how emerging technologies can shape better user experiences.

• You lead by example – writing quality code, mentoring others, and scaling systems that matter

About the team

The Canva AI Group sits within Canva’s Generative AI Supergroup, the face of Canva AI. We're building a world-class product & platform that enables every user to effortlessly generate designs, documents, and ideas through natural conversations. Our mission is to build the most intuitive and powerful AI assistant for design – and you're invited to help shape it.

What’s in it for you?

• Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard – and we do – but you’ll experience lots of moments of magic, connectivity and fun woven throughout life at Canva, too. We also offer a range of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.

Here’s a taste of what’s on offer:

• • Equity packages – we want our success to be yours too

• Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers

• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more

• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge, and support you personally

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

We celebrate all types of skills and backgrounds at Canva – so even if you don’t feel like your skills quite match what’s listed above, we still want to hear from you!

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.