Staff Backend Engineer (Java) - AI Media

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 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.

AI Media team owns Ingredient Generation Service (IGS) which powers a number of AI products in GenAI group. A staff level engineer is needed to continue evolving the service into a mature platform in order to meet the growing needs of teams shipping AI features. This role will be responsible for architecture, implementation, and operation of the service/platform.

Ingredient Generation Service contributes to Canva’s mission of “Empower the world to design” by lowering the friction of shipping Gen AI products and features. IGS implements common functionality such as moderation and quota management once, and makes it easy to integrate these into products. IGS also offers a collection of models that new products can leverage, including image, video, and sound. By integrating with IGS, product teams can focus on their value-add.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of highly scalable and reliable backend systems: This includes translating complex product requirements into robust architectures, writing high-quality code, collaborating with engineers across teams, and ensuring seamless deployment and operation in production environments.
• Drive technical innovation and platform evolution: Proactively identify opportunities to improve the platform's architecture, performance, and scalability. Take ownership of complex technical initiatives, contribute to strategic technical decisions, and champion the adoption of best practices and new technologies.
• Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing: Work closely with other engineering and product teams to understand their needs and dependencies. Design and build APIs and integrations that empower other teams to leverage the platform effectively. Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and support to other engineers.
• Champion platform health and operational excellence: Establish and maintain high standards for code quality, testing, and monitoring. Analyse system performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement optimisations to ensure the platform remains healthy and scalable. Contribute to incident response and resolution processes.

You're probably a match if you have...

• Significant commercial experience in software development, with a proven track record of designing, building, and scaling complex, high-performance backend systems that have had a significant impact on the business.
• Deep expertise in Java and related ecosystems, with a strong understanding of architectural patterns and best practices for building distributed systems.
• Exceptional command of computer science fundamentals, including advanced knowledge of algorithms, data structures, concurrency, distributed systems, and design patterns.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership and mentorship, influencing technical direction across teams and projects.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical ideas to diverse audiences, build consensus, and drive technical decisions across organisations.
• Experience with a wide range of technologies and tools relevant to backend development, including cloud platforms, containerisation, databases, messaging systems, and DevOps practices.
• A passion for driving technical innovation and a strong desire to contribute to the growth and development of the engineering organisation.
• Experience leading and mentoring other engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.

About the team

We allow users to use the latest AI technologies to generate the perfect elements for their design. Our flagship product Magic Media already has millions of monthly active users and is at the forefront of delivering Canva’s mission of “Empower the world to design”. We are building out a platform to expose new generative AI models to hundreds of millions of users, and need your help scaling it to more use cases, while making it more robust.

You’ll be right at the cutting edge of Gen AI innovation, working in a space that’s changing fast. We have a strong learning-focused culture with plenty of opportunities for deep technical dives and knowledge sharing across different areas. Plus, you’ll get to learn from other senior tech leaders within the Generative AI team, helping you grow your skills in this exciting and fast-moving field.

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 supports 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.