Senior Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java) - Relocate to Australia or New Zealand

Job Description

Join the Canva engineering team to build scalable backend systems that power millions of user interactions. You will work with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver end-to-end experiences, design new systems, and maintain critical infrastructure that supports Canva’s mission to empower the world to design.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of scalable, reliable backend services using modern frameworks and tools
• Collaborate with PMs, designers, and engineers to scope, define, and deliver impactful product features
• Evolve and scale Canva’s backend architecture through thoughtful service design, system decomposition, and shared tooling
• Champion reliability, performance, and engineering best practices across multiple service domains
• Write robust, well-tested code and proactively identify areas for technical improvement or refactor
• Guide design and code reviews, mentor peers, and raise the technical bar for your team
• Maintain and improve service health, observability, and incident resilience in partnership with your team

You're probably a match if

• You are highly experienced building complex backend systems in production environments
• You have strong Java fundamentals and can write production-grade code, applying concepts like multithreading, service design, and performance optimization
• You are comfortable owning features end-to-end—from architecture to delivery
• You balance attention to detail with pragmatism and ship reliable, maintainable code quickly
• You are a thoughtful collaborator and work well across disciplines
• You understand how systems connect to product goals, reliability, and long-term scalability
• You enjoy mentoring others and raising the technical bar for your team
• You have hands-on experience using AI in coding to drive impact

Engineering at Canva

Join a vibrant engineering community solving complex problems for millions of users worldwide. Engineering at Canva focuses on rapid iteration to deliver real value, with a culture of ownership, purpose, and excellence. We value craft, collaboration, and support for one another.

What's in it for you?

• Equity packages - we want our success to be yours
• Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers
• Annual wellbeing and office setup allowance
• Flexible leave options that empower you to recharge and contribute

Other Stuff To Know

We base hiring decisions on experience, skills, and passion, and view AI as a powerful amplifier of creativity and technology. Interviews may include real-time challenges and, in some cases, tasks that involve AI tools. Interviews are conducted virtually.