Engineering Director - Core Infrastructure

Summary

Join Canva's Core Infrastructure group as a leader of multiple engineering teams, accelerating and unblocking Canva engineers by reducing friction and cognitive load. You will lead and align teams, deliver cross-team impact through complex project ownership, foster a high-performance culture, and drive technical excellence. This role requires proven experience leading multiple engineering teams, strategic leadership skills, and a passion for creating frictionless, innovative environments. You will excel at resolving team misalignments, empowering others, and demonstrating strong cross-cultural communication. The position offers equity packages, inclusive parental leave, a wellbeing allowance, flexible leave options, and more.

Requirements

• Someone who has proven experience leading multiple engineering teams through coaching other engineering managers, with a track record of building and scaling high-performing organizations
• You are a strategic leader who can navigate complex multi-dimensional problems, translate Canva's vision into actionable team missions, and drive momentum on large-scale initiatives
• You should be passionate about creating environments that reduce friction for engineers while fostering innovation and continuous improvement across multiple teams
• You will excel at identifying and resolving team misalignments, building clarity in ambiguous situations, and empowering others to make decisions and own outcomes
• You will demonstrate strong cross-cultural communication skills, effectively influence diverse stakeholders, and create inclusive environments where every voice can contribute
• You will have proven experience of developing other leaders through powerful coaching, and driving organisational level improvements that simplify complex systems while maintaining technical excellence

Responsibilities

• Lead and align multiple teams by coaching engineering managers, setting a clear mission and strategy, and ensuring alignment with Canva’s broader goals
• Deliver cross-team impact through ownership of complex projects, scoping technical problems, and driving successful execution across groups
• Foster a high-performance culture by building inclusive, purpose-driven teams and creating an environment of trust, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Drive technical excellence by promoting best practices, resolving complex technical challenges, and making strategic decisions on team capacity and investments
• Champion collaboration and growth by advocating for engineering needs, enabling cross-functional alignment, and nurturing technical and leadership development at scale

Benefits

• 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