Senior Software Engineer - Backend

Summary

Join Canva's team and redefine the world's design experience. Work from various locations, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, with flexibility in work arrangements. As a backend engineer, you will build scalable APIs, improve system performance, and contribute to shared services. Collaborate with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver impactful user experiences. The role involves leading design and development, driving collaboration, evolving architecture, and championing best practices. Canva offers equity packages, inclusive parental leave, a wellbeing allowance, and flexible leave options.

Requirements

• You are highly experienced building complex backend systems in production environments
• You have strong Java fundamentals and can confidently write production-grade code, applying backend concepts like multithreading, service design, and performance optimisation in real-world systems
• You’re comfortable taking ownership of features end-to-end—from architecture to delivery—and thrive in environments where you drive the “how”
• You balance attention to detail with pragmatism, and consistently ship reliable, maintainable code at speed
• You’re a thoughtful collaborator who works well across disciplines and proactively brings others on the journey
• You understand the bigger picture—how your systems connect to product goals, reliability, and long-term scalability
• You enjoy mentoring others, offering constructive feedback, and lifting the technical bar for your team
• You have hands-on experience using AI in coding/programming to drive greater impact

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of scalable, reliable backend services using modern frameworks and tools
• Drive collaboration with PMs, designers, and fellow 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, mentoring peers, and raising the technical bar for your team
• Maintain and improve service health, observability, and incident resilience in partnership with your team

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