Staff Backend Engineer

Summary

Join Canva's Admin Experience Group and lead the design and evolution of scalable backend systems supporting Canva's admin experiences. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand admin needs and develop scalable solutions. Mentor other engineers and champion operational excellence. Shape admin user experiences and guide architecture decisions for high-volume services. Stay current on industry trends and share ideas to improve Canva's development processes. This role requires deep backend expertise in JVM-based languages and experience leading backend strategies for large-scale distributed systems.

Requirements

• You’ve operated at Staff or Principal Engineer level, with deep backend expertise in JVM-based languages such as Java or Kotlin
• You’ve designed and led backend strategies for large-scale distributed systems — optimised for availability, performance, and reliability — that serve millions of users
• You’re a systems thinker who thrives in ambiguity, using sound judgment to drive clarity, navigate trade-offs, and align cross-functional teams on complex challenges
• You’re a technical leader and multiplier — mentoring engineers, raising engineering standards, and championing scalable, maintainable practices across multiple teams
• You work seamlessly with senior stakeholders, shaping long-term technical direction and influencing product strategy through strong partnerships
• You consistently demonstrate disciplined software development — from thoughtful architecture and testing, to documentation and clean code practices
• You're a skilled communicator who translates evolving product goals into clear technical strategies and executable milestones

Responsibilities

• Leading the design and evolution of scalable backend systems that support Canva’s admin experiences across everything from large, complex enterprises to growing SMBs
• Working closely with cross-functional teams to understand multi-team admin needs, spot opportunities for system improvements, and turn them into scalable, reliable solutions
• Mentoring and supporting other engineers — role-modelling engineering excellence, sharing feedback, and helping build a strong culture of technical growth
• Shaping admin user experiences by exploring product ideas, testing what’s technically possible, and building solutions that meet the needs of large-scale organisations
• Helping teams navigate ambiguity — identifying trade-offs, guiding technical direction, and bringing clarity when the product scope is still evolving
• Championing operational excellence, from resolving tricky backend issues and improving observability to jumping in as part of our on-call rotation
• Guiding architecture decisions for high-volume, high-data services — making sure what we build is robust, scalable, and enterprise-ready
• Bringing in fresh thinking by staying across industry trends and sharing ideas that lift how we build at Canva

Preferred Qualifications

You’ve worked with Protocol Buffers, and have hands-on experience with AWS services such as DynamoDB, SNS, and SQS

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 support you personally