Staff Backend Engineer, Search Quality (Open to remote across ANZ)

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 a 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.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Leading the engineering strategy and execution to improve search and recommendation quality across Canva.
  • Owning the architecture of scalable, low-latency systems that power discovery features across templates, photos, graphics, videos, and user designs.
  • Representing Discovery Understanding Engineering in collaborations with product managers, designers, and other teams across Canva.
  • Translating product goals into measurable backend solutions, running experiments, and refining features based on data.
  • Guiding and mentoring other engineers, ensuring high standards in software development and experimentation practices.
  • Monitoring and troubleshooting search performance issues to ensure reliable and performant services.

You're probably a match if:

• You’ve got deep experience building and scaling backend systems with a focus on search and recommendations, or similar domains requiring experiment-driven iteration.
  • You have a proven track record of delivering measurable improvements to discovery systems.
  • You’re proficient in Java at a staff level, and have a strong foundation in data structures and system design.
  • You thrive in a data-driven, fast-paced environment and enjoy owning problems from idea to execution.
  • You’ve led large-scale projects or initiatives and enjoy mentoring other engineers.
  • You’re familiar with cloud platforms and containerised services (e.g., AWS, Docker, Kubernetes).
  • You bring curiosity, communication skills, and a passion for empowering users through world-class product experiences.

About the team

The Discovery Understanding team sits within the Content & Discovery Supergroup and is on a mission to help users find the right content at the right time. We build the AI, machine learning, and infrastructure powering Canva’s discovery experience—processing thousands of requests per second across every content type on the platform. It’s work that directly shapes how millions of people experience Canva.

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 support you personally