AI Research Lead - Generative AI

1 Month ago • All levels • Research Development

Job Summary

Job Description

Canva is seeking an AI Research Lead to guide a team of scientists in advancing generative AI. This role involves building foundational models and translating research into product features. The lead will coach and mentor a team, set research strategy, and ensure the practical application of AI advancements across Canva's platform. The position requires a hands-on leader passionate about talent development, research vision, and cross-functional collaboration to integrate cutting-edge AI into user experiences. Responsibilities include coaching, strategic research direction, technical guidance, and representing Canva in the AI community.
Must have:
  • Led research or applied science teams
  • Expertise in GANs, Diffusion Models, VAEs, Autoregressive Models
  • Deep skills in ML, AI, foundational model development
  • Translates research into scalable solutions
  • Strategic thinking and scientific rigor
  • Clear communication with technical/non-technical audiences
  • Stays current with AI research trends
Good to have:
  • Coaching and mentoring experience
  • Experience in bridging deep research with practical application
  • Ability to solve hard technical problems
  • Passion for helping others grow
Perks:
  • Equity packages
  • Inclusive parental leave policy
  • Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance
  • Flexible leave options

Job Details

Company Description

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, with a second campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Auckland, NZ. You have flexibility in how and where you work — whether that's from one of our spaces, from home, or a mix of both. This role is remote-friendly within Australia or New Zealand, so you can choose the setup that empowers you and your team to do your best work.

Job Description

As Canva grows, so does the impact and opportunity of our AI-powered features. We’re looking for a Research Lead to coach a team of world-class scientists, build on our foundational model roadmap, and turn academic breakthroughs into delightful product experiences. If you thrive in bridging deep research with practical application, and you love helping others grow while solving hard technical problems—this could be the role for you.

You will lead and grow a team of high-performing research scientists who are advancing the future of AI at scale. Your focus will be on setting strategic research direction, coaching others to deliver impactful scientific contributions, and ensuring the translation of research into meaningful product capabilities. You’ll champion both scientific excellence and scalable impact, bridging foundational model innovation with real-world deployment across Canva’s platform.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is passionate about cultivating talent, shaping a research vision, and partnering cross-functionally to embed cutting-edge AI into delightful user experiences.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

  • Coaching and mentoring a high-performing team of research scientists.

  • Setting research strategy in alignment with Canva’s AI and product goals.

  • Guiding technical direction across foundational model development, experimentation, and evaluation.

  • Partnering cross-functionally to ensure research translates into product impact.

  • Representing Canva in the global AI community through publications, talks, or open-source contributions.

You’re probably a match if you:

  • Have led research or applied science teams, with a strong track record of coaching and impact.

  • Possess expert knowledge and experience with GANs, Diffusion Models, VAEs, and Autoregressive Models.

  • Are deeply skilled in ML, AI, or foundational model development and training —and still enjoy being hands-on.

  • Excel at translating cutting-edge research into practical, scalable solutions.

  • Bring strategic thinking and scientific rigour to project direction and problem solving.

  • Thrive in collaborative environments and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences.

  • Stay current with research trends and are energised by continuous learning.

Additional Information

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 stack 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, home office setup & more
  • Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge and supports you personally

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

Please note that interviews are predominantly conducted virtually. 

Similar Jobs

Saronic Technologies - ASV Operator

Saronic Technologies

Austin, Texas, United States (On-Site)
1 Week ago
CyberArk - Digital Success at Scale Program Manager

CyberArk

United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Ion - NetSuite ERP Developer

Ion

London, England, United Kingdom (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Alpha Sense - Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Global Markets

Alpha Sense

London, England, United Kingdom (Remote)
2 Months ago
Visa - Sr. Manager, Risk Consulting

Visa

Atlanta, Georgia, United States (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Joyteractive - User Acquisition Manager (R&D)

Joyteractive

Poland (Remote)
4 Months ago
NVIDIA - Senior HPC AI Cluster Engineer

NVIDIA

Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District, Israel (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Lorikeet - Forward Deployed AI Engineer

Lorikeet

United States (Remote)
1 Month ago
Siemens  - Gen AI engineer

Siemens

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Tencent - AGI Model Architect / Research Scientist in AGI Model Architecture

Tencent

Bellevue, Washington, United States (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

bytedance - Edge Optical Engineer - EDGE Networking

bytedance

Singapore (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Spyke Games - Data Analyst

Spyke Games

İstanbul, Türkiye (On-Site)
1 Year ago
sony global (Games) - Autonomous driving researcher

sony global (Games)

Beijing, China (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Testronic - Human Resource Director

Testronic

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Yodlee - Senior Copywriter

Yodlee

Franklin, Tennessee, United States (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Rackspace Technology - Senior Manager, Data Engineering

Rackspace Technology

Vietnam (On-Site)
12 Months ago
DevRev - Revenue: Account Executive

DevRev

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Coda - Senior/Staff Front End Engineer

Coda

Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Hitachi - D365 F&O Finance/ SCM Functional Consultant

Hitachi

Pune, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
9 Months ago
nissan - Own Fleet Supervisor

nissan

Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico (On-Site)
1 Year ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Thales - Maritime Aviation Warfare Instructor

Thales

Nowra Hill, New South Wales, Australia (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
CAE - ICT Lead

CAE

Homebush, New South Wales, Australia (Hybrid)
2 Weeks ago
Canva - Staff Backend Software Engineer - Developer Experience

Canva

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (Remote)
1 Month ago
Nine - Sales Executive

Nine

Mount Coot-Tha, Queensland, Australia (On-Site)
1 Week ago
gitlab - Account Executive, Commercial ANZ

gitlab

Australia (Remote)
1 Month ago
SSC Technologies - Assistant Accountant

SSC Technologies

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Immutable - Corporate Finance Manager (9 month FTC)

Immutable

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Remote)
1 Week ago
Glitch production - Production Manager - Marketing

Glitch production

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Immutable - Creative Design Lead

Immutable

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
Varonis  - SOC & IR Specialist

Varonis

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (On-Site)
2 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Research Development Jobs

Genies - Engineering Manager, Machine Learning

Genies

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago
Perplexity - AI Infra Engineer

Perplexity

Palo Alto, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Weeks ago
Qualcomm - AI SW Engineer/Senior Engineer, AI PC SDK

Qualcomm

Taipei City, Taiwan (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Thumbtack - Applied Scientist, Customer Growth

Thumbtack

United States (Remote)
1 Month ago
Capgemini - Gen AI Professional

Capgemini

Pune, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Luxoft - Senior ML Engineer

Luxoft

Poland, Ohio, United States (Remote)
7 Months ago
WebFX - AI Digital Marketing Specialist

WebFX

Philippines (Remote)
1 Month ago
Unity - Staff Machine Learning Engineer

Unity

San Francisco, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Marks, part of SGS & Co - AI Creative Technologist

Marks, part of SGS & Co

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
bytedance - Student Researcher (Doubao (Seed) - Foundation Model - Vision Generative AI)

bytedance

San Jose, California, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded