Senior Backend Engineer - Search Quality

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 the choice of 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 a 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:

• Developing and running experiments to test new algorithms and models aimed at improving search relevance.
• Collaborating with machine learning engineers to integrate new features and models into the search pipeline.
• Working closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers and frontend engineers, to align on search-related goals and deliverables.
• Monitoring and troubleshooting search performance issues, ensuring high availability and reliability of search services.
• Owning and maintaining critical components of the Search Quality system, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks.

You're probably a match if you

• Have proven experience in backend development, with a strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software design principles.
• Have advanced knowledge of Java and have used it in a commercial context
• Have experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Bring disciplined coding practices, including code reviews and pull requests, and model best practices to your peers.
• Have experience with large-scale data processing and distributed systems.
• Enjoy exercising an experiment-focused, data-driven approach to software product development.
• Have some experience or exposure to search, recommendation and ranking (this would be nice, but it's not mandatory)

About the team

The Discovery Understanding team’s mission is to promote and showcase Canva’s content to current and potential users. Without good discovery systems, users can’t benefit from the wide range of content Canva has to offer.

We are responsible for the AI, machine learning, and backend infrastructure that powers Canva’s Discovery Experience—from collecting data and signals to serving thousands of search requests per second. We work across templates, photos, graphics, videos, and users’ designs, continuously improving search quality to make it easier for users to find what they need.

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 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 well-being, 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.

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.

We celebrate all types of skills and backgrounds at Canva, so even if you don’t feel like your skills quite match what’s listed above—we still want to hear from you!

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.