Senior SEM Manager

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hello, 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 office is in Sydney, Australia, but we've made our way from down under, to a hub in San Francisco, which is now home to our US operations. We offer flexibility in how and where 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:

• Campaign Management & Optimisation: Manage and optimize SEM campaigns: analyzing performance data, writing ad copy, reviewing search term reports, and more. Own your portfolio of accounts and campaigns to meet user and revenue goals.
• Lead Key Strategic Initiatives & Contribute to Global Strategy: Take ownership of major global SEM projects and initiatives in close collaboration with cross-functional teams and external partners. Leverage your expertise to guide SEM strategy in partnership with international country managers, ensuring Canva’s vision of empowering the world to design is confidently achieved.
• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Work effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization and collaborate with cross-functional teams that enable the SEM team’s success. Manage and motivate external partners to support Canva’s unique needs and rapid growth.
• Make Complex Things Simple: Identify new ways to boost performance and streamline processes, while demonstrating the effectiveness of our marketing investments.
• Ad Hoc Tasks & Projects: Every day is different in SEM—be ready to jump in on special projects, troubleshooting, and ad hoc tasks as needed.
• Share Our Wins & Learnings: Provide accurate, timely weekly reports on campaign performance to the team and wider stakeholders.
• Be a Market Leader & Subject Matter Expert: Stay ahead of industry trends and competitor activity, ensuring Canva remains optimized for both current and future technologies.
• Be a Team Player: Contribute to other marketing, product, and growth activities as needed.

You're probably a match if

• You have 6+ years of hands-on experience managing complex, large-scale global SEM and Shopping accounts across multiple product lines and businesses (B2C, B2B, SaaS, e-commerce), consistently achieving both efficiency and volume targets in-house/client-side (without an agency). Performance Max campaign experience is a bonus.
• You have a deep understanding of core platforms, tools, and algorithms (e.g., Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, SA360) and have used bid management tools such as SA360, Marin, Adobe Media Optimiser, or Kenshoo.
• You have worked with AdTech/Data teams to brainstorm and prioritize platform and measurement requirements.
• You’re a stickler for details and thrive on using spreadsheets. You’re comfortable with numbers, statistics, and large datasets to identify trends, optimize campaigns, and make informed decisions.
• You live and breathe SEM, staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends.
• You have a strong desire to execute, drive impact, and approach projects—big and small—with a sense of urgency.
• You are able to confidently navigate ambiguity, turning chaos into clarity.
• You’re willing to be hands-on—no task is too big or too small.

About the team

Canva’s B2C Marketing Group has a big mission to build the most loved brand in the world! Our success is shaping how we communicate and relate to our community, and guide teams internally to deliver delightful product experiences and communications.

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
• Health benefits plans to support you and your wellbeing
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution
• 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

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

At Canva we value fairness, and we strive to provide competitive, market-informed compensation whilst ensuring internal equity within the team in each region. We make hiring decisions based on your skills, experience and our overall assessment of what we observed and learnt in the hiring process. The target salary range for this position is $150,000 TO $232,000. When calculating offers, we make salary decisions based on market data and candidates' skills and experience.

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.