Staff Backend Engineer (Java)

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 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 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.

You're probably a match if:

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

About the team

The Admin Experience Group is on a mission to revolutionise how large teams utilise and administer Canva. We deeply understand the needs of our diverse customers, ranging from classrooms to workplaces. Our primary focus is to design new features that empower our users with flexible configuration and robust team management capabilities.
We’re a collaborative and tight-knit group — come help us shape the way teams and organisations work with 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

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. We see AI as a powerful amplifier of creativity and technology at Canva. We’re evolving how we assess AI skills in our Technology hiring experience - you’ll tackle interactive, real-time challenges that reflect the kind of work we do. In some interviews, you may also be asked to solve a problem using an AI tool to show how you approach challenges with tech by your side. Your recruitment partner will walk you through what to expect. 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!

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 conducted virtually.