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 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:

• Developing scalable backend services to power core brand tools like Brand Kits and Templates.
• Building APIs and infrastructure that enable seamless user interaction with branding features.
• Collaborating closely with designers, product managers and front-end engineers to deliver features.
• Enhancing existing systems to support Canva’s enterprise and education customers.
• Participating in on-call rotations to ensure the stability and reliability of our services.

You're probably a match if:
• You have experience building and maintaining scalable backend systems in a fast-paced environment.
• You're proficient in languages like Java and familiar with cloud infrastructure (preferably AWS).
• You’re passionate about empowering teams and organizations through strong branding tools.
• You’re a collaborator who thrives in cross-functional environments.
• You enjoy solving complex problems with elegant and efficient solutions.

About the team

The Brand Experience Group is on a mission to empower anyone to bring their brand to life with every design. We're transforming how enterprises manage brand consistency at scale, using cutting-edge AI to interpret guidelines, offer context-aware guidance, and continuously learn from user behaviour and performance data. We are building a future where Canva's brand management solutions proactively enhance creativity rather than restrict it.
As a Backend engineer in the Brand Identity team, you will design and implement the server-side components that power our brand system and components vision. You'll be responsible for creating robust, scalable backend services for our Visual Brand System, Team Library integrations and Brand AI strategy, including the Brand Brain (central knowledge repository). Your work will directly impact how thousands of enterprise customers and millions of users interact with brand assets in Canva, ensuring performance and reliability at scale.

Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard—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 well-being, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, 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.