Backend Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java) - Open to remote across ANZ

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Auckland / New Zealand

About the Role

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design at Canva! As a Backend Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java), open to remote across ANZ, you'll build scalable services that power millions of creative interactions on our platform. Working within our innovative Engineering team based in Auckland/New Zealand, you'll collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver end-to-end features that empower everyone to design. Our hybrid model offers flexibility across ANZ locations, trusting Canvanauts to balance collaboration and autonomy while driving Canva's mission forward. In this role, you'll design and implement backend features using Java within our service architecture, building reliable systems that handle massive scale. Expect to write production-grade code, optimise performance, enhance observability, and leverage AI tools to accelerate impact. You'll participate in code reviews, pair programming, and cross-team discussions, contributing to a vibrant engineering culture focused on craft, ownership, and rapid iteration. Whether scaling APIs for user experiences or maintaining critical infrastructure, your work will directly enable Canva's creative tools used by millions worldwide. Canva's engineering is about more than code—it's collaborative problem-solving in a design-first environment. We're passionate about mentoring each other, embracing change as we scale, and using technology like AI to amplify creativity. If you thrive in supportive teams, apply sound practices like testing and documentation, and want to build features that make design accessible to all, this is your chance to join a purpose-driven community achieving ambitious goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement backend features within existing service architectures
• Build and maintain services powering user experiences and internal systems at scale
• Write clean, well-tested, and maintainable Java code with guidance from senior engineers
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver end-to-end experiences
• Participate in code reviews, pair programming, and technical discussions
• Contribute to system health through testing, observability improvements, and bug fixes
• Optimise performance and reliability of backend systems handling millions of users
• Leverage AI tools to enhance coding efficiency and problem-solving
• Support continuous learning through mentorship and feedback loops
• Ship high-quality solutions that empower Canva's mission to democratise design
• Work on scalable APIs that drive real user impact across Canva's creative platform

Required Qualifications

• Experienced in building backend systems using Java in a production environment
• Strong Java fundamentals with ability to write production-grade code applying multithreading, service design, and performance optimisation
• Understanding of distributed systems basics and comfort developing/consuming RESTful APIs
• Hands-on experience using AI in coding/programming to drive greater impact
• Ability to work through problems from design to deployment with team support
• Application of sound engineering practices including testing, monitoring, and documentation
• Experience writing clean, well-tested, and maintainable code
• Comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams including engineers, designers, and product managers

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building scalable APIs powering millions of user interactions
• Familiarity with improving system performance and reliability at scale
• Exposure to shared services and internal tools development
• Previous work in design-focused or creative tech products
• Experience with observability tools and system health monitoring
• Background in high-growth, fast-paced engineering environments

Required Skills

• Java programming expertise
• Multithreading and concurrency
• Service design and architecture
• Performance optimisation
• Distributed systems fundamentals
• RESTful API development
• Testing and test-driven development
• Monitoring and observability
• Clean code principles
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Problem-solving from design to deployment
• AI-assisted coding and programming
• Code review participation
• Documentation practices
• User impact focus
• Adaptability in fast-paced environments
• Mentorship receptiveness

Benefits

• Equity packages to share in Canva's success
• Inclusive parental leave policy supporting all parents and carers
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing, social connection, and office setup
• Flexible leave options to recharge and support personal needs
• Choice in work location across ANZ campuses or remote setup
• Vibrant engineering community with mentorship and growth opportunities
• Hybrid work model balancing collaboration and flexibility
• Exposure to cutting-edge AI and design technology challenges

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.