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

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Sydney / Australia

About the Role

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design at Canva! As a Backend Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java), you'll build scalable services that power millions of user interactions, collaborating closely with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver innovative design tools. Our Engineering team thrives in a culture of ownership, rapid iteration, and shared excellence, where your Java expertise will directly empower creators worldwide. Open to remote across ANZ with our flexible hybrid model, you'll have the freedom to choose what works best for you and your team. In this role, you'll design and implement backend features, optimise systems for performance and reliability, and leverage AI tools to amplify your impact. Day-to-day involves writing production-grade Java code, participating in code reviews and pair programming, and contributing to the health of services that drive Canva's magic. Whether enhancing APIs for seamless user experiences or building internal tools, your work will evolve with our ambitious goals in a supportive, mentorship-rich environment. Canva's engineering is about more than code—it's about crafting delightful design experiences at scale. We're passionate about clean architecture, collaborative problem-solving, and using technology like AI to push creative boundaries. If you love building reliable systems that make design accessible to everyone, bring your Java skills and collaborative spirit to help us empower the world to design.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing and implementing backend features within existing service architecture
• Building and maintaining services that power user experiences at scale
• Writing clean, well-tested, and maintainable Java code with senior guidance
• Collaborating with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers on end-to-end solutions
• Participating in code reviews, pair programming, and technical discussions
• Contributing to system health through testing, observability, and bug fixes
• Optimising performance and reliability of backend systems
• Leveraging AI tools to enhance coding efficiency and impact
• Supporting deployment and monitoring of production services
• Continuously learning through mentorship and exposure to Canva's engineering stack

Required Qualifications

• Experienced in building backend systems using Java in a production environment
• Strong Java fundamentals with ability to write production-grade code
• Understanding of distributed systems basics and RESTful APIs
• Hands-on experience using AI tools in coding and programming
• Experience applying backend concepts like multithreading, service design, and performance optimisation
• Familiarity with sound engineering practices including testing, monitoring, and documentation
• Ability to work through problems from design to deployment with team support

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building scalable APIs powering millions of user interactions
• Contributions to shared services or internal tools at scale
• Background in high-traffic, user-facing product engineering
• Exposure to observability, monitoring, and system health improvements
• Previous work in collaborative cross-functional teams with designers and PMs

Required Skills

• Java programming
• RESTful API development
• Distributed systems fundamentals
• Multithreading and concurrency
• Service design and architecture
• Performance optimisation
• Testing and test-driven development
• Monitoring and observability
• Clean code principles
• Collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Problem-solving from design to deployment
• AI-assisted coding tools
• Code review participation
• Documentation practices
• Production deployment experience

Benefits

• Equity packages to share in Canva's success
• Inclusive parental leave policy for all parents and carers
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing and office setup
• Flexible leave options to recharge and support personal needs
• Choice in work location across Sydney, Melbourne, or remote in ANZ
• Vibrant engineering community with mentorship and growth opportunities
• Hybrid work model balancing collaboration and flexibility
• Access to co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.