Machine Learning Engineering Manager - MLOps/AI Platform (m/f/x)

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Vienna / Austria

About the Role

Join Canva's AI Platform Group in Vienna, Austria, where we're redefining design through artificial intelligence. As Machine Learning Engineering Manager - MLOps/AI Platform, you'll lead a team of 6+ engineers at the heart of Canva's AI innovation, bridging cutting-edge research from our CORE group with scalable production systems. This hybrid role requires relocation to Austria (fully supported), offering the chance to empower global AI builders while thriving in Canva's collaborative, design-focused culture that celebrates bold ideas and user-centric magic. You'll partner with AI research leaders to proactively build platform capabilities across inference, evaluation, datasets, and training, ensuring seamless ML lifecycles that accelerate experimentation to production. Owning cross-team initiatives, you'll drive ambitious projects like Project Celestial with autonomy, while coaching your team through practical feedback, growth rituals, and knowledge sharing. Collaborate with Product Managers on roadmaps, define success metrics, and advocate for engineering needs— all while navigating EU/AU timezones in our innovative, fun-loving environment. Ideal candidates bring proven technical leadership in ML platforms, hands-on experience with Python, PyTorch, Ray, AWS, Kubernetes, and MLOps tools, plus a passion for empowering engineers to create business value. With first-principles thinking and diplomatic stakeholder skills, you'll thrive in ambiguity, balancing urgent researcher support with long-term strategy. At Canva, we value fairness, offering competitive 85,000 EUR gross/year starting salary, equity, inclusive leave, Vibe & Thrive allowances, and a vibrant community—because big goals deserve moments of magic too. Check lifeatcanva.com for more.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with AI research leadership to identify and build platform capabilities for upcoming initiatives
• Coordinate across platform teams (Inference, Evaluation, Dataset & Training) for seamless ML lifecycle
• Own delivery of large, cross-team projects with full autonomy in decision-making
• Coach a team of 6+ engineers through regular feedback and personal growth support
• Define and own team development rituals like sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives
• Collaborate with Product Managers to shape and contribute to the platform roadmap
• Plan team goals and success metrics aligned with company and group objectives
• Champion knowledge sharing and advocate for ML engineering needs across Canva
• Manage hiring, resourcing, and execution needs for the roadmap
• Balance reactive researcher support with proactive platform strategy development

Required Qualifications

• History of success in technical people leadership and mentorship of engineers
• Experience in platform engineering, designing and building complex, distributed systems involving Machine Learning
• Experience working with tech stack: Python, Pytorch, Ray/Anyscale, AWS, Kubernetes, Bazel, vLLM, Weights & Biases, Argo Workflows, Terraform
• Proven ability to own and drive large, cross-team initiatives from ideation to completion
• Strong experience coaching engineering teams (6+ members) with focus on growth and feedback
• Excellent cross-timezone collaboration skills, particularly EU/AU coordination
• Demonstrated first principles thinking for bold, innovative decisions
• Ability to plan goals, define success metrics, and align with company objectives

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting AI research teams in productionizing ML workflows
• Background in MLOps platforms for inference, evaluation, datasets, and training
• Proven track record in hiring and resourcing for engineering roadmaps
• Familiarity with Canva's AI initiatives or similar design-AI intersections
• Diplomatic stakeholder management across competing research priorities

Required Skills

• Technical leadership in ML platform engineering
• Python and PyTorch proficiency
• Distributed systems design for ML workflows
• Kubernetes and AWS infrastructure management
• MLOps tools: Ray/Anyscale, vLLM, Weights & Biases
• Workflow orchestration with Argo Workflows and Bazel
• Terraform for infrastructure as code
• People management and coaching
• Cross-timezone communication (EU/AU)
• First principles problem-solving
• Stakeholder advocacy and roadmap planning
• Hiring and resourcing expertise
• Agile rituals and sprint management
• Ambiguity navigation in research-production bridge

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 pursue personal passions
• Relocation support to Austria for seamless transition
• Hybrid work model empowering work-life balance
• Global collaboration opportunities across Sydney, Vienna, and beyond
• Access to cutting-edge AI tools and design innovation at Canva

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.