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

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Canberra / Australia

About the Role

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design at Canva! As a Senior Backend Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java), you'll play a pivotal role in building the scalable services that power Canva's innovative design platform, serving millions of users worldwide. Our Engineering team thrives in a collaborative, design-focused culture where backend work directly impacts user creativity. Open to remote across ANZ with flexible hybrid options from our Sydney flagship, Melbourne campus, or co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, you'll have the freedom to choose what works best for you and your team. In this role, you'll lead the design and development of robust backend systems using Java, driving end-to-end feature delivery in close partnership with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers. Expect to evolve Canva's architecture through thoughtful service design, champion reliability at scale, and leverage AI tools to accelerate impact. Day-to-day, you'll write production-grade code, mentor peers, conduct code reviews, and ensure our systems remain performant and resilient as we scale to empower everyone to design. Canva's engineering community is all about craft, rapid iteration, and shared ownership in pursuit of ambitious goals. We're passionate about solving complex problems that democratize design, and we support each other generously through mentorship and a culture of excellence. With equity packages, inclusive parental leave, flexible options, and a Vibe & Thrive allowance, we set you up for success in and out of work. If you're a Java expert who thrives in collaborative environments and wants to build systems that spark creativity, apply now to help shape the future of design at Canva.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of scalable, reliable backend services using Java and modern frameworks
• Drive collaboration with PMs, designers, and frontend engineers to scope and deliver impactful product features
• Evolve Canva’s backend architecture through service decomposition, shared tooling, and system scalability
• Champion reliability, performance, and engineering best practices across multiple service domains
• Write robust, well-tested code and proactively identify opportunities for technical improvements
• Guide design and code reviews while mentoring peers to raise the team's technical bar
• Maintain and improve service health, observability, and incident resilience in production
• Leverage AI tools to accelerate development and solve complex backend challenges
• Contribute to shared services and internal tools that power Canva's design platform
• Balance pragmatism with attention to detail to ship features that empower millions of users

Required Qualifications

• Highly experienced building complex backend systems in production environments at scale
• Strong Java fundamentals with ability to write production-grade code including multithreading, service design, and performance optimisation
• Proven experience taking ownership of features end-to-end from architecture to delivery
• Hands-on experience using AI tools in coding and programming to drive greater impact
• Demonstrated ability to mentor peers and raise technical standards through code reviews
• Experience maintaining service health, observability, and incident resilience in distributed systems
• Track record of shipping reliable, maintainable code at speed in collaborative environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on design-focused products serving millions of users
• Familiarity with scalable API development and microservices architecture
• Background in high-growth tech companies with rapidly evolving tech stacks
• Exposure to frontend collaboration for end-to-end feature delivery
• Knowledge of Canva's design empowerment mission and user-centric product development

Required Skills

• Expert Java development with multithreading and performance optimisation
• Scalable backend service design and microservices architecture
• API development for high-traffic user-facing applications
• System reliability, observability, and incident management
• Collaborative cross-functional teamwork with PMs and designers
• Code review, mentoring, and technical leadership
• AI-assisted coding and problem-solving
• Pragmatic attention to detail for rapid, reliable shipping
• Production debugging and system health monitoring
• End-to-end feature ownership from design to deployment
• User-centric thinking aligned with design empowerment
• Strong communication for technical and non-technical audiences
• Adaptability in fast-paced, evolving tech environments

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 collaborative culture
• Virtual interview process with real-time AI-assisted challenges
• Access to co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, plus Sydney and Melbourne campuses

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.