Senior Engineer - Video Platform - Remote across ANZ

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Brisbane / Australia

About the Role

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design at Canva! We're seeking a Senior Engineer - Video Platform to build the foundational Native Video Engine that will power Canva's next era of video creation. Remote across ANZ, you'll work within our innovative Engineering team based in Brisbane/Australia, collaborating with designers, product teams, and fellow Canvanauts to democratize professional-quality video for millions worldwide. In this full-time role, you'll design cutting-edge rendering components, optimize performance for seamless creative workflows, and mentor juniors while pushing the boundaries of graphics innovation in a collaborative, design-focused culture. As part of our brand-new Native Video Engine team, you'll contribute to a groundbreaking shift in Canva's tech strategy, creating scalable architectures that unlock unprecedented performance and AI-powered features. Expect to dive deep into Vulkan/OpenGL/DirectX, shader optimization, C++/Rust development, and cross-platform video processing—delivering real-time rendering that empowers users to bring stories to life effortlessly. You'll balance technical excellence with Canva's creative ethos, translating user needs into features that scale globally while establishing best practices for our growing team. Canva's culture thrives on trust, flexibility, and big goals achieved through connectivity and fun. Enjoy equity packages, inclusive parental leave, Vibe & Thrive allowances, and flexible work options across our Sydney flagship, Melbourne campus, and ANZ co-working spaces. We hire based on experience, skills, passion, and cultural fit—pronouns and adjustments welcomed. Even if you don't match every qualification, we want to hear from you. Interviews are virtual; apply now to shape the future of creative video technology!

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement key components within Canva's core Native Video Engine, influencing platform-wide technical decisions
• Develop advanced rendering pipeline features with a focus on performance optimization, memory efficiency, and cross-platform compatibility
• Mentor and support junior engineers, sharing expertise in graphics programming, performance tuning, and system architecture
• Collaborate closely with product and design teams to translate creative user needs into robust technical specifications
• Establish scalable coding standards, development practices, and architectural patterns for a growing engineering team
• Research and evaluate emerging graphics and video processing technologies to keep Canva at the forefront of rendering innovation
• Drive technical discussions and decision-making, balancing performance, maintainability, and innovative feature requirements
• Debug and resolve complex graphics, performance, and cross-platform issues in production environments
• Contribute to the strategic vision of Canva's video platform, enabling seamless, professional-quality experiences for millions of users
• Optimize video rendering for real-time collaboration and design workflows unique to Canva's creative ecosystem

Required Qualifications

• Deep expertise in graphics programming (Vulkan, OpenGL, DirectX) with hands-on experience building high-performance rendering systems
• Experience in shader development, performance optimisation, and multi-threaded graphics programming
• Strong understanding of memory management, real-time rendering, and rendering pipeline architecture
• Experience with video processing, encoding/decoding, and multimedia frameworks
• Solid programming skills using system languages (C++, Rust)
• Proven ability to debug complex graphics and performance issues
• Experience with cross-platform development and hardware-specific optimisations
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience mentoring junior engineers in graphics programming and system design
• Background in developing native video engines or similar high-performance multimedia systems
• Familiarity with AI-powered video features or machine learning integration in rendering pipelines
• Contributions to open-source graphics or video processing projects
• Experience working in collaborative, design-focused tech environments

Required Skills

• Graphics APIs (Vulkan, OpenGL, DirectX)
• Shader development and optimization
• Multi-threaded graphics programming
• Memory management in real-time systems
• Rendering pipeline architecture
• Video encoding/decoding and processing
• C++ and Rust programming
• Cross-platform development
• Performance profiling and optimization
• Complex debugging in graphics systems
• Collaborative problem-solving
• Technical mentoring and knowledge sharing
• Translating product requirements to engineering solutions
• Researching emerging technologies
• Driving technical decision-making
• Hardware-specific optimizations

Benefits

• Equity packages to share in Canva's success and growth
• Inclusive parental leave policy supporting all parents and carers
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing, social connection, office setup, and more
• Flexible leave options to recharge, pursue personal goals, and be a force for good
• Choice in work location across ANZ with remote flexibility empowering team success
• Regular moments of magic, connectivity, and fun woven into Canva life
• Virtual interview process with accommodations for individual needs
• Access to flagship campuses in Sydney and Melbourne, plus co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.