Senior Software Engineer - Automation, Remote across ANZ

Location: Team IT

Team: Country Sydney / Australia

About the Role

Join the team at Canva that's redefining how the world experiences design. Hey, g'day! As a Senior Software Engineer - Automation in our IT team, you'll drive intelligent automation that powers Canva's creative magic, enabling millions to design without limits. Remote across ANZ with hybrid flexibility from our Sydney flagship (or Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide hubs), you'll thrive in our collaborative culture where innovation meets empathy, blending cutting-edge tech with design-first thinking to automate the future of creativity. You'll lead high-impact transformation projects, architecting scalable AI-powered platforms that integrate complex systems and unlock new efficiencies. From pioneering AI patterns with language models to building frameworks that supercharge engineering teams, your work will set standards for excellence. Partner closely with business stakeholders to translate strategic needs into elegant solutions, mentor Canvanauts to level up, and ensure operational reliability through smart monitoring and blameless postmortems—all while contributing to our roadmap that keeps Canva at the forefront of design innovation. The right Canvanaut brings deep Python expertise (Node.js a bonus), cloud mastery, and hands-on AI automation experience, paired with proven leadership in scaling platforms. You'll excel independently yet collaboratively, connecting technical depth with business impact in a fun, supportive environment. If you're passionate about using technology to empower creativity, come shape Canva's automation evolution and help us make design accessible to everyone.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex transformation initiatives, owning high-impact multi-system automation projects from discovery to production
• Architect scalable, maintainable system solutions balancing immediate needs with long-term vision
• Build advanced platform capabilities, frameworks, and tools to empower other engineers
• Pioneer AI integration patterns, experimenting with cutting-edge approaches for business automation
• Write production-grade code exemplifying engineering excellence in quality, testing, and documentation
• Provide technical leadership through design reviews, architectural guidance, and solving complex challenges
• Mentor and develop engineers via pairing, code reviews, and skill-building opportunities
• Consult with business partners to identify automation opportunities and translate needs into solutions
• Establish engineering standards, best practices, and processes for intelligent automation
• Drive operational excellence with monitoring, incident response, and blameless postmortems
• Shape team roadmap and technical strategy based on business impact
• Contribute to recruiting by conducting interviews and attracting top talent

Required Qualifications

• Deep software engineering expertise with a track record of designing and delivering complex, scalable systems
• Expert-level coding proficiency, particularly in Python (required to learn if not proficient); Node.js experience highly valued
• Cloud platform mastery with deep experience in AWS and/or GCP for secure, scalable, cloud-native solutions
• Advanced hands-on experience leveraging AI tools and integrating language models into applications
• Proven technical leadership experience coordinating across teams and mentoring engineers
• Strong stakeholder management skills with executive presence and ability to translate business needs to technical solutions
• Experience leading complex transformation initiatives from discovery to production
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with workflow automation platforms like n8n, Workato, or CrewAI
• Platform engineering background building internal developer tools and frameworks
• System integration expertise spanning multiple platforms and APIs
• Contributions to open-source projects or internal platform evolution at scale
• Familiarity with event-driven architectures and distributed systems
• Previous experience in design-focused or creative tech environments

Required Skills

• Python programming (expert level)
• Cloud architecture (AWS/GCP)
• AI/ML integration and language models
• System design and scalability
• API design and system integration
• Workflow automation and orchestration
• Technical leadership and mentorship
• Stakeholder communication and influence
• Code quality and testing best practices
• Platform engineering and developer tools
• Incident management and observability
• Strategic thinking and roadmap planning
• Problem-solving in complex environments
• Node.js (bonus)
• Event-driven and distributed systems
• Design thinking for creative problem-solving
• Collaborative teamwork in fast-paced settings

Benefits

• Flexible work options: Remote across ANZ with hybrid flexibility from Sydney flagship campus or other locations
• Canva+ subscription: Free paid access to Canva Pro for personal and team use
• Generous parental leave and family-friendly policies supporting work-life harmony
• Learning stipend and development budget for continuous growth in design and tech
• Health and wellness programs including mental health support and fitness reimbursements
• Stock options and performance bonuses as part of Canva's employee ownership culture
• Collaborative, innovative culture with global Canvanauts redefining design experiences
• Endless snacks, social events, and team offsites fostering creativity and connection
• Visa sponsorship and relocation support for exceptional talent joining from ANZ

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.