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

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Auckland / New Zealand

About the Role

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design at Canva! As a Senior Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java), open to remote across ANZ, you'll build the scalable backend systems powering Canva's innovative design tools for millions of global users. Work closely with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers in our collaborative Engineering team based in Auckland, New Zealand, to deliver end-to-end features that empower creativity at scale. Our hybrid model trusts you to choose the balance that works best for you and your team. In this role, you'll lead the design of reliable Java services, optimize performance for high-traffic scenarios, and champion best practices across domains. Expect to own features from architecture to deployment, mentor peers through code reviews, and leverage AI tools to accelerate impact. Whether evolving microservices, enhancing observability, or scaling infrastructure, your work directly supports Canva's mission to democratize design in a fast-paced, change-embracing environment. Canva's engineering culture thrives on ownership, excellence, and generous collaboration. We're a vibrant community tackling ambitious problems with craft and purpose, where innovation meets real user value. Enjoy equity, inclusive parental leave, flexible options, and a Vibe & Thrive allowance, plus endless moments of magic in our design-focused world. If you're passionate about Java, backend innovation, and making design accessible, apply now to shape the future at Canva!

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of scalable, reliable backend services using Java and modern frameworks
• Collaborate with PMs, designers, and frontend engineers to scope and deliver impactful product features
• Evolve Canva’s backend architecture through service decomposition, shared tooling, and optimization
• 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, mentoring peers to raise the team's technical bar
• Maintain and enhance service health, observability, and incident response capabilities
• Drive end-to-end ownership of features, balancing speed, quality, and long-term scalability
• Integrate AI tools to accelerate development and enhance code quality
• Contribute to Canva's mission by building systems that empower millions to design
• Partner with teams to solve complex problems at scale for global users

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience building complex backend systems in production environments
• Strong Java fundamentals with proven ability to write production-grade, scalable code
• Hands-on experience with multithreading, service design, and performance optimization
• Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end feature delivery from architecture to production
• Experience leading design and code reviews while mentoring junior engineers
• Proficiency in modern backend frameworks, APIs, and cloud-native technologies
• Track record of improving system reliability, observability, and incident resilience
• Hands-on experience using AI tools in coding and programming workflows

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on design tools or consumer-facing products at scale
• Familiarity with Canva's tech stack or similar high-growth SaaS environments
• Background in collaborative cross-functional teams with PMs and designers
• Contributions to open-source projects or internal tooling at previous companies
• Expertise in microservices architecture and domain-driven design
• Experience scaling systems for millions of global users

Required Skills

• Expert Java development and backend systems architecture
• Multithreading and concurrency programming
• API design and scalable service development
• Performance optimization and profiling
• System reliability and observability (monitoring, logging)
• Code review and technical leadership
• Cross-functional collaboration with PMs and designers
• Mentoring and knowledge sharing
• AI-assisted coding and problem-solving
• Pragmatic problem-solving with attention to detail
• End-to-end feature ownership
• Microservices and domain-driven design
• Cloud-native technologies and infrastructure
• Test-driven development and CI/CD practices
• User-impact focused engineering mindset

Benefits

• Competitive 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
• Hybrid work model open to remote across ANZ with trusted autonomy
• Vibrant engineering community with mentorship and growth opportunities
• Regular team events fostering connectivity and fun
• Access to cutting-edge tools and AI-powered development workflows
• Global collaboration in a design-first, innovative culture

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.