Engineering Manager (BE) - AI Media Platform

Company Description

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.
Hey, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora, 你好, hallo, vítejte!
Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time consuming and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.

Where and how you can work
Our flagship campus is in Sydney. We also have a campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. But you have choice in where and how you work, we trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.

Job Description

What you'd be doing in this role
As Canva scales, change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. This role sits at the heart of one of Canva’s most exciting bets — Generative AI. You’ll lead the platform that powers AI-generated images, video, audio, and more across Canva, helping scale capabilities used by millions globally. From model integration to infrastructure optimisation, you’ll shape the systems that make magical AI experiences possible.

At the moment, this role is focused on:
• Leading a team of backend engineers building the core services that power generative media across Canva
• Driving model integration, vendor orchestration, and inference infrastructure to enable fast, reliable onboarding of new AI capabilities
• Optimising cost, latency, and performance across multi-modal AI systems (image, video, 3D)
• Partnering closely with Applied ML, product, and platform teams to deliver scalable, high-impact AI solutions
• Coaching and growing engineers, building a high-performing team with strong platform and ML infrastructure expertise
• Setting the technical vision and engineering strategy for AI Media Platform as Canva scales its AI capabilities

You're probably a match if
• You bring experience leading engineers while staying close to technical decision-making in complex systems
• You’ve previously worked on scalable backend platforms, ideally supporting ML products, inference systems, or vendor integrations
• You have strong foundations in distributed systems, system design, and performance optimisation
• You’re comfortable navigating ambiguity and balancing innovation with delivery in fast-moving environments
• You’re a strong communicator who can connect technical decisions to business impact and influence across teams
• You’re excited by the opportunity to work at the forefront of generative AI and shape platform capabilities at scale

About the team
AI Media sits within the Generative Experience group, focused on empowering the world to design by building AI that can create every type of design ingredient. The team operates as a capability provider, delivering reusable generative media services used across Canva — from Magic Media to Canva AI and beyond.

The AI Media Platform team specifically builds the foundations that make this possible — from backend services and model routing to vendor integrations and inference infrastructure. It’s a fast-moving space, with constant innovation and opportunities to solve complex, meaningful problems at scale.

What's in it for you?
Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard - and we do - but you'll experience lots of moments of magic, connectivity and fun woven throughout life at Canva, too. We also offer a range of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.

Here's a taste of what's on offer:
• Equity packages - we want our success to be yours too
• Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers
• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge and supports you personally

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

Other stuff to know
We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

We celebrate all types of skills and backgrounds at Canva so even if you don't feel like your skills quite match what's listed above - we still want to hear from you!

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.