Principal Partner Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Principal Partner Engineer (AI): Driving technical strategy and integration architecture for Canva's external platform surface with an accent on agentic AI systems, MCP, and REST APIs. Focus on aligning partner requirements with internal engineering reality, setting technical direction for product-line engineering, and delivering runnable code artifacts to unblock strategic partnerships.

Location: Must be based in the USA. You will work on Pacific Time hours and collaborate daily with engineering teams in AEST.

Compensation: $297,000 - $345,000 yearly

Company

Canva is a global visual communication platform redefining how the world experiences design through its ecosystem of AI-native tools and integrations.

What you will do

• Drive technical alignment between external partners and internal engineering teams.
• Set the technical direction for Canva's external platform surface, including MCP, REST APIs, and Apps platform.
• Validate proposed solutions against Canva's architecture using working code as proof points.
• Lead product-line engineering across external surfaces to ensure coherence as new capabilities land.
• Shape strategic partner engagements by leading the technical relationship end-to-end.
• Communicate platform direction to partners early to ensure proactive alignment with Canva's roadmap.

Requirements

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on the seam between partner, platform, and product engineering.
• Deep technical expertise in the modern AI platform stack, including MCP, tool-use, and agentic API design.
• Proven ability to move fluidly between product roadmaps, system design, and partner negotiations.
• Experience shipping production code on platforms used by external developers.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to resolve misalignments through clear technical writing.
• Ability to orient quickly in heterogeneous, fast-moving codebases.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience shipping or integrating with MCP (Anthropic, OpenAI, Copilot, or Gemini).
• Strong TypeScript skills with comfort across React and server-side JavaScript.
• Ability to read Java backend code.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity packages to share in company success.
• Inclusive parental leave policy for all parents and carers.
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing and office setup.
• Flexible leave options to support work-life balance and personal recharge.
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with a focus on high-leverage engineering impact.