Staff Machine Learning Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Staff Machine Learning Engineer (AI): Building and evolving the AI integration layer that connects Canva's design capabilities to global AI assistants with an accent on agent architecture, evaluation frameworks, and API standards. Focus on driving technical direction for AI-driven design interactions and ensuring reliable, measurable tool-use across platforms.

Location: Must be based in Australia (Remote-friendly within Australia or hybrid from campus locations).

Company

Canva is a global visual communication platform redefining how the world experiences design.

What you will do

• Drive the design of AI-ready tools and APIs enabling LLM platforms to interact with Canva's design capabilities.
• Own and evolve evaluation frameworks to systematically measure tool-use accuracy and performance.
• Shape Canva's agent architecture, making strategic decisions on intelligence placement and orchestration layers.
• Build observability systems to identify failure patterns and set quality benchmarks for AI-driven interactions.
• Collaborate across team boundaries to influence integration strategy with partners like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
• Define technical standards for tool design patterns, API contracts, and observability practices.

Requirements

• Must be based in Australia.
• Proven experience shipping LLM-powered systems into production with measurable impact.
• Strong background in building end-to-end evaluation pipelines and benchmarking infrastructure.
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with ML frameworks.
• Experience with TypeScript/Node.js and cloud infrastructure (AWS or similar).
• Ability to thrive in cross-team environments and influence strategy without formal authority.

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 focused on innovation and design.