Engineering Manager - Native Video Engine

TL;DR

Engineering Manager - Native Video Engine (C/C++): Lead a team building Canva’s Native Video Engine (NVE) for cross-platform video rendering and processing across playback, export, and editing. Focus on high-performance rendering systems, scalable media infrastructure, and improving engineering quality through monitoring, testing practices, and rollout management.

Location: Sydney, Australia (hybrid; work remotely and come together on campus when it matters most)

Company

Canva builds design experiences and video capabilities powered by a cross-platform rendering engine.

What you will do

• Lead a team building Canva’s Native Video Engine (NVE) for video playback, export, and editing.
• Drive strategy and execution for high-performance video rendering systems across iOS, Android, Web, and backend platforms.
• Partner with Video Editing, Platform, Product, and Portable Platform teams to deliver reliable, scalable video capabilities.
• Support evolution of video infrastructure across playback, export, editing, and performance-critical workflows.
• Improve engineering quality via performance monitoring, testing practices, rollout management, and operational excellence.
• Coach and mentor engineers while shaping a high-performing engineering culture and cross-team technical direction.

Requirements

• Experience leading engineering teams delivering complex technical products in systems-level, native, or cross-platform environments.
• Strong technical judgment to balance quality, performance, scalability, and delivery.
• Ability to align engineers, product teams, and stakeholders on technical direction, priorities, and outcomes.
• Experience building or working closely with video creation workflows and understanding rendering, playback, export, editing, and performance-sensitive media systems.
• Comfort creating clarity in ambiguous technical environments and keeping teams focused on meaningful outcomes.
• Strong communication and people leadership skills (coaching, feedback, mentoring, career development).

Nice to have

• Experience with video processing, media pipelines, codecs, and graphics rendering.
• Experience with cross-platform build systems (e.g., Bazel), WASM, React Native, and high-scale export/rendering infrastructure.
• Experience in creative tools and multimedia product development.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid working model with flexibility to work remotely and collaborate in-person on campus in Sydney.
• Equity packages.
• Inclusive parental leave policy for all parents and carers.
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing, social connection, and office setup.
• Flexible leave options to recharge and support personal needs.

Hiring process

• Interviews are conducted virtually.
• Hiring decisions consider experience, skills, passion, and how you enhance Canva and its culture.
• Share pronouns and any reasonable adjustments needed during the interview process.