Staff Software Engineer (Java/AI)

TL;DR

Staff Software Engineer (Java/AI): Building and optimizing high-scale backend systems for AI-powered marketing experiences with an accent on conversational AI, content generation, and shared platform capabilities. Focus on productionizing image and video generation models, optimizing the AI generation stack, and designing a shared data platform for global advertising and ecommerce ecosystems.

Location: Based in Sydney, Australia (Hybrid)

Company

Canva is a global design platform redefining how the world experiences design through AI-powered creation tools.

What you will do

• Develop highly scalable backend systems powering conversational AI, content generation, and shared platform capabilities.
• Productionize cutting-edge image and video generation models through robust orchestration pipelines and rollout strategies.
• Design and build a shared data platform to ingest and normalize data from Google, Meta, TikTok, and Shopify.
• Optimize the AI generation stack's performance, focusing on batching, caching, streaming, and request routing.
• Create reusable backend frameworks and libraries for LLM agents, prompt management, and asynchronous orchestration.
• Lead cross-functional technical initiatives across Grow, CORE, and AI teams to deliver seamless user experiences.

Requirements

• Significant experience designing and operating high-throughput, low-latency distributed backend systems in production.
• High proficiency in Java and deep knowledge of modern backend service architecture.
• Strong computer science fundamentals in distributed systems, concurrency, and performance engineering.
• Ability to work with ML engineers to understand model-serving trade-offs and production AI constraints.
• Proven track record of leading technical initiatives that span multiple engineering teams.
• Must be based in Sydney, Australia.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive equity packages.
• Inclusive parental leave for all parents and carers.
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing, home office setup, and learning.
• Flexible leave options to support recharge and personal growth.
• Opportunity to work on complex AI challenges impacting millions of global users.