TL;DR

Staff Software Engineer (Frontend) (AI): Leading the technical direction for real-time collaboration features and commenting at scale with an accent on integrating AI into team collaboration flows. Focus on building shared infrastructure and frameworks to enable faster collaboration tooling across Canva.

Location: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, Australia.

Company

Canva is a design platform redefining how the world experiences design.

What you will do

  • Lead the technical direction for real-time collaboration features and commenting at scale.
  • Integrate AI into team collaboration flows to create seamless and smart experiences.
  • Build shared infrastructure and frameworks to enable faster collaboration tooling across Canva.
  • Write code hands-on while influencing product direction alongside PMs and designers.
  • Make critical calls on latency, reliability, and data consistency in real-time systems.
  • Drive cross-team collaboration and representing Editing Collaboration across Canva.

Requirements

  • Led large-scale engineering projects from concept to impact.
  • Hands-on experience with real-time technologies like WebSockets or WebRTC.
  • Strong frontend skills—React, TypeScript, MobX, JavaScript—plus solid CS fundamentals.
  • Strategic thinking and ability to connect architecture to Canva-wide goals.
  • Love mentoring and are driven by raising the engineering bar.
  • Comfortable influencing senior stakeholders with clarity and confidence.

Culture & Benefits

  • Equity packages.
  • Inclusive parental leave policy.
  • Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support wellbeing, social connection, and office setup.
  • Flexible leave options.