As a Staff Software Engineer on the API Platform team, you will lead the design and development of foundational backend systems that power a global product. Your work will directly influence the scalability, performance, and resilience of Canva’s distributed infrastructure, ensuring it can grow sustainably with increasing complexity and demand.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and guide the long-term technical direction for API platforms, shaping architecture that supports Canva’s evolving needs
- Establish and promote best practices in service design, communication patterns, performance optimization, and system reliability
- Deliver hands-on implementation of complex system components and lead code reviews to maintain high engineering standards
- Author clear technical design documents and lead cross-functional design discussions to align teams
- Mentor engineers across the organization, supporting their growth and helping resolve challenging technical roadblocks
- Collaborate with multiple teams to drive initiatives that improve security, deployment velocity, and system stability
- Champion architectural improvements that future-proof cloud-native services and distributed workflows
Qualifications
You bring deep expertise in building and scaling distributed systems on the JVM, with a strong foundation in computer science principles. Your experience includes leading architectural decisions, mentoring peers, and implementing resilient, high-performance services in large cloud environments—ideally AWS.
Proficiency in Java is essential, along with proven experience in asynchronous and reactive programming models. You understand patterns like circuit breaking, throttling, and back pressure, and you apply them thoughtfully to real-world systems. Strong communication skills are critical, as you’ll be expected to align teams, document decisions, and foster a culture of collaboration and trust.
Experience with Scala, Python, or Typescript is beneficial. Familiarity with gRPC, HTTP/2, protobuf, and WebSockets will help you contribute effectively from day one.
Work Environment
This role is available remotely across Australia and New Zealand, with flexibility in how and where you work. Whether from home, an office, or a hybrid setup, you’ll operate within a culture that values autonomy, inclusion, and sustainable productivity.
The organization supports personal wellbeing through flexible leave policies, an annual allowance for health and workspace needs, and inclusive parental leave. Compensation includes equity, reflecting a shared stake in the company’s growth.
Interviews are held virtually, and candidates are encouraged to share their preferred pronouns and any accommodations needed during the process. Hiring decisions are based on skills, experience, and cultural contribution.
