Engineering Manager- Specialist Experience & Platform - Java

Canva; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity packages

Inclusive parental leave

Vibe & Thrive allowance

Flexible leave options

Technical direction opportunity

Job summary

Canva is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead a team building specialist experience and platform integrations in Sydney. You will drive technical strategy, mentor engineers, and partner with product and enablement teams to deliver scalable AI-enabled support tools.

This hybrid role offers on-campus collaboration and remote work, with opportunities to shape the technical direction while maintaining governance and reliability.

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering teams at scale.
• Strong backend engineering depth and architectural judgment.
• Interest in AI/LLM-powered products and governance.

Responsibilities

• Coaching and growing a team of engineers building platform capabilities.
• Leading technical strategy and roadmap with cross-functional partners.
• Drive planning of team goals balancing robustness and enablement.
• Facilitate cross-team collaboration from spikes to full integration.
• Champion engineering quality, AI governance and standards.
• Align with leadership on prioritisation and resourcing.

Skills

Backend engineering

Team leadership

AI/LLM interest

Communication

Tools

MCP server

Job description

Engineering Manager- Specialist Experience & Platform - Java

• Full-time
• Recruitment type: Permanent

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time-consuming and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.

Where and how you can work

Our flagship Sydney campus is uniquely Canva - an extension of our Surry Hills neighbourhood. It’s a thoughtfully designed space with plenty of room to collaborate, focus, and connect. This role is based in Sydney, and we’re looking for someone who calls it home. Our hybrid way of working gives you the flexibility to work remotely and to come together on campus for meaningful in-person collaboration and connection when it matters most. We trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.

What you'd be doing in this role

As Canva scales, change remains part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this will likely evolve.

About the Group/Team

Specialist Systems and Platforms (SPXP) provide the software that allows our support team to deliver magical, differentiated support to a rapidly growing user base. As part of the Global User Voice enablement group, we ensure that internal support teams can operate securely, safely, and efficiently to get customers back to designing.

Come and join us if you enjoy:

Helping people. People reach out to support when they have a problem, and we are building tools that enable people to get back to making beautiful designs

Empowering others. We build tools that enable teams to achieve results that they could not have managed otherwise

Close partnerships. The users of our tools are Canvanauts on the same mission to deliver a magical, differentiated support experience. The best results come when engineering and support combine to help people.

Solving root causes of problems. To create the best support experience, you need to shift left and address the root of the problem, not just the problem that appears today.

Continuous learning. We want people who enjoy sharing knowledge, conducting workshops, and encouraging exploration of new technologies and methodologies.

A positive, supportive culture. Team members are keen to lean in, collaborate, and celebrate success together

About the Role/Specialty

You will be responsible for a team who are building custom software to make a magical support experience. In addition to enabling support, we are the custodians of our customers’ data so you will be responsible for security considerations.

The team is currently on a mission to enable AI systems to resolve customer problems; from quick, local workflows to automated solutions built by a team of engineers. Your team operates an MCP server that provides a consistent data and policy platform. You will partner closely with other teams and crafts to accelerate and standardise how AI is used to enable support. This is an opportunity to lead a team who will shape how AI is adopted by software teams and business teams.

What you’ll do (responsibilities)

Coaching, mentoring and growing a team of engineers building platform capabilities, fostering psychological safety and a culture of innovation.

Leading the team's technical strategy and roadmap in close collaboration with Program Managers, Enablement Teams and Engineering teams across User Voice and Canva.

Driving planning and refinement of team goals — balancing platform robustness, high-impact enablement and engineering practices.

Facilitating cross-team collaborations from initial spikes and MVPs through to full integration, ensuring agents are built on a common foundation

Championing engineering quality, AI governance, and contribution standards

Aligning with User Voice leadership on prioritisation and resourcing to maximise the impact of the team.

What we're looking for

You’re an experienced engineering manager with a proven track record of leading teams and delivering at scale

You have strong technical depth in backend engineering and the ability to make sound architectural decisions.

You have a genuine interest in AI and LLM-powered products — curious about where the technology is heading and how to apply it to real problems at scale.

You balance platform thinking (reliability, scalability, governance) with product thinking (user outcomes, CSAT, activation and retention).

You’re an excellent communicator who can translate foundational platform work into business value, building trust with cross-functional stakeholders across the business.

What's in it for you?

Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard—and we do—but you'll experience lots of moments of magic, connectivity and fun woven throughout life at Canva, too. We also offer a range of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.

Here's a taste of what's on offer:

• Equity packages—we want our success to be yours too.
• Inclusive parental leave that supports all parents and carers.
• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing, social connection, office setup and more.
• Flexible leave options that empower you to recharge, give back and thrive both personally and professionally.
• The opportunity to shape the technical direction of one of Canva's most impactful product experiences while collaborating with world-class engineers.

Check outlifeatcanva.comfor more information.

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

We celebrate all types of skills and backgrounds at Canva, so even if you don't feel your experience perfectly matches everything we've listed, we'd still love to hear from you.

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.