Backend Software Engineer

Backend Software Engineer - Product & Features (Java) - Open to remote across ANZ

Canva Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Job Description

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 campus is in Sydney. We also have a campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. You have choice in where and how you work; Canva trusts Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.

What You'd Be Doing In This Role

Backend roles at Canva can vary significantly depending on the team—each focused on solving meaningful problems at scale. You might help build scalable APIs powering millions of user interactions, improve system performance and reliability at scale, or contribute to shared services and internal tools. You'll work closely with product managers, designers, and frontend engineers to deliver end-to-end experiences that have real user impact. Whether you're designing new systems or maintaining critical infrastructure, your work will play a key role in Canva's mission to empower the world to design. As a Backend Engineer at this level, day-to-day focus typically includes:

• Designing and implementing backend features within an existing service architecture
• Building and maintaining services that power user experiences and internal systems at scale
• Writing clean, well-tested, and maintainable code with guidance from more experienced engineers
• Collaborating with engineers, product managers, and designers to understand problems and ship high-quality solutions
• Participating in code reviews, pair programming, and technical discussions as part of a supportive team
• Contributing to system health by writing tests, improving observability, and fixing bugs or performance issues
• Continuously learning through mentorship, feedback, and exposure to different parts of Canva's engineering stack

You're probably a match if

• You are experienced in building backend systems using Java in a production environment
• You have strong Java fundamentals and can confidently write production-grade code, applying backend concepts like multithreading, service design, and performance optimisation in real-world systems
• You understand the basics of distributed systems and are comfortable developing and consuming RESTful APIs
• You can work through problems from design to deployment with support from your team
• You apply sound engineering practices—such as testing, monitoring, and documentation—and write clean, maintainable code
• You enjoy collaborating with engineers, designers, and product managers to build end-to-end solutions
• You take initiative, seek feedback, and are always looking to improve your craft and contribute to your team's success
• You have hands-on experience using AI in coding/programming to drive greater impact

Engineering at Canva

Join a vibrant engineering community solving complex problems for millions of users worldwide. Engineering at Canva is about rapid iteration to deliver real value, craft, collaboration, ownership, purpose, and excellence.

What's in it for you?

We pursue ambitious goals with energy and purpose. Canva offers a range of benefits to support 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 policy that supports all parents & carers
• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that empower you to recharge and support you personally

Check out for more info.

Other Stuff To Know

We hire based on experience, skills and passion, and how you can enhance Canva and our culture. We see AI as a powerful amplifier of creativity and technology at Canva. You may be asked to solve problems using AI tools in interviews. Interviews are conducted virtually.

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