Senior Software Engineer, C++ (On-device ML)

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

Canva is seeking a Senior Software Engineer, C++ to power on‑device ML in the Video Studio within the Design Experience group. You’ll build high‑performance native C++ components for on‑device ML features, integrate ML inference into user workflows with a focus on responsiveness and reliability, and optimise for a range of devices balancing performance memory and power. You’ll work with client platform and backend engineers to ship production‑ready features used by millions, and translate technical trade‑offs into practical decisions. Strong production C++ experience shipping on‑device ML for media use cases is essential; cross‑discipline collaboration and clear communication are crucial. Nice to have: media pipelines, device‑constrained ML optimisations, WebAssembly or Rust. Based onsite in Auckland with AU/NZ flexible work options; equity, parental leave, wellbeing allowance, flexible leave. Interviews are virtual; Canva welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

Company Description

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hey, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora, 你好, hallo, vítejte!

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. However if you live anywhere in Australia or New Zealand, you have a choice in where and how you work, we trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.

Job Description

What you’ll be doing in this role

As Canva continues to scale, change is part of our DNA — and that’s part of the fun. This role will give you exposure to meaningful, real-world problems from day one, and will continue to evolve as our products and teams grow.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Building high-performance native C++ components that enable on-device machine learning features within Canva’s products.
• Integrating ML inference capabilities into user-facing workflows, with a strong focus on responsiveness and reliability.
• Optimising systems to run efficiently across a wide range of devices, balancing performance, memory usage, and power considerations.
• Working on scalable approaches that allow features to adapt intelligently to different device capabilities and environments.
• Collaborating closely with engineers across client, platform, and backend teams to design, review, and ship production-ready features.
• Taking a pragmatic, product-focused approach to turning ML-powered prototypes into polished experiences used by millions.

You’re probably a match if

• You have strong commercial experience building and maintaining production C++ systems where performance and reliability matter.
• You’ve worked on shipping on-device ML features for media-related use cases (such as vision, audio, or video) on real consumer devices.
• You’re comfortable integrating native code into larger application stacks and debugging complex, end-to-end behaviour.
• You enjoy collaborating across disciplines and can clearly communicate technical trade-offs to a range of stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Experience working with media or graphics pipelines.
• Exposure to techniques for improving ML performance on device-constrained environments.
• Experience with cross-platform native execution (e.g. WebAssembly).
• Familiarity with Rust or other modern systems languages.

About the team

You’ll join the Video Studio team within Canva’s Design Experience supergroup, working on a cross-functional initiative responsible for delivering ML-powered video capabilities at scale. This work focuses on enabling high-performance, on-device media experiences supported by cloud services where appropriate, ensuring consistent quality across a wide range of devices.

In this role, you’ll operate at the intersection of native systems, product engineering, and ML, partnering closely with client, platform, and backend teams to shape how advanced video features are designed, integrated, and reliably shipped to millions of creators worldwide.

What’s in it for you?

Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard — and we do — but you’ll also experience moments of connection, growth, and fun along the way. Here’s a taste of what’s on offer:

• Equity packages — we want our success to be yours too
• Inclusive parental leave for all parents and carers
• A Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that support rest, growth, and being a force for good

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills, and passion — and how you can help shape Canva and our culture. When you apply, feel free to share the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, and ways of working. If you’re excited about this role but don’t tick every box, we’d still love to hear from you.

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.