Senior Engineering Manager (BE/ML) - Context & Personalisation
As a Senior Engineering Manager in the Canva AI Supergroup, you will lead the Context & Personalisation team, focusing on creating uniquely tailored AI experiences for users. This role is vital for driving Canva's long-term differentiation in the AI landscape, enabling teams to build powerful, personalised experiences for millions. The team thrives on collaboration, innovation, and a shared passion for transforming user data into meaningful AI intelligence.
Your key responsibilities will include leading and coaching a multidisciplinary team of backend and machine learning engineers to build Canva’s context and personalisation systems. You will define and deliver the strategy and roadmap for Canva’s centralised context platform and personalisation infrastructure. Additionally, you will develop capabilities such as AI Memory, custom instructions, and brand-aware AI generation to make Canva AI feel deeply personal. Designing scalable APIs and platform primitives to allow internal teams across Canva to build AI-powered experiences quickly and safely will also be part of your role. Partnering closely with Product and Design leaders to identify high-impact opportunities to elevate Canva AI experiences and driving adoption of context and personalisation capabilities across Canva’s ecosystem are essential aspects of this position. Furthermore, you will be responsible for growing and developing a high-performing engineering team while fostering strong cross-team collaboration.
The ideal candidate is an experienced engineering leader who has built or scaled platform systems, developer infrastructure, or shared services. You should combine strong technical depth with product thinking and enjoy shaping problems rather than waiting for specifications. Experience working in or alongside AI, machine learning, recommendation systems, or data-driven platforms is essential. Comfort operating in high-ambiguity, fast-moving environments, especially in emerging technology spaces, is important. A passion for developing engineers and building high-performing teams that shape strategy—not just execute it—is crucial. Curiosity about the evolving AI landscape and active engagement with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot is also desirable. Nice-to-have qualifications include experience building context systems, recommendation engines, or personalisation pipelines; experience working on platforms that serve multiple internal teams or product surfaces; and experience operating in high-growth product environments balancing platform investment and feature delivery.
Canva offers equity packages to ensure that our success is yours too. We have an inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents and carers. An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance is provided to support wellbeing, connection, and workspace setup. Flexible leave options are available so you can recharge, give back, and take care of what matters most.
At Canva, we are committed to redefining how the world experiences design. Our culture is built on collaboration, innovation, and a shared passion for empowering users. We offer growth opportunities and a supportive environment where you can make a significant impact. Joining our team means being part of a company that values your contributions and supports your professional development.