Job Description

Where and how you can work

Our flagship campus is in Sydney and have a strong preference for the role to be in Sydney. We also have a campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

About the Technology Specialty

The Technology Specialty is Canva’s largest and most diverse specialty, with approximately 2,500 engineers representing nearly half of Canva’s workforce. It brings together all of our technical disciplines, from Tech Support to Machine Learning, Platform Infrastructure to Backend Engineering. It is the craft home base for our technologists and engineers.

The Specialty plays a central role in Canva’s technical evolution, helping shape long-term technical direction, engineering standards, and a strong, inclusive culture of collaboration and innovation. As the Specialty continues to scale, thoughtful operational leadership is essential to ensure clarity, momentum, and sustainable ways of working.

About the role

This role is for an experienced operational leader in Canva’s Technology Specialty during a 12-month parental leave cover.

In this role, you will act as a trusted operational partner to Technology Specialty leadership and business partners, helping run the business of the Specialty. You will bring structure to ambiguity, drive momentum on complex initiatives, and strengthen operating systems that enable the Specialty to function effectively at scale. You will translate strategic intent into clear execution, design systems that reduce friction, and create the conditions for technologists to stay focused on building Canva’s future.

This role goes beyond coordination. You will independently lead high-impact initiatives, shape how the Specialty operates at scale, and act as a coach and mentor to other Operations Business Partners within Technology, raising the bar for operational craft, judgment, and impact.

This is a hands-on, high-impact opportunity for someone looking to operate with a high degree of autonomy, deepen their craft, and gain exposure to complex, Specialty-wide challenges.

What you’d be doing in this role

As Canva scales change continues to be 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.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

Specialty-level Program Ownership

• Independently own and deliver complex, high-visibility initiatives that span the Technology Specialty and do not have a clear existing owner.

• Define problem spaces, design operating approaches, align senior stakeholders, and drive execution from concept through to sustained outcomes.

• Act as a steady hand on initiatives that require strong judgment, discretion, and narrative control.

Technology Specialty Operating Excellence

• Design, evolve, and run Specialty-wide operating rhythms, communications, forums, and information systems.

• Continuously assess where processes, tools, or ways of working create friction for leaders and individual contributors, and redesign them to be simpler, clearer, and more scalable.

• Ensure the right people across the Specialty have the right information, at the right time, and in the right format to make effective decisions.

Strategic Foresight and Continuous Improvement

• Anticipate emerging operational needs and risks within the Technology Specialty, designing solutions before they become blockers.

• Use data, feedback, and lived experience to continuously refine how the Specialty operates.

• Experiment with lightweight, scalable approaches that improve clarity, alignment, and execution without unnecessary overhead.

Strategic Partnership and Cross-functional Influence

• Partner closely with Technology Specialty leadership, Technical Program Managers, People Partners, Finance, and other business partners to translate strategy into execution.

• Represent the Technology Specialty context in cross-functional forums, ensuring shared frameworks and initiatives are adapted to the realities of technical teams and the scale of the Specialty.

• Act as connective glue across functions within Technology and Canva, brokering alignment, unblocking progress, and maintaining momentum.

Coaching, Mentorship and Craft Leadership

• Act as a coach and mentor to other Operations Business Partners supporting the Technology Specialty, sharing playbooks, frameworks, and practical guidance.

• Provide feedback and support that strengthens operational judgment, stakeholder management, and program leadership capability in others.

• Be a visible role model for strong operational craft, clear thinking, and calm execution in complex environments.

You're probably a match if

• You have 7+ years of experience in Business Operations, Program Management, or similar roles within complex, fast-moving organisations.

• Chief of Staff, HR and/or experience in SaaS or R&D environments a bonus.

• You have independently led large, cross-functional initiatives with senior stakeholders, often in ambiguous or undefined problem spaces.

• You excel at translating strategy into execution by designing systems, cadences, and mechanisms, and breaking big-picture goals into clear milestones, deliverables, and accountabilities while maintaining high standards.

• You are a scrappy, adaptable operator who thrives in ambiguity, can wrangle complex or backlog-heavy work, and brings order without overcomplicating things.

• You build strong, trust-based relationships and influence effectively without formal authority.

• You bring experience in organisational change and communications, shaping clear narratives and landing messages with diverse audiences.

• You enjoy coaching and mentoring others and take pride in lifting the overall quality of operational practice around you.

• You are comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy, with guidance required only in the most complex situations.

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.

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

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 like your skills quite match what’s listed above - we still want to hear from you!

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