Senior Applied Scientist - AI Research

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. But you have the 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.

What you'd be doing in this role

As a Senior Applied Scientist, you will drive innovation in generative AI, developing and bringing new foundational models to unlock brand new use cases for Canva. You’ll have the opportunity to work on challenging AI research problems around creating new multimodal LLMs, that solve real-world problems and will be deployed to millions of users iteratively and rapidly. Your expertise will play a key role in shaping the future of AI at Canva, ensuring that we continue to push boundaries in creativity and automation.

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:

• Developing and optimising Generative AI models to enhance Canva’s creative tools.
• Researching, experimenting, and implementing state-of-the-art models for new generative AI applications.
• Collaborating with machine learning engineers to scale and productionise ML models at a global scale.
• Conducting rigorous experimentation to improve model accuracy, efficiency, and user experience.
• Establishing best practices for model training, evaluation, and monitoring.
• Leading key AI research initiatives that contribute to Canva’s innovation roadmap.

You're probably a match if you have:

• You have a PhD or Master’s degree in Machine Learning, Computer Science, AI, or a related field; or demonstrated and proven practical experience in lieu.
• You have strong expertise in deep learning, large language models, and foundational model development.
• You have hands-on experience with Transformer-based architectures.
• You are proficient in Python, TensorFlow/PyTorch, and cloud-based AI frameworks and tools.
• You can collaborate across disciplines and translate research into impactful product features.
• You have a strong ability to work across the full process of training multimodal LLMs, from pre-training to fine-tuning.
• You are experienced with leveraging automated and human evaluations.
• You are well-versed in Computer Science/Engineering fundamentals, including system design, data structures, architecture, and design patterns.
• You are proficient in Python and familiar with ML technologies like Jupyter Notebook.
• You have a good understanding of the life cycle of machine learning models.
• You are a strong communicator, capable of documenting and presenting ideas clearly to share knowledge across Canva.

About the team

At Canva, we believe that AI can unlock new levels of creative potential. The AI Research Group pioneers and applies advancements in Generative AI to build cutting-edge models that power unique new features. You’ll be working in a small, high-autonomy team focused on training new foundational models that integrate seamlessly with Canva’s unique design ecosystem. We collaborate closely with engineers, designers, and product managers to unlock new AI-driven experiences that empower hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

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 policy that supports all parents & carers.
• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your well-being, social connection, office setup & more.
• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge, and support you personally.

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!

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.