Frontend Engineer – Design Systems

Job 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. But you have choice in where and how you work. That means if you want to do your thing in the office (if you’re near one), at home or a bit of both, it’s up to you. 

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

• Build efficient and reusable frontend components and systems
• Collaborate with product designers and Figma designs to clearly understand all use cases while identifying engineering requirements
• Contribute to defining, improving, and codifying best practices and methodologies for frontend engineering at Canva
• Craft and present engaging presentations to the frontend specialty
• Communicate with other team members to figure out the best solutions to difficult problems
• Participate in design and code reviews
• Identify and address performance bottlenecks

You’re probably a match if have/are

• Experience developing rich web applications, ideally Typescript/React/MobX
• Working with a design system or maintaining components other teams depend on but an interest in the problem space goes a long way
• Practical knowledge of data structures and algorithms

Nice to have:

• Experience writing accessible code and reading detailed specifications (WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Experience in stakeholder communication or internal advocacy
• Cross-browser and cross-device development

About the Team

A design system is a collection of design guidelines, reusable user interface components, and related resources and tools.

The Design System Teams work on some of the biggest frontend problems like accessibility, theming, surface architecture, and curating the set of foundational base components that all frontend engineers use daily. You would help build the design system in a scalable and consistent way, keeping in mind users, designers, and engineers alike. We have a unique opportunity to build a world-class design system and revolutionise ways of working across design and frontend engineering at Canva.

About the Role

You’ll get hands-on experience writing reusable code and technical documentation to build intuitive user experiences and actively refactor core parts of the application to use a new component as part of road-testing it. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced engineer who knows how to both communicate well and design components that balance simplicity and flexibility.

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 stack 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 wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge and supports 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.

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.