Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

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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 head office is in Sydney, Australia, but San Francisco is now home to our US operations.  The role is listed as hybrid, meaning we are incredibly flexible and empower you to work where you prefer - whether that's at home or at the office. 

About the Role

At Canva, we’re building a future powered by AI that’s as magical as it is impactful. As a Staff Research Scientist, you’ll shape that future by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with foundational models and leading research that translates into practical, scalable impact. This role blends hands-on model development with strategic research leadership — from exploring new architectures to influencing product direction through scientific breakthroughs.

You’ll operate at the intersection of innovation and impact, helping set our long-term AI research agenda while ensuring our work lands in the hands of millions of users around the world.

What you’ll do

• Lead high-impact research initiatives that drive the development of foundational models across Canva’s AI domains
• Design and execute experiments to validate hypotheses, optimize model behavior, and measure real-world performance
• Translate theoretical research and papers into robust, production-ready implementations
• Develop novel model architectures and training methodologies that advance state-of-the-art outcomes
• Partner closely with ML Engineers to scale models and integrate them into Canva’s product ecosystem
• Shape our research roadmap by identifying emerging trends, technologies, and open challenges
• Share your knowledge internally through documentation and cross-team collaborations, and externally through papers or talks where appropriate

Who you are:

You’re someone who thrives in ambiguity, loves connecting deep research with product application, and has a proven track record of driving scientific and technical excellence at scale. You can balance the long-term vision with practical delivery — influencing roadmaps, mentoring others, and making bold research bets when needed.

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Deep & demonstrated expertise in machine learning and foundational model development -particularly in areas like LLMs, vision-language models, generative AI, or multi-modal systems
• Experience in developing and deploying generative AI models for video synthesis and audio generation
• A strong publication record or evidence of research impact in industry
• Experience owning research strategy and execution end-to-end — from problem formulation through to real-world deployment
• Proficiency in turning complex theoretical ideas into something tangible, and evaluating them with rigor
• Collaborative mindset — you work exceptionally well with engineers, product teams, and other researchers

What you’ll learn and how you’ll grow

• Deep involvement in Canva’s long-term AI strategy and foundational model direction
• Opportunities to mentor and level up our research community
• Exposure to product impact at truly global scale (we’re talking hundreds of millions of users)
• Dedicated time for self-driven research exploration and experimentation