Staff Security Engineer- AI Security (remote across Australia)

Company Description

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.

We’re building a specialized AI Security capability to address the unique challenges that come with deploying AI and machine learning at scale. As a Staff Security Engineer, you’ll operate at the intersection of security engineering and AI innovation - pioneering new approaches to emerging AI security challenges and driving novel research into evolving threats and attack techniques. You’ll serve as a technical authority across Canva, setting strategic direction for AI security and defining the frameworks, standards, and secure-by-design patterns that enable safe AI adoption across both our product and broader business landscape. You’ll be working closely with engineering, product, AI research, and business stakeholders in a high-impact role where you’ll shape how Canva secures AI both now and for the future.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Define the strategic direction and security frameworks for AI systems at scale, and lead the design and implementation of controls across model training pipelines, inference endpoints, and AI-powered features across Canva's platform
• Lead novel research into emerging AI security threats and attack vectors, and drive threat modelling, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing focused on risks such as prompt injection, model poisoning, and data extraction
• Serve as the technical authority for AI security across Canva by leading security reviews and code assessments for AI use cases, identifying risks and providing actionable recommendations to mitigate potential threats
• Drive the strategy and development of detection rules and response playbooks tailored to AI-specific security incidents and anomalous behaviour, ensuring they scale across Canva’s AI footprint
• Lead organisation-wide AI security standards and best practices by collaborating with stakeholders across the business (including executive leadership) to embed secure-by-design workflows, and mentor and guide other security engineers working on AI initiatives

You're probably a match if

• You bring deep technical expertise in AI security, with a track record of novel research and innovation - and the ability to apply that knowledge pragmatically to real-world challenges at scale.
• You have a proven ability to explore genuinely unknown security problems, think holistically across product and business contexts, and set strategic direction in a fast-moving, ambiguous space.
• You're a recognised technical authority and thought leader who can influence senior stakeholders, align cross-functional teams, and drive outcomes without a clear playbook.
• You balance risk, usability, and velocity intuitively - enabling safe AI adoption at scale without slowing down the teams building it.
• You're self-motivated and thrive in high-paced environments, bringing calm, high-leverage leadership when the path forward isn't obvious.
• You're a strong communicator and fast networker in large organisations, with the ability to build trust quickly across engineering, product, and executive stakeholders.
• You're invested in raising the bar for security across the organisation - mentoring other engineers and building durable frameworks that help teams ship securely and consistently.

About the team

We are Canva's Security Group, a team dedicated to protecting one of the world's most trusted design platforms and the millions of users who rely on it every day. The AI Security Team works at the forefront of AI, building novel solutions to security risk posed by the rapidly evolvin AI landscape. As Canva scales globally and integrates cutting-edge AI capabilities, we're evolving our security posture to stay ahead of emerging risks across all of Canva. We combine technical excellence with collaborative problem-solving, ensuring that security is embedded in everything we do. Our work directly enables Canva's mission to empower the world to design, keeping our platform secure, resilient, and trustworthy.

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 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 see AI as a powerful amplifier of creativity and technology at Canva. We’re evolving how we assess AI skills in our Technology hiring experience - you’ll tackle interactive, real-time challenges that reflect the kind of work we do. In some interviews, you may also be asked to solve a problem using an AI tool to show how you approach challenges with tech by your side. Your recruitment partner will walk you through what to expect.

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.