Canva · 1 day ago
Principal Video Engineer - Design Experience (Bay area only)
San Francisco
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/StaffCanva is a company redefining how the world experiences design. As a Principal Video Engineer, you will lead the technical direction for video technology across the platform, influencing performance and user experience for millions of users.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Graphic DesignPhoto EditingPublishingSoftwareWeb Design
Responsibilities
You'll architect and lead the technical direction for Canva's entire video technology stack, making critical design decisions that balance performance, scalability, and user experience across millions of daily video exports
You'll collaborate closely with tenured and experienced Principal/Staff engineers to establish technical standards and best practices, while gradually assuming ownership of video-specific architectural decisions
You'll design and implement high-performance rendering systems using modern graphics technologies, optimising video composition pipelines that need to handle complex designs with sub-second responsiveness
You'll solve complex technical challenges around video export costs, rendering performance, and system reliability, using your deep understanding of video technology to make trade-offs that maximise both technical excellence and business impact
You'll establish technical vision and roadmaps for video technology that enable innovative features like AI-powered effects, advanced international language support, and next-generation video editing capabilities
You'll mentor and technically guide other engineers on video-related projects, sharing your expertise in video systems architecture and helping the team execute on ambitious technical initiatives
Qualification
Required
Deep expertise in video technology and digital content creation tooling, with hands-on experience building video editing, composition, or similar creative software
Strong system architecture and technical leadership skills, with experience designing scalable systems that can handle millions of users
Industry connections and open-source contributions in video/graphics technology, demonstrating your engagement with the broader technical community
Experience with cross-platform development and engine consolidation, particularly in environments that require maintaining multiple codebases
Benefits
Equity packages
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 support you personally
Company
Canva
Canva is an online design and visual communication platform that provides design tools for non-designers.
Founded in 2013
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Canva has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (4)
2024 (4)
2023 (1)
2022 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$2.51BKey Investors
FidelityQuadrant Private EquityStack Capital
2025-08-20Secondary Market
2024-10-31Secondary Market
2024-05-02Secondary Market· $328.51M
Leadership Team
Melanie Perkins
CEO & Co-founder
Cameron Adams
Co-founder & Chief Product Officer
Recent News
Crunchbase News
2026-01-06
felicis.com
2025-12-30
Company data provided by crunchbase