Staff Front-End Engineer - Design Systems

Responsibilities

• Own the Portable UI Platform by shipping shared React components across web and React Native
• Abstract cross-platform complexity to provide portable-first capability for product teams
• Set technical standards for how portable components are built, distributed, and consumed
• Mentor engineers through design and code reviews and team decisions
• Influence product teams across the company to ensure adoption and alignment
• Lead strategic technical direction for the Design System Evolution team
• Evolve the design system to support AI-native workflows and visual language
• Shape frontend engineering best practices and methodologies at Canva

Requirements

• Experience developing or leading a design system
• Deep understanding of HTML, CSS, Web APIs, JS/TS, and React
• Hands-on experience with React Native and cross-platform UI/UX development
• Proven track record of shipping large, cross-functional projects at scale
• Strong communication and collaboration skills for working across teams
• Ability to break down large, ambiguous problems into structured decisions
• Commitment to technical excellence and continuous learning
• Interest in exploring AI applications for developer and design workflows
• Familiarity with accessibility principles

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in technical advocacy and driving significant technical change
• Background in stakeholder communication and internal advocacy
• Ability to write accessible code following WCAG 2.2 AA specifications
• Exposure to native or hybrid development environments

Benefits

• Equity packages
• Inclusive parental leave policy
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing and social connection
• Flexible leave options

About the Company

Canva is a global design platform. The Design System Evolution team works at the frontier of expanding design system capabilities to support emerging needs, unlocking new technologies, and setting technical standards for the frontend specialty.