Canva is looking for a Machine Learning Engineering Manager to lead and grow a team of high-performing Machine Learning Engineers and Research Scientists based in Europe. In this role, you will set the strategic technical direction, coach others to deliver impactful engineering solutions, and ensure the deployment of robust, scalable ML systems into production.
What You'll Do
- Coach and mentor a high-performing team of Machine Learning Engineers and Research Scientists.
- Own the evaluation infrastructure; design, build, and maintain robust evaluation systems, quality metrics, safety monitoring, red-teaming, and competitive benchmarking to guarantee enterprise readiness.
- Build automated metrics that reliably predict human aesthetic judgment across dimensions like visual hierarchy, layout coherence, typography, and brand alignment.
- Advise on human evaluation pipelines and close the loop between user signals and model improvements.
- Set technical strategy in alignment with Canva's AI and product goals.
- Guide engineering direction across model deployment, evaluation infrastructure, and production systems.
- Partner cross-functionally to ensure ML capabilities translate into reliable product impact.
What We're Looking For
- A track record of leading machine learning engineering teams, coaching individuals, and delivering production systems.
- Expert knowledge in deploying and scaling generative models (Diffusion, GANs, VAEs, LLMs) in production environments with a strong focus on visual models (image, video, design).
- Hands-on experience building ML infrastructure, evaluation pipelines, and monitoring systems at scale.
- Proven skill in creating data-driven evaluation methodologies, turning user analytics and production metrics into clear, actionable insights.
- Strong systems design skills and experience with MLOps, model serving, and production reliability.
- Ability to thrive in collaborative environments and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences.
- A drive to stay current with both SOTA research trends and engineering best practices.
Nice to Have
- Experience with visual quality assessment, aesthetic modelling, or human preference learning – especially tackling the gap between automated metrics and human raters.
- An understanding of design principles (hierarchy, balance, typography, colour theory) well enough to operationalise them as measurable signals.
Benefits & Compensation
- Equity packages.
- Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers.
- An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing, social connection, home office setup & more.
- Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge and supports you personally.
Work Mode
This is a hybrid position based in London, UK.
We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture.
