Staff Software Engineer - Video Performance - (Bay area only)

Canva
San Francisco
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeUSD 251,000 - 329,000 annuallyFunction: Software EngineeringSkills: ["Performance optimization","Systems thinking","Collaboration","Data-driven decision-making","Influencing partners"]

Lead end-to-end performance strategy for video creation, improving timeline scrubbing, real-time preview, export, and rendering. Profile and optimize critical paths in Canva’s C++ native engine, shaders, and ML-powered effect pipelines to reduce latency and memory footprint. Build observability systems and automated regression suites across Web, iOS, and Android, define performance metrics for user-perceived fluidity, and collaborate with Video Engine and AI teams to evolve architecture using hardware acceleration APIs.

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FursaFursa
Canva
Canva
4 days ago

Staff Software Engineer - Video Performance - (Bay area only)

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Canonical indexed version, validated from employer's careers page.

Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 17 hours agoStatus: Live
Reposted: similar role first listed 5 months ago

Job Summary

Lead end-to-end performance strategy for video creation, improving timeline scrubbing, real-time preview, export, and rendering. Profile and optimize critical paths in Canva’s C++ native engine, shaders, and ML-powered effect pipelines to reduce latency and memory footprint. Build observability systems and automated regression suites across Web, iOS, and Android, define performance metrics for user-perceived fluidity, and collaborate with Video Engine and AI teams to evolve architecture using hardware acceleration APIs.
Location: San Francisco
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time · Permanent
Job Function: Software Engineering
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Lead end-to-end performance strategy across the video creation lifecycle, identifying bottlenecks and driving measurable improvements from timeline scrubbing to export and rendering.
  • •Profile and optimize critical paths in the C++ native engine, GLSL/HLSL shaders, and ML-powered effect pipelines to reduce latency and memory footprint.
  • •Design and build observability systems, including internal profiling tools and automated regression suites that capture performance metrics across Web, iOS, and Android.
  • •Define and own performance metrics tied to user-perceived fluidity and creative flow, ensuring performance remains a first-class product feature.
  • •Collaborate with Video Engine and AI engineers to evolve system architecture for improved parallelism, cache locality, and asynchronous processing, leveraging hardware acceleration APIs.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 251,000 - 329,000 annually
Equity and Bonus:Equity
Perks:EquityHealth Insurance401kParental LeaveLearning BudgetPaid Leave

Key Requirements

  • •Treat performance as a product feature and optimize complex, multi-threaded systems while balancing latency, memory, and maintainability.
  • •Have strong proficiency in C++ and experience optimizing systems that span frontend, backend, and native engines.
  • •Demonstrate strong understanding of CPU/GPU architectures, memory hierarchies, and SIMD.
  • •Be fluent in profiling and diagnostics, using tools such as Perf, Instruments, Chrome DevTools, Systrace, or custom telemetry.
  • •Have experience with multimedia fundamentals including video codecs (H.264/5, VP9, AV1), container formats, and frame-accurate seeking/composition.
Skills:Performance optimizationSystems thinkingCollaborationData-driven decision-makingInfluencing partners
Languages:English
Tech Stack:C++RustGLSLHLSLMLOpenGLMetalVulkanWebGPUPerfInstrumentsChrome DevToolsSystraceTelemetryVideo codecsH.264/5VP9AV1Profiling toolsRegression suites

Company Brief

Canva
Canva is an online visual communications platform that provides drag-and-drop design tools, templates, and media assets for creating presentations, social media graphics, videos, documents and more, serving individuals and large enterprises globally.
Industry: Enterprise Software
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Scaleup
Valuation: Decacorn (USD 10B+)
Funding: Series E+
Headquarters: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Founded: 2012
Glassdoor
Glassdoor: 3.9
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