Principal Partner Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Principal Partner Engineer (AI): Driving technical strategy and alignment between Canva’s ecosystem platform and major AI partners with an accent on API design, MCP integration, and platform architecture. Focus on translating complex partner requirements into runnable code artifacts and shaping the future of agentic AI connectivity at scale.

Location: Must be based in the USA (Pacific Time hours required).

Compensation: $297,000 - $345,000 yearly.

Company

Canva is a global visual design platform redefining how the world creates and connects through design and AI-native tools.

What you will do

• Drive technical alignment and decision-making between external AI partners and internal engineering teams.
• Set the technical direction for Canva’s external platform surface, including MCP, REST APIs, and Apps platform.
• Validate proposed solutions by sketching working code and runnable artifacts to unblock engineering decisions.
• Lead technical relationships for flagship AI platform engagements, shaping roadmaps and driving architectural spikes.
• Ensure coherence across product-line engineering surfaces as new AI capabilities are integrated.
• Communicate platform direction to partners early to ensure proactive alignment with Canva’s evolving roadmap.

Requirements

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on the intersection of partner, platform, and product engineering.
• Deep technical expertise in the modern AI platform stack, including MCP, tool-use, and agentic API design.
• Proven ability to move fluidly between product roadmap discussions, system design, and partner negotiations.
• Experience shipping production-grade code on platforms used by external developers.
• Must be based in the USA and able to work Pacific Time hours.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to resolve technical misalignments through clear documentation.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience shipping or integrating with MCP (Anthropic, OpenAI, Copilot, or Gemini).
• Strong proficiency in TypeScript, with experience across React and server-side JavaScript.
• Ability to read Java backend codebases.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity packages to share in company success.
• Inclusive parental leave policy for all parents and carers.
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing and office setup.
• Flexible leave options to support work-life balance and personal recharge.