Staff Software Engineer - Mobile Platform (Rust)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Hybrid) · Full Time
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- Salary
- —
- Openings
- 1
- Posted
- 4 weeks ago
- Work mode
- Hybrid
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Job description
About the Role and Team
Join Canva's innovative Mobile Platform team in Sydney, where you'll help reshape how design is experienced globally. This role blends system programming with deep mobile expertise to drive the future of Canva on iOS and Android devices. You'll contribute to foundational portable libraries written in Rust and C++, powering millions of users seamlessly across multiple platforms.
Work Environment
Our Sydney campus in Surry Hills offers a collaborative and inspiring workspace. This position is Sydney-based with a flexible hybrid working model, allowing remote work balanced with essential on-site collaboration to foster strong team connections.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of portable libraries that operate consistently across iOS, Android, and web platforms, crafting interfaces, safety models, and developer ergonomics for broad runtime consumption.
- Develop high-performance, robust foundational libraries using system-level languages such as Rust and C++.
- Collaborate with fellow Staff engineers to influence the technical direction of the mobile platform, while actively coding rather than solely architecting.
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to frontend engineers unfamiliar with Rust, ensuring the usability of the libraries you create.
- Engage in rigorous technical discussions, remain open to new ideas, and set high standards by leading through example as a senior individual contributor without direct reports.
Qualifications and Skills
- Proven experience developing production-level mobile applications on both iOS and Android platforms, with keen insight into their similarities and differences.
- Substantial production experience in Rust programming, especially for building portable libraries.
- Track record of operating effectively in ambiguous scenarios, defining problems, proposing solutions, and experimenting confidently.
- Expertise in cross-platform development, understanding memory safety, ABI boundaries, and foreign function interface ergonomics.
- Strong written communication skills for authoring actionable design documentation.
- Familiarity with AI integrations within engineering workflows and their impact on mobile and systems development.
- Technical knowledge including native interoperability for iOS, Android, and JavaScript runtimes, cross-platform architecture, library API design, and React Native runtime mechanics.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing live migrations of mature mobile products onto new architectures.
- Contributions to open-source projects such as React Native or Expo.
- Experience with mobile Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) and scalable over-the-air updates.
Benefits
- Opportunity to receive equity packages, aligning your success with the company's growth.
- Inclusive parental leave policies supporting all parents and carers.
- Annual allowance for wellbeing, social activities, and home office setup.
- Flexible leave arrangements promoting personal recharging and social good.
Additional Information
We value diversity and encourage applicants of all backgrounds, including those whose skills may not perfectly match the listing. Pronouns can be shared upon application, and reasonable interview accommodations are available. Interviews are conducted virtually. Candidates may engage with AI-based assessment challenges reflecting real-world tasks.