Design Director, Brand & Experiential - 10 Month fixed term Contract

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.
Hey, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora, 你好, hallo, vítejte!
Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time consuming and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.
Where and how you can work
Our flagship campus is in Sydney. We also have a campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. But you have choice in where and how you work, we trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.
What you'd be doing in this role
As Canva scales change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this will likely evolve.
We're looking for a Brand and Experiential Design Director to help elevate Canva's brand experience across events, activations, and brand design projects. You'll lead the charge in creating culturally resonant, on-brand experiences that showcase Canva's ability to stay at the forefront of design, technology, and community. From flagship events to impactful brand moments, you'll bring innovative ideas to life across physical, digital, and experiential touch points.
As a conceptual thinker and hands-on leader, you'll collaborate with cross-functional teams and agencies to deliver polished, cutting-edge designs that inspire and engage. Your role will include everything from shaping briefs and creating cohesive assets to mentoring creatives and ensuring projects are executed to the highest standard. With a portfolio of world-class work, you'll champion a culture of feedback, proactively solve design challenges, and maintain Canva's design excellence.
You'll thrive in this role if you're deeply connected to art, design, and cultural trends, can work autonomously, and have the ability to lead complex projects with clarity and confidence. This is your opportunity to leave a lasting impact by crafting experiences that define Canva's brand and push creative boundaries.
At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Leading creative direction across experiential for both internal and external events. You love ideating new ways to bring our brand to life in physical experiences and creating world class events.
• Collaborating cross-functionally. Partner with teams across Canva - including Education, Product, B2B Marketing, Campaign Creative and Partnerships - to develop immersive, memorable and effect experiences
• Bringing big ideas to life With expertise in experiential design and brand, develop compelling experiences that humanise our product, connect with our community and embed Canva's brand in culture, creating memorable experiences that reach audiences worldwide
• Mentoring and inspire a creative team lead a team of 2D and 3D creatives and collaborate closely with copywriters, motion designers, videographers, photographers, and event marketers to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and high-quality creative
• Champion Canva's brand and goals Play a key role in shaping Canva's brand, creating inspiring, memorable and beautifully executed experiences that solidify our presence in the hearts and minds of global audience, helping to establish Canva as a thought leader and setting industry standing for experiential creative
• Engaging with stakeholders and articulate creative decisions Build strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and external agency partners, clearly articulating our strategic and creative decisions and feedback, managing expectations and ensuring alignment on creative strategies that support Canva's mission and values

You're probably a match if:

• You are comfortable navigating ambiguity. You excel in finding solutions without perfect precedents, confidently guiding projects to clarity and execution even in dynamic, evolving environments.
• You are passionate about continuous growth. With a commitment to learning and evolving, you seek out new challenges, view collaboration with skilled peers as inspiring, and continuously push into the next big opportunity to refine both creative and leadership skills.
• You are a collaborative and team-oriented leader. You believe in a "We, not Me" approach, building trusted relationships, fostering an empowering environment, and leading a team to do their best work while enjoying the process. You mentor junior designers and support their growth, ensuring each team member feels valued and motivated.
• You are balanced in creativity and strategy. You bring a combination of creative vision and strategic thinking, moving seamlessly between big-picture ideas and pixel-perfect craft to deliver high-quality work on all fronts.
• You are an exceptional communicator and mentor. Strong cross-functional communication skills enable you to brainstorm, facilitate workshops, provide constructive feedback, and clearly articulate ways to improve creative work. You lead by example, mentoring others to reach their full potential.
• You are hands-on and action-driven. You're willing to roll up your sleeves and contribute to any task that supports the team's effectiveness and accelerates goals, embodying a bias for action and team success.
• You are driven to achieve excellence. With a high standard for design quality, you constantly pursue excellence in yourself and your work, creating visually compelling designs that connect Canva's brand with diverse demographics and personas.
• You are equipped with extensive design and leadership experience. You bring extensive experience in brand design, supported by an outstanding portfolio showcasing diverse projects across brand, motion, and product design-a plus if it includes brands in motion. Your experience includes leading design teams, guiding creative strategy, and managing cross-functional relationships to deliver impactful work.

About the team
Canva's in-house creative team is on a mission to make Canva the most loved brand in the world. We work from concept to creation on world-class creative across brand communications, marketing campaigns, editorial content and production.
As part of this team you'll help create a brand that communicates our purpose, defines perception and awareness globally, and puts a spotlight on our diverse community- ensuring they receive a human, inspiring and empowering experience.
We move fast here at Canva, and this role will certainly keep you on your toes. We are looking for someone who loves to get stuff done. You're who we want to work with if you can balance your brilliant creative streak with ruthless prioritisation that moves projects rapidly along.
We believe in attracting and nurturing world-class talent with a focus on diversity, community, career development - and doing the best work of our lives.
What's in it for you?
Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard - and we do - but you'll experience lots of moments of magic, connectivity and fun woven throughout life at Canva, too. We also offer a range of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.
Here's a taste of what's on offer:

• Equity packages - we want our success to be yours too
• Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers
• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge and supports you personally

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.
Other stuff to know
We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.
We celebrate all types of skills and backgrounds at Canva so even if you don't feel like your skills quite match what's listed above - we still want to hear from you!
Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.