Senior Research Engineer - Datasets

Canva

San Francisco, CA

Full Time

Senior

220k-280k

17 days ago

Job Description

About the Role

At Canva, our mission is to empower the world to design. To ensure our generative AI models are truly helpful, we are seeking a talented Research Engineer to build the foundational datasets and systems that fuel our next-generation generative AI models and evaluation capabilities. In this foundational role, you will be the expert on what truly fuels our models: data. You'll own the end-to-end lifecycle of our critical datasets, from curating nuanced human feedback on design quality to pioneering machine learning for high-quality synthetic data generation. This unique position calls for a data-first thinker with a strong design sensibility, passionate about building the high-quality ground truth at scale that will define the future of creativity by ensuring our models align with human taste and intent.

Key Responsibilities

Design and build scalable pipelines for processing and curating large datasets of human design feedback.
Research and develop ML models to generate high-quality synthetic data for training and fine-tuning.
Own the design and implementation of human evaluation workflows, including creating guidelines and quality rubrics.
Prepare datasets for automated evaluation systems and conduct deep analysis of their outputs to provide robust signals on model performance and human alignment.
Design and analyze experiments to measure the real-world impact of our models on design quality.
Conduct deep-dive analyses into model performance to identify failure modes and guide future development.

Requirements

A strong aesthetic sense, with a background or demonstrated passion for visual design or human-computer interaction.
Strong proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow).
Extensive experience with designing and implementing large-scale data processing workflows using libraries like Pandas and data warehousing solutions such as Snowflake.
Solid understanding of statistical methods, including experimental design, A/B testing, and quality evaluation systems.
Experience with generative AI and synthetic data generation is highly desirable.

Nice to Have

Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) for data storage, processing, and MLOps related to dataset management.
Experience with MLOps practices and tools specifically for data versioning, lineage, and pipeline automation.
Ability to develop data visualization or data collection interfaces (e.g., TypeScript, Python).

Qualifications

Not explicitly specified, but implied: relevant experience or background in data science, machine learning, or related fields.

Benefits & Perks

Equity packages - we want our success to be yours too.
Health benefits plans to support you and your wellbeing.
401(k) retirement plan with company contribution.
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 support you personally.

Working at Canva

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. We value fairness and strive to provide competitive, market-informed compensation while ensuring internal equity. We trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals. We offer flexibility in how and where you work, with offices in Sydney and San Francisco, and a culture that encourages achieving big goals with moments of magic, connectivity, and fun throughout life at Canva.

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