Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Canva | WORK180
Canva’s Commitment and Mission
At Canva, we celebrate diversity. We deeply believe that bringing together diversity of thoughts, perspectives and expression is key to building the best product, team and company. We look for many different skills and abilities, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. So, even if you don’t think you quite meet all of the skills listed or tick all the boxes, we’d still love to hear from you!
Our mission at Canva is to empower the world to design and since launching in 2013, we have grown exponentially, amassing over 86 million monthly active users across 190 different countries and a team of over 3,000 people… and the best bit is that we’ve only achieved 1% of what we know we’re capable of.
Join us and design your future.
About the role
This role will be responsible for establishing, scaling, and implementing Canva’s global public policy and government affairs function, with an initial focus on Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region. You will be passionate about Canva and have experience in and be excited about the technology and startup ecosystem. Success here will require a flexible personality (things change fast at Canva!) and a strong ability to make complex things simple to effectively communicate complicated policy and regulatory matters to the business.
What you'll do:
Build and scale our global public policy and government affairs function in close collaboration with partners in the Legal and Communications teams.
Own, develop and execute our public policy and government affairs strategies on topics including privacy, security, law enforcement access, tax, digital legislation, immigration and global talent programs and monitor other key developments in global tech policies and regulations.
Form relationships with political and regulatory stakeholders including policymakers, journalists and administrative authorities.
Represent Canva in the media, at regulatory hearings and at roundtables, as an official spokesperson on behalf of the company on public policy matters.
Become familiar with all aspects of our business and participate in key trade associations that are critical to advancing our public policy and business objectives in a manner consistent with our values.
Collaborate with our product and privacy counsel team to provide guidance on product launches, security, data and privacy-related matters.
Monitor legislation and regulatory matters and advise Canva’s leadership team with respect to policy challenges that have the potential to impact our business.
Build and scale an impactful team of passionate public policy professionals in jurisdictions across the globe, with an initial focus on Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region.
Work closely with our Communications function to shape the development of policy communications, thought leadership and Canva’s public policy profile in the community and the press.
Advise cross-functional teams on public policy matters to guide development of products, services and policies across the company.
What we are looking for:
A highly effective communicator with a previous track record of developing and maintaining strategic relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders, hopefully including some time at a rapidly growing technology company.
Past experience working with government leaders, an extensive network across government and industry and the ability to conceive and execute policy campaigns.
A strong public policy and legislative background of at least 10 years, with validated experience in crafting clear policy positions in response to complex and nuanced challenges.
A solid understanding of global geopolitics, including a deep understanding across Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region, preferably with direct knowledge in privacy, security, tax, immigration, or digital legislation.
You have a proven record of building and scaling high-performing teams across multiple markets.
You have experience working in fast-paced and complex stakeholder environments, with the ability to consistently achieve goals and turn projects from ambiguity to clarity.
A keen interest in technology policy, and Australia and New Zealand’s domestic and foreign policy positions.
Ability to quickly get up to speed on complex technical and regulatory issues.
You have a strong desire to roll your sleeves up and proactively get things done – no task is too small and we all work together on whatever we need to do in order to achieve our goals.
Good humor, modesty, and high levels of empathy.
Working at Canva
Our culture is unlike anywhere else and we design your #CanvaLife experience to empower you to do the best work of your life.
Whether you’re in the office, working from home or choosing your own adventure, our benefits for permanent Canvanauts include:
Equity packages for you to truly be a part of the Canva journey.
We have a hybrid work model (in-office & from home), with our offices are always open to you balancing flexibility and connection
Flexible leave so you can recharge, give back, support others or focus on your own professional development.
Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents and carers throughout their parenting and caring journey.
An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance. This is for you to spend on whatever will support your wellbeing and development.. because you know what you need to Vibe and Thrive, better than anyone.
Virtual and in-office wellness benefits including Canva University, Employee Assistant Programs and Fitness & Meditation Classes.
Canva For Good program matching your not-for-profit donations, Force for Good leave (3 paid volunteering days) and a range of sustainability and ethical initiatives to get involved in.
We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. Please note that interviews are conducted virtually. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.
