Senior Executive Assistant

Job Description

Where and how you can work

Our flagship Sydney campus is uniquely Canva - an extension of our Surry Hills neighbourhood. It’s a thoughtfully designed space with plenty of room to collaborate, focus, and connect.

This role is based in Sydney, and we’re looking for someone who calls it home. Our hybrid way of working gives you the flexibility to work remotely, and to come together on campus for meaningful in-person collaboration and connection when it matters most. We trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.

About the team structure

Our Operations Partnering Speciality is dispersed throughout Canva, supporting our different functions to deliver on their big goals. This Speciality runs as a triad: a Chief of Staff (called Leadership Operations at Canva), who holds executive-layer context, an Operations Business Partner, who owns the Supergroup's broader cadences, priorities and initiatives, and an Admin Business Partner (that’s you!) who unlocks Lead capacity through exceptional 1:1 executive support. Both the Operations Business Partners and the Admin Business Partner report to the Leadership Operations, who then reports to the executive.

About the role

As Admin Business Partner (Executive Assistant) you'll design and own the operating system that helps your executive lead effectively. Managing their calendar, inbox, travel, and the judgement calls that come with protecting their time are all part of the key focus: making sure the right things get their attention and focus at the right moment.

This has real scope beyond traditional executive support. You'll be trusted to make calls independently, spot what needs attention before being asked, and help shape how the the exec and their leadership team operate, rather than just keeping things ticking along.

What you'll be doing

Own the Lead's day-to-day operations

• Run a calendar and inbox that's constantly shifting, exercising real judgement on what needs the Lead's attention now, what can wait, and what shouldn't land on their desk at all

• Navigate a dense web of relationships across other senior leaders' support teams, where protocol and discretion matter as much as logistics

• Plan and run the exec's travel, expenses and personal logistics end to end, so all of it is taken care of in the background

Keep the leadership rhythm running

• Own the prep behind your exec’s leadership team's meeting cadence, translating what's happening across the org into what the exec and their Leads need to walk in ready in partnership with Leadership Operations

• Play a critical role in the operational drumbeat of the org, helping to coordinate major moments such as global events, offsites and key launches

• Build and maintain scalable workflows for recurring processes (e.g. approvals, planning rhythms, tracking mechanisms)

• Continuously identify friction points, diagnose root causes and redesign underlying processes to improve how the org operates

• Coordinate across stakeholders to ensure timelines, milestones and deliverables stay on track

Support the wider team and its culture

• Make recognition part of the rhythm, not an afterthought: running things so achievements, milestones and departures actually get seen

• Plan moments that bring the team together, like Force for Good (charity) days and other get-togethers

• Handle the personal touches that make people feel looked after: organising gifts, writing notes, and marking what matters to them

• Handle sensitive or fast-moving people matters with real discretion, given that almost everything crossing this desk is high-stakes and complex

You'll probably be a match if

• You have 5+ years' experience partnering 1:1 with a senior leader, and can point to specific examples of protecting their time or capacity at real scale

• You've owned a defined project or process end-to-end, not just supported one

• You're genuinely comfortable holding a lot of moving pieces at once, and can prioritise under pressure without dropping the details that matter

• You build trust quickly across a wide network, from senior leaders down to other ABPs and Ops partners, and know when to lean on that network rather than solving everything on your own

• You're happy operating with real autonomy, including making judgment calls before checking in, when the situation calls for it

• You're keen to take on the small stuff just as readily as the big visible wins, and jump in to help a teammate whenever it's needed

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 stack 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.