AI Program Manager - Localisation (12-Month Contract)

Introduction

Join our team pioneering a new way to experience design globally. Based primarily in Sydney with campuses and spaces across several Australian cities, we offer flexible work arrangements that empower individuals and teams to excel.

About the Team

The International Supergroup is a dynamic, cross-functional collective focused on advancing growth and enhancing user adoption in key markets worldwide. Our goal is to help every user feel Canva was made for them, making the brand a beloved cultural icon in every country.

Role Overview

This position is fundamentally centered on program management, presenting an opportunity to lead a vital challenge: ensuring Canva's GenAI localization resonates with users' native languages. As the chief coordinator, you will unite multiple teams including product, research, country teams, evaluation experts, and external partners to transform a complex and ambiguous challenge into a clear and actionable plan.

Your time will consist largely of program leadership and operational management (about 70-80%), including setting strategic direction and building systems to assess and improve localization quality at scale. The remaining 20-30% will involve engaging sufficiently with hands-on tasks to identify data patterns and communicate effectively with technical teams. While expertise in localization or model training is not required, exceptional organizational and cross-functional collaboration skills are essential.

This is a fixed-term contract lasting 12 months.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and execution of Canva’s GenAI localization objectives, maintaining cohesive plans, timelines, and team alignment.
• Design and support scalable evaluation operations, incorporating human review processes using platforms like Label Studio across multiple languages and establishing frameworks for automated evaluations.
• Manage the contingent workforce of labellers and external vendors, including planning capacity and upholding quality benchmarks.
• Collaborate with GenAI evaluation teams to define standards for high-quality localization.
• Create simple dashboards and tools for tracking quality and identifying issues, including hands-on coding to prototype solutions.
• Analyze localization quality data to identify trends and translate findings into practical recommendations for technical teams.
• Communicate clear updates on progress, risks, and decisions to stakeholders at all levels, from reviewers to senior leadership.

Candidate Profile

• Experienced program or operations leader adept at navigating ambiguity and bringing structure to complex projects.
• Proven track record of managing intricate cross-functional initiatives requiring coordination of teams outside direct management.
• Comfortable with data and AI concepts such as large language model evaluation metrics (RAG, BLEU, COMET) sufficient to engage technical colleagues effectively without needing to have trained models themselves.
• Skilled at overseeing a workforce of reviewers and vendors without compromising quality standards.
• Adept at switching between detailed day-to-day operational tasks and broad leadership communications seamlessly.
• Demonstrated ability to lead AI or transformational programs from inception through to deployment at an enterprise level, creating repeatable systems from scratch.
• Backgrounds fitting this role typically include program management, AI program or transformation leadership, principal program management, or product operations.
• Multilingual abilities are highly advantageous.

Diversity and Equity

We make recruitment decisions focused on candidates' experience, expertise, enthusiasm, and potential contributions to both our culture and company. Applicants are encouraged to share their preferred pronouns and any accommodations needed for the interview process. We welcome applications from diverse skills and backgrounds, even if some criteria are unmet.

Interviews will be conducted virtually.