Head of Technology and Product FP&A

About the role

This role is responsible for leading the financial strategy that underpins Canva's technical infrastructure, encompassing cloud architecture, compute resources, GPU provisioning, and artificial intelligence investments. You will serve as a primary financial advisor to engineering and product leadership, ensuring disciplined capital allocation as the organization advances toward an AI-native operating model. The position requires synthesizing complex technical initiatives into clear financial frameworks that support sustainable growth and operational efficiency. You will own the development of long-term financial narratives that align infrastructure capabilities with corporate strategy. This role drives accountability for technical spend through rigorous planning and analysis. You will foster collaboration across technical and finance teams to maintain financial integrity in decision-making. The successful candidate will mentor finance professionals to elevate the overall capability of the FP&A function.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Orchestrate financial planning, forecasting, and stewardship for a multi-billion dollar technical cost base, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.
• Engineer driver-based models for infrastructure and GPU capacity planning that directly correlate with product usage patterns and unit economics.
• Partner with technical teams to optimize AI training and inference costs while de-risking infrastructure exposure and capital commitments.
• Architect and sustain cost allocation and chargeback methodologies to establish a single source of truth for technical spend across the organization.
• Synthesize long-term company strategy into actionable plans for AI and infrastructure investments, bridging strategic vision with operational reality.
• Design and implement executive-level reporting cadences and planning frameworks that provide clarity on technical financial performance.
• Liaise with accounting, tax, and treasury departments to support broader finance goals and ensure cohesive financial management.
• Develop and mentor a team of finance professionals, scaling their capabilities to meet the evolving demands of a high-growth technology environment.
• Evaluate financial implications of infrastructure decisions, translating technical dynamics into narratives that resonate with engineering and infrastructure leaders.
• Monitor market trends in AI and compute economics to proactively adjust financial strategies and maintain competitive advantage.
• Lead scenario analyses and profitability assessments for new infrastructure projects, enabling informed investment choices.
• Establish governance frameworks that enhance transparency and accountability for technical expenditure at scale.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising product innovation or performance.
• Drive the development of financial tools and dashboards that provide real-time insights into infrastructure and AI spend.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience leading and scaling FP&A teams with a focus on Technology, Product, Infrastructure, or Cost of Goods Sold.
• Possess a background working within a US public company environment, navigating associated financial governance and reporting standards.
• Show expertise in cloud economics, compute resource management, GPU utilization, and AI cost structures.
• Exhibit the ability to translate intricate technical dynamics into coherent financial narratives for engineering and infrastructure stakeholders.
• Proven commercial judgment and strategic problem-solving skills in complex, fast-paced environments.
• Have experience managing senior stakeholders and driving financial performance amidst rapidly changing business conditions.
• Display strong ownership of financial outcomes and a commitment to data-driven decision-making.
• Show proficiency in advanced financial modeling and analysis within a technical context.
• Demonstrate the capacity to operate effectively in an ambiguous, fast-moving startup environment.
• Highlight a track record of collaboration with technical teams to influence strategic financial decisions.

Skills & tools

• Financial planning and forecasting
• Capacity modeling
• Cloud and compute economics
• AI inference and training cost analysis
• Cost allocation and chargeback methodologies
• Strategic capital allocation

Practical notes

• The company offers equity packages and an inclusive parental leave policy.
• An annual Vibe and Thrive allowance is provided for wellbeing and office setup.
• Flexible leave options are available.
• Interviews are conducted virtually.
• Please include your pronouns and any requirements for reasonable adjustments in your application.

About the company

Canva is an online design and visual communication platform with a mission to empower everyone to design anything. Founded by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams in 2013, Canva has over 190 million monthly active users and was valued at $26 billion in 2024.