Canva
HR Business Partner Director - International
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Senior Strategic HR Business Partner
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Where and How You Can Work
This role is based at our London campus, and we operate in a hybrid working model. Our Canvanauts are trusted to choose the work setup that empowers them—and their teams—to achieve goals effectively.
The Opportunity
We’re seeking a Senior Strategic HR Business Partner to help build Canva’s international organisation. You’ll collaborate directly with the Head of International and their leadership team, addressing a broad spectrum of international people challenges—from performance culture, organisational design, through to talent outcomes and leadership capability.
Your responsibilities include:
- Developing a performance culture that scales across markets.
- Ensuring consistency in leadership development, talent management, and People programs at scale.
- Applying resilience, systems thinking, and adaptability to Canva’s dynamic, hyper-growth environment.
- Balancing between strategic insight and hands-on execution—when to dive deep, when to scale wide.
We need someone with a proven track record of people partnering in complex, multi-market environments. Instead of just implementing global HR programs, this role excels in setting direction, enabling leaders, and driving strategic outcomes. You’ll understand that successful impact means meeting leaders where they are, building trust, and ensuring high-impact work lands effectively.
What You’ll Do
International Business Partnering
- Serve as a senior People Partner to the Head of International and the International leadership team.
- Develop a deep business understanding, earn trust quickly, and partner across organisational design, workforce planning, talent management, and culture initiatives.
- Provide strategic input on team effectiveness, leadership development, growth frameworks, and a high-performance culture that scales globally.
- Collaborate with the Talent Acquisition (TA) team to drive talent density, anticipate hiring needs, and refine strategies that align with growth ambitions.
- Ensure global People programs generate real impact in diverse markets, balancing unified frameworks with local nuance.
- Develop shared frameworks and ways of working while preserving adaptability for different regions.
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Performance Culture & People Strategy
- Own the end-to-end People strategy for International.
- Build frameworks that align the leadership team, making them real-world actionable.
- Introduce a consistent performance culture across global markets—ensuring leaders have tools, language, and support for effective performance management.
- Define what “great” looks like and hold stakeholders to a high standard.
Change & Transformation
- Help protect Canva’s culture as the organisation expands into new markets. Growth is sustainable only if culture scales with it.
- Collaborate with leaders and teams to ensure new hires are culturally equipped—not just onboarded into processes.
- Spot early signs of culture drift, diagnose issues, and guide leaders in course-correcting.
- Navigate frequent changes (such as new markets, structures, and leaders) with confidence, helping the organisation stay ahead of ambiguity.
What You’ll Bring
- HR Business Partnering experience in hypergrowth, fast-paced environments.
- Deep expertise in core HR disciplines: performance management, organisational design, leadership development, talent management, and change management.
- A proven ability to support internationally or geographically distributed businesses.
- Situational credibility: Build trusted relationships with senior leaders (including C-level stakeholders), and strategic impact as a trusted business partner.
- Embedding performance culture, not just managing processes—demonstrated capability to balance tactical and strategic roles.
- Commercial acumen: Align People decisions directly to business outcomes and articulate the value clearly (“so what” mindset).
- Proactive, resilient, and thrive in ambiguity—always driven to elevate possibility.
- Exceptional judgement and prioritisation skills in managing competing demands across multiple markets.
- High emotional intelligence & cultural adaptability: Able to engage effectively across multiple contexts, recognising that one-size-fits-all approaches don’t work.
- Champion innovation in People practices, continually improving workplace culture.
- A high-energy, influential embodiment of Canva’s values—you’re a trusted partner to everyone, not just leadership. Message clarity scales across audiences.
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What’s in It for You?
At Canva, we balance crazy ambition with moments of magic, connection, and enjoyment. Our ranging benefits are designed to set you up for both professional and personal success.
Benefits Include:
- Equity packages – Share in Canva’s success.
- Inclusive parental leave policy – Supports all parents and carers.
- Annual “Vibe & Thrive” allowance – Invest in your well-being, social life, and professional growth.
- Flexible leave – Take time to recharge or contribute to meaningful causes.
- On-demand learning library – From AI/ML School and Canva Product Skills to internal coaching.
For more info, check lifeatcanva.com.
Other Important Notes
- We assess applications based on experience, skills, and passion; how your candidature enhances Canva’s culture matters too.
- When applying, include your pronouns and any reasonable adjustments you may require during interviews.
- All interviews are conducted virtually.
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