Philippines Social Impact Lead

Job Description

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Kamusta, hey, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora, 你好, hallo, vítejte!

Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time consuming and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.

Where And How You Can Work

Our flagship campus is in Sydney, Australia, but with many of our Canvanauts calling the Philippines home, our office in Manila is a buzzing place. Whether your role needs you in the office, at home or a bit of both, we've created an environment that truly empowers you to thrive.

What You’d Be Doing In This Role

As Canva scales change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this will likely evolve.

As the PH Step 2 Lead, you’ll be at the forefront of Canva’s impact mission in the Philippines—building programs that unlock access to quality education and nurture a strong culture of volunteering and community connection. You’ll lead the design, execution, and measurement of our Step 2 initiatives across the country, turning ideas into action with a small but mighty team and collaborating closely with the PH Country Leadership, local community partners, and Canva’s global Step 2 and Foundation teams.

This role blends strategy with heart. You’ll deeply research and understand the local landscape to identify meaningful opportunities where Canva’s unique tools, people, and culture can drive scalable social impact. You’ll forge long-term partnerships with non-profits, lead campaigns that empower Canvanauts to give back, and create the systems and storytelling that inspire participation and track the difference we’re making together.

You’ll be both our local champion and global connector—ensuring our programs reflect the needs of Filipino communities while amplifying Canva’s mission to use design as a force for good.

At The Moment, This Role Is Focused On

• Owning and driving Canva’s Step 2 strategy in the Philippines, with the view to expanding to broader South East Asia soon, aligning global impact goals with local community needs.
• Designing and executing high-impact education and volunteering programs across the country—including regional initiatives, crisis responses, and skills-based volunteering.
• Leading partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, and community organisations through rigorous research, relationship-building, and joint program development.
• Championing impact measurement through data tracking, reporting, and storytelling that showcases Canva’s social return on investment.
• Representing Canva as the PH Step 2 spokesperson at events, panels, and conferences.
• Managing a high-performing team, fostering a strong volunteering culture, and collaborating cross-functionally with internal teams across Design, Marketing, People, and more.
• Owning budget planning, reporting, and stakeholder engagement with local and global leaders.
  
  
  

You're Probably a Match If

• You have 5+ years of program management experience—ideally in social impact, nonprofits, or corporate social responsibility.
• You’ve successfully launched and scaled community programs in the Philippines.
• You’re comfortable diving into research and data—using market insights and ecosystem mapping to shape strategy.
• You know how to build a business case, manage multiple budgets over ₱5M (~$100K+), and present ROI projections to senior leaders.
• You bring strong networks across education, government, and nonprofit sectors in the Philippines.
• You’ve led cross-sector partnerships and know how to evaluate, negotiate, and manage them to long-term success.
• You’re an inspiring people leader with experience coaching others and leading performance conversations.
• You think in systems—able to map complexity and identify leverage points for change.
• You bring first-principles problem-solving to complex social challenges and love building solutions from the ground up.
• You communicate clearly and confidently in both English and Filipino, in writing and in person.
  
  
  

Bonus Points If You Have

• Deep knowledge of the PH education ecosystem, especially in early childhood, crisis recovery, or skills development.
• Experience collaborating across cultures and time zones with global teams.
• A love for public speaking and external representation.
• Impact measurement chops, from framework design to data analysis.
• Startup or hypergrowth experience—you’re no stranger to ambiguity or rapid change.
  
  
  

About The Team

The Canva Foundation is the heart of our Step 2 mission—Canva’s commitment to using our resources, platform, and people to create lasting positive change. With approximately 30% of company value committed to social impact, the Foundation team works globally to empower nonprofits, champion access to quality education, meet basic human needs, and uplift local communities.

This role sits within a tight-knit, impact-driven team of 10, spanning our global campuses. In the Philippines, you’ll partner closely with local leadership and our Specialty Leads to bring initiatives to life on the ground, while collaborating with global teammates in Australia, the US, and Europe.

You’ll be part of a growing global movement inside Canva—where Step 2 Leads across regions share ideas, learnings, and inspiration to help drive real-world impact at scale.

What This Role Offers

• A direct role in shaping and delivering Canva’s social mission in the Philippines and broader SEA.
• The chance to build programs from the ground up with high trust and autonomy.
• Growth through global exposure, coaching, and professional development.
• A purpose-led team of Canvanauts who care deeply about making a difference.
  
  
  

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 range 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.