We’re looking for an experienced and highly technical leader to scale our HW engineering team.

Location: UK - hybrid (based in our London Euston office) or remote (1-2x a month in the office), we’re also open to exceptional remote candidates based in US or EU

About Yoto

Yoto is a screen-free interactive audio platform for kids. We make carefully connected audio players that kids control, with no microphones, cameras or ads. We have a catalogue of audio that inspires creative play and learning with 1,000+ titles in our card store from top creators, publishers and labels - think Disney, Marvel, Roald Dahl and Universal Music. We also create Yoto Originals like this one.

• Featured in Bloomberg’s 25 UK startups to watch in 2023.
• Ranked 9th in Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in 2024; and featured in the Sifted 100 fastest-growing startups across the UK&I by revenue growth.
• Second fastest growing tech company in the UK, in Deloitte Fast50 2023.
• Named one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Inventions of 2020
• We’re 140+ employees spread across the UK, US and France.. and growing!

We’re on a mission to be the soundtrack of childhood, and help families on their own unique adventures. By creating products that inspire independent play, we help families discover and grow with an inspiring world of audio - and we would like you to help us achieve it! 

Yoto’s Hardware Team

We are a growing team with a lot of experience and passion for developing connected consumer audio products, taking them from concept through to mass production. We work closely with our internal embedded OS development and product teams, key third party suppliers and our design and Far East manufacturing partners. We are focused on designing reliable, easy to use, innovative and fun products using the latest technologies.

Director of Hardware Engineering

The Director of Hardware Engineering reports directly to the Co-Founder/CTO and is responsible for leading the hardware engineering team to design, develop, and implement innovative hardware products. This role requires a combination of strategic leadership, technical expertise, and project management skills to ensure the successful delivery and field operation of high-quality hardware products that align with Yoto's product vision.

What you’ll be doing:

1. Leadership:

   • Develop and communicate the HW engineering vision and strategy

   • Scale, structure, lead and mentor a team of HW engineers

   • Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the hardware team.

   • Implement and refine engineering processes and best practices to optimise efficiency and productivity.

2. Technical Expertise:

   • Provide technical guidance and support to the hardware team.

   • Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in hardware technology and integrate relevant innovations into product development.

   • Troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware design and production issues.

3. Product Development:

   • Oversee all hardware products development projects from design to end of life

   • Lead the design and development of cutting-edge technology applicable for Yoto products

   • Oversee the creation of detailed hardware specifications, prototypes, and testing plans.

   • Ensure that all hardware products meet industry standards and regulatory requirements.

   • Identify potential risks and challenges in hardware development projects and develop mitigation strategies to address technical, schedule, and budget risks

4. Product Quality:

   • Develop and implement rigorous quality assurance processes for hardware design, testing, and validation to ensure that all Yoto hardware products meet the highest standards of durability, performance, and safety

   • Collaborate with Customer Happiness, Quality, SW Engineering and Data teams and manufacturing and oversee the continuous improvement of products already in the market, identifying areas for enhancement to extend product lifespan and ensure long-term customer satisfaction.

   • Ensure robust product lifecycle management practices to maintain the relevance and functionality of existing products through SW optimization, HW revisions and repair programs

   • Establish safety protocols and compliance with global safety standards, ensuring that all hardware products are thoroughly tested and certified

5. Budget and Resource Management:

   • Develop and manage the hardware department budget.

   • Optimise resource allocation to maximise efficiency and output.

   • Identify and procure necessary tools, equipment, and technologies.

6. Stakeholder Communication:

   • Act as the primary point of contact for all hardware-related inquiries and issues.

   • Provide key inputs for the product roadmap and align with the New Product Development and Procurement Directors

   • Prepare and present reports on hardware development progress and performance to senior management.

   • Collaborate with external partners to ensure successful product delivery.

7. IP Protection

   • Identify and protect innovative hardware solutions through the development of intellectual property (IP) strategies, including the filing of patents to safeguard Yoto’s technological advancements

   • Work with cross-functional teams to embed IP considerations early in the product development cycle, ensuring that all new designs, features, and technologies are thoroughly reviewed for patentability.

   • Maintain an up-to-date understanding of relevant industry patents and trends to guide strategic decision-making

What you’ll bring:

• Proven experience delivering complex hardware products to market, from concept through to mass production

• Experience scaling and leading an engineering team

• Strong understanding of mechanical, electrical, and RF engineering principles

• Deep understanding of technologies relevant to Yoto products (audio and acoustic design, NFC, BT, WiFi, batteries and power management, microprocessors, memory, display technologies etc)

• Experience in managing relationships with large-scale manufacturing and supply chain partners

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to inspire and guide teams to success.

• Knowledge of quality management principles and practices, including design verification, validation, and testing, to ensure product quality and reliability

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks in hardware development projects.

• Strong attention to detail, organisational skills, and proactiveness

Salary: £90,000 - £110,000 based on experience. We never want to miss out on speaking to great candidates, so please don't let our banding put you off getting in touch. You never know what might be in our future plan and how well you might fit!

What you can expect from Yoto:

• Flexibility: Hybrid working with a choice based approach - we would love you to come into the office as much as possible, with a minimum of once or twice a month. Take advantage of our ‘work from anywhere’ policy to work from a different location for up to 6 weeks every year. Summer Hours policy to use between the months of June and August.
• Financial: Generous share option programme so you’ll be invested in Yoto’s success. Receive Income Protection, covering long term sickness for up to 2 years and company sick pay that increases with length of service. Life Assurance cover from day one of your service. Workplace Pension offering up to to 3% employer contributions, following probation. Generous employee referral bonus scheme.
• Health & Wellness: Private Medical Insurance via Aviva, or a Wellbeing Allowance to be used for memberships, subscriptions, treatment or therapy. Access to 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) through WeCare and unlimited access to Dental advice and guidance via Toothfairy. Bike to work scheme to promote healthier lifestyles.
• Time Off: 25 days of holiday per year, plus bank holidays. On top of this, you also receive your birthday off, plus 1 extra day of holiday for every year worked after you hit your 2 year anniversary, up to 5 extra days. After 4 years of service, you are also eligible for our sabbatical policy offering up to 3 months' of unpaid sabbatical.
• Helping Families: Variety of family-friendly leave, including enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, fertility, pregnancy loss and carers leave. Unlock savings with our workplace nursery scheme, designed to support parents of preschool-aged children.
• People & Planet: Up to 2 volunteer days a year. A Book Allowance of up to £50 a year to contribute to your professional development.
• Fun Perks: You receive your very own Yoto player and starter pack of cards! Regular company socials and celebrations, including our annual YotoFest!

Equity and Diversity

At Yoto, our mission is to be the soundtrack of childhood, and help families on their own unique adventures. Our success is rooted in unwavering commitment to our core principles—Kids in Control, Helping Families, Building with Empathy, Embrace Difference, and Playfully Inquisitive.

At Yoto, flexible working and autonomy are key to us. We support working parents because we know that life and work need to work together. And just as we share audio content from a diverse community of creators, we also strive to build a diverse and inclusive team. Our passionate DE&I group raises new voices, beliefs, and perspectives to help everyone at Yoto feel heard. Check out our website for more info on our approach to People and Planet.

Please only apply or engage with Yoto jobs posted on our careers page (careers.yotoplay.com or careers.yotoplay.com/en). All correspondence from our Talent team will only come through Teamtailor, our application tracking system.