Engineering Manager

Raylo; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Device lease for employees

Private medical insurance

Stock options for all employees

L&D budget

Hybrid working model

33 days off (25 + 8 bank holidays)

Enhanced parental leave

Workplace nursery scheme

Job summary

Raylo in London is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead two cross-functional pods, mentor engineers, and drive delivery across frontend, backend and data platforms. The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on contribution in a hybrid setup.

You’ll balance coding (30–70%) with scaling practices, shaping the roadmap, and fostering a high-performing, inclusive culture. Hybrid work includes a London Bridge office day.

Qualifications

• 3+ years as engineering lead or manager, with at least 2 years managing a team of 3+ engineers.
• Hands-on engineer (3+ years) with leadership exposure.
• Strong foundation in frontend/Full stack or backend development (Rails).
• Experience in data/analytics engineering, either hands-on or team management.
• Proven track record delivering cross-functional projects in agile environments.
• Excellent communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire two cross-functional engineering pods.
• Manage a team of engineers with 1:1s, coaching, and performance management.
• Drive engineering excellence by balancing leadership with hands-on development (30–70%).
• Own the technical direction of projects and improve velocity, quality and developer experience.
• Ensure project delivery by coordinating execution and shipping impactful features.
• Contribute to shaping Raylo’s engineering culture with leadership and mentorship.
• Support investigating data platform and pipeline issues and improve reliability.
• Set clear expectations and align on OKRs with the Director of Engineering.

Skills

Engineering lead

Hands-on engineer

Full stack

Ruby on Rails

Data engineering

Agile delivery

Stakeholder comms

Startup experience

Problem solving

Servant leadership

Tools

Next.js

Ruby on Rails

Data engineering tools

Job description

Why We Exist

The world is moving away from rigid ownership models in favour of more flexible, affordable access. Yet the $1.5 trillion device market has barely moved.

Our mission is to transform how technology is bought, used and reused — creating better outcomes for customers, brands and the planet.

What We've Built

Raylo is the subscription infrastructure that enables leading electronics brands, including PlayStation, HP and Dyson, to move from one-off device sales to recurring subscription programmes that increase conversion, deepen loyalty and capture more lifetime value.

We have over $90m ARR, we’re profitable, growing fast, with over a quarter of a million subscriptions across consumers and small businesses. Customers trust us too, with a 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 26,000 reviews.

For customers, the experience is simple: subscribe to a device, get support throughout, upgrade when you want, and return it when you’re done. Behind that sits an AI-powered operating system that executes and manages device subscriptions end to end: credit and fraud decisioning, lifecycle operations, and the financing engine that enables brands to run subscription programmes at scale.

Brands can unlock a powerful new growth engine with Raylo across embedded checkout, Raylo.com and the customer app — converting more DTC customers, reaching subscription-first demand, and driving repeat upgrades that compound customer lifetime value.

The impact of our circular model is big. We cut emissions per device by around 50% compared to buy-and-discard. We’re B Corp certified, backed by Macquarie, NatWest and Channel 4 Ventures, and recognised by Tech Nation’s Future Fifty.

How We Work

AI is changing what small, ambitious teams can build. Companies that embrace it will define the next decade.

Raylo is uniquely placed to benefit. We combine proprietary technology and data with the orchestration of physical assets, operating across credit, fraud, pricing, logistics, refurbishment, resale and customer care. With AI improving every cycle, our moat deepens with scale.

At Raylo, AI is woven into how we work every day. We don’t ration access or hedge our bets. Our people use the best models and tools, and we expect them to do things that weren’t possible a year ago. Processes that used to be good enough are being rebuilt. Teams are replacing spreadsheets with bespoke tooling, and anyone can query our data layer in plain English and get a real answer in seconds.

We give every team their own hackathon: a chance to step back, start with a blank sheet, and ask: if we were starting today, how would we do this?

The more we automate, the more human judgement matters. AI gives people back time, and we expect them to spend it on the things no model can replicate: conversations, trust, craft and team judgement.

We hire to a high bar. You’ll work with people who push you, raise your game and expect you to do the same. We want every person at Raylo to do the best work of their lives, and enjoy doing it.

Our Core Values

Be deeply curious – We thrive on innovation through diverse approaches, views, and people.

Walk in your customer’s shoes – To build the best products and make the best decisions for the long term, we must figure out what our customers need, not just what they want.

Focus and execute – We have a big vision, but we believe in nailing the most important problems first.

Be gritty – Only gritty teams succeed. Our individual ownership, passion, and perseverance mean we’re a team through thick and thin.

Our Team

You’ll be joining as an Engineering Manager supporting both Raylo’s up-and-coming Business Growth team, and the Data & Analytics pod. Both are relatively small teams, adding up to 5 engineers in total, but the title and remit of this role doesn’t describe the ambition and diversity of its scope!! Between the budding dedicated Raylo Business area, data engineering, analytics engineering, and even the “AI accelerator” pod (where we have our first AI Engineer), this role will drive some of the core pieces that contribute to Raylo’s success!

You’ll balance technical leadership with hands‑on engineering (30–70% of your time), supporting a talented group of engineers and approaching projects and challenges through rapid experimentation and feature development. In your first few months, you’ll focus on embedding into the team, building strong relationships, and leading from the front technically and culturally.

Longer term, you’ll scale your impact by evolving engineering practices, mentoring engineers, and shaping the team’s roadmap in collaboration with the Director of Engineering, the product managers for the Business Growth area and the AI Accelerator pod, the rest of the product/engineering/design org and the wider business teams. This is a high-ownership role with significant influence over both delivery and culture as we continue to grow and evolve the team.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and inspire two cross-functional engineering pods composed of a frontend engineer, a backend engineer, a data engineer and an analytics engineer, with a new AI engineer role in the mix, in close collaboration with product engineering teams and other teams in the business.
• Manage a team of engineers , supporting their development through regular 1:1s, coaching, and performance management, while fostering a culture of feedback, growth, and autonomy.
• Drive engineering excellence by balancing technical leadership with hands‑on development (30–70%), actively contributing to key projects when relevant and leveraging your experience and expertise combined with AI tools and systems for maximum impact.
• Own the technical direction of projects , identifying process gaps and proposing improvements to enhance team velocity, platform quality and reliability, and developer experience.
• Ensure project delivery by coordinating execution, tracking progress, and shipping impactful features that directly support the business.
• Contribute to shaping Raylo’s engineering culture , providing mentorship, sharing knowledge, and fostering high standards in engineering practices, in collaboration with the Engineering Director and peer Engineering Managers.
• Support investigating and resolving data platform and pipeline issues as part of the team’s engineering rota, continuously improving system reliability and performance.
• Set clear expectations and promote ownership within the team, aligning on OKRs and helping shape future goals in collaboration with the Director of Engineering.

You’ll Succeed With

• 3+ years of experience as an engineering lead or manager, with at least 2 years managing a team of 3+ engineers .
• Previous experience as a hands‑on engineer (3+ years) , with recent exposure to both people management and technical leadership, ideally in product development (full stack or focus on backend with Ruby on Rails) and data engineering, or at least with some exposure to platform and/or data engineering.
• Strong technical foundation in either frontend (Next.js) / full stack or backend (Ruby on Rails) development.
• Experience in data / analytics engineering, either hands on or team management.
• Proven track record of delivering cross-functional projects in agile environments, from shaping solutions to successful execution.
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, fostering alignment and collaboration across functions.
• Experience mentoring and coaching engineers to grow their skills, confidence, and impact.
• A background in startups or scale‑ups , comfortable operating in fast‑paced, evolving environments.
• Strong problem‑solving skills , with the ability to balance technical constraints, business needs, and user impact.
• A servant leadership mindset focused on multiplying your team’s impact and empowering others to succeed.

Opportunities & Benefits

Fast-track your career – 40% of our employees are promoted every review cycle (bi-annually)

Exclusive Raylo device lease for employees

Private Medical Insurance

Stock options for all employees

L&D budget to support the skills you value

Hybrid working model – minimum of 1 set day in the London Bridge Office (Thursdays)

33 days off, your way – 25 days + 8 bank holidays with full flexibility to use on the days that mean the most to you

Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave, if you've been with us for 12 months.

Workplace nursery scheme for major cost savings

Hiring Process

We move quickly and we'll aim to give you the best candidate experience possible. It starts with a 15-minute call — no prep needed. If there's a fit, we move fast, every stage has a purpose, and we'll tell you what we're looking for at each one.

If there's anything we can do to support you through the process, whether that's adjustments or anything else, please let us know.

*As an FCA-regulated business, we conduct background checks (DBS and AML) on all successful candidates who are offered a position at Raylo during the onboarding process.

Diversity & Inclusion at Raylo

At Raylo, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome people of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, believing they make us stronger.