Head of Engineering

Yoto; England; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Generous share option programme

Private Medical Insurance

25 days of holiday plus bank holidays

Job summary

An innovative audio tech company in the UK is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead cross-functional teams focused on enhancing their audio platform for children. This role involves championing engineering excellence and collaborating with various teams to improve user experience. Candidates should possess strong leadership skills and technical expertise. The company values diversity and offers a flexible hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead teams of managers and senior engineers across different specialisms.
• Deep technical expertise in web and mobile platforms.
• Strong understanding of systems design and performance optimisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple cross-functional engineering teams within the Family Experience cluster.
• Partner with Product, Design and Commercial teams to improve user experience.
• Champion engineering excellence across the cluster.

Skills

Leadership

Technical full-stack expertise

Stakeholder management

Systems design

User-first mindset

Job description

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We're looking for a Head of Engineering to lead one of our cross-functional engineering clusters, driving technical excellence and helping to build the platform that powers Yoto's mission to be the soundtrack of childhood.

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.

• Voted the 14th fastest-growing private software technology company in Britain in The Sunday Times 100 Tech 2025; and named the 94th fastest-growing company in Europe in the prestigious FT1000.
• 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.
• Featured in Bloomberg’s 25 UK startups to watch in 2023; and ranked second fastest growing tech company in the UK in the Deloitte Fast50.
• Named one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Inventions of 2020.
• We’re 200 employees spread across the UK, US, France, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the Netherlands, Romania and China… 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!

At Yoto, our Engineering organisation is structured into mission-driven clusters, each made up of cross-functional teams that include engineering, product, design and other key disciplines. These clusters focus on different areas of our platform and products to help us move faster, stay aligned and build with purpose.

This role reports directly to the VP of Engineering where you’ll form part of the senior engineering leadership team alongside the other Heads of Engineering, CTO and senior IC leads.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead multiple cross-functional engineering teams within the Family Experience cluster consisting of ~20 engineers (FE, BE, mobile, QA) and managers.
• Partner with Product, Design and Commercial teams to continuously improve the user experience, performance, conversion and retention of our global store.
• Champion engineering excellence across the cluster – from clean architecture and automated testing to observability, security, accessibility, etc.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative and high‑performing engineering culture.
• Coach your manager-level reports to strengthen their leadership and help them unlock the full potential of their teams.
• Mentor and support individuals across the Family Experience cluster to help them grow and succeed in their roles.
• Promote Yoto Engineering within the tech community; grow the team by continuing to hire top talent.
• Manage relationships and negotiate with key external partners and vendors.
• Oversee the alignment on technical direction of our eCommerce architecture set by lead engineers.
• Champion the opportunities and guide through challenges of entering the era of AI‑powered coding.

What you’ll bring

• Proven ability to lead teams of managers and senior engineers across different specialisms.
• Deep technical full-stack expertise in web and mobile platforms (headless architecture, CMS, checkout systems – Shopify or similar).
• Strong understanding of systems design, scaling strategies and performance optimisation.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills and a collaborative approach to problem solving.
• A user‑first mindset and passion for building smooth digital experiences.
• Excellent understanding of programming and SW development paradigms and best practices, up-to-date with latest technologies and frameworks.
• Nice to have: Experience with international eCommerce, subscription models or digital merchandising tools.

Salary

£110,000 - £130,000 based on experience.

What you can expect from Yoto

• Flexibility: Hybrid working – expectation of 1 day a week on average, but you are welcome to come in more than this. How you meet the minimum expectation is up to you, to ensure you're happy and productive in your role whilst also getting that vital face time with your colleagues. 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, we love creating a world where childhood is rich with discovery and joy. We’re also passionate about building a workplace where everyone can thrive – both professionally and personally. We value flexibility and give our team the freedom to balance life and work in ways that suit them.

We're committed to fostering a safe, diverse and inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of their background, feel valued and supported. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group holds bi-monthly forums to elevate diverse voices and perspectives, ensuring everyone at Yoto feels heard, respected, and appreciated.

We don’t just embrace differences – we celebrate them. We share audio content from a vibrant and diverse community of creators (check out our DEI selection), and we are building a team that reflects that same diversity. We invite candidates from all walks of life to explore opportunities with us and join a company that champions flexibility, equity, and inclusion. Take a look at our website for more information 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.

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Greater London, England, United Kingdom