Senior Hardware Engineer (3 month FTC)

We’re looking for a passionate Senior Hardware Design Engineer to help us create an even better customer experience.

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 BrainBots.

Yoto’s Hardware Team

We are a small 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 manufacturing partners. We are focused on designing reliable, easy‑to‑use, innovative and fun products using the latest technologies.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead the development of hardware design for new products, ensuring alignment with project requirements and specifications.
• Manage new hardware development through the full design cycle, from concept through to mass production.
• Define and document system‑level requirements, interfaces, and components.
• Design analog and digital circuits, including schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Identify and select electronic components based on features, performance, cost, and availability.
• Develop hardware prototypes for proof‑of‑concept and testing purposes.
• Conduct thorough testing and validation of hardware designs, addressing performance, reliability, and compliance.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams, Yoto OS developers, suppliers and manufacturing teams.
• Ensure hardware designs comply with relevant industry standards and regulatory requirements, working with test labs and regulatory bodies.
• Create and maintain detailed hardware design documentation, including specifications, schematics, and design verification reports.
• Continuous improvement, identifying areas for improvement in current and new designs, design processes and methodologies.
• Implement best practices to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the hardware design team.
• New technology R&D, staying abreast of the latest technologies and components in the field.

What you’ll bring:

• Around 8+ years industry experience in hardware design, with a focus on electronic systems and circuit design.
• Experience leading new hardware product development and supporting products in mass production.
• Electronic design knowledge, applicable areas: RF wireless system (WiFi/BT/BLE), analogue and digital audio, power management including DC‑DC converters and battery charging, communication interfaces (I2C/SPI/UART/USB/SD/MMC) and EMC/ESD compliance.
• Familiarity with EDA tools including generating schematics, PCB layout and gerber data.
• Experience with prototyping, testing, and troubleshooting hardware designs.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and the ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Hands on hardware system rework and modification experience.
• Test and measurement experience including using an oscilloscope, bench PSU, current probe, programmable load and multimeter.

What you can expect from Yoto:

• Flexibility: Hybrid working – expectation of 1 day a week on average in our London office, but you are welcome to come in more than this.
• 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: 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 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’re 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.