Head of Hardware

MealTec is a US-based food tech company on a mission to revolutionize home cooking for healthier lives. We are building the 'Nespresso of food', an intelligent cooking platform that automates the entire meal preparation process.

Our patent-pending smart cooker turn raw ingredients into fully cooked meals with no prep, no cleanup, and no cooking skills required. The product merges mechanical innovation and AI-powered automation to transform how people eat at home.

We're now expanding our UK engineering presence to lead hardware development while scaling for our primary market in the United States.

Role Overview

This is a hands-on leadership role combining engineering management, hardware product ownership, and strategic oversight of MealTec's hardware roadmap.

You'll lead a multidisciplinary team of mechanical, electrical, and embedded engineers; manage prototyping and manufacturing partners; and collaborate with the CEO, software, and AI teams to bring MealTec's product vision to life; delivering a world-class consumer product that blends design, functionality, and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Build and lead the hardware engineering team, including mechanical, electrical, and firmware engineers.
• Translate MealTec's product vision into actionable technical requirements and design milestones.
• Establish a high-performance engineering culture focused on quality, innovation, and delivery.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM), cost optimization, and reliability objectives.
• Manage cross-functional collaboration between hardware, software, and AI development.

Product Development

• Own the hardware roadmap from concept through to manufacturing hand-off.
• Define and prioritize features balancing performance, cost, safety, and manufacturability.
• Oversee integration of industrial design to ensure a premium consumer experience.
• Manage testing, validation, and compliance (FCC, CE, and food-safety certification).
• Collaborate with software and AI teams for seamless hardware-software interaction.

Manufacturing & Operations

• Identify and manage suppliers, prototyping firms, and contract manufacturers (UK, EU, or Asia).
• Oversee component sourcing, BOM management, and supplier quality processes.
• Implement testing and QA procedures for pilot and production runs.
• Optimize cost structures and ensure reliable, scalable production processes.

Requirements

Essential

• 8+ years' experience in hardware engineering or product development, including leadership roles.
• Proven ability to build and manage teams of engineers across disciplines.
• Strong background in mechanical and/or electrical systems, prototyping, and DFM.
• Experience developing consumer or connected hardware products from concept to production.
• Hands-on familiarity with CAD, PCB design, prototyping, and hardware validation tools.
• Exceptional communication, planning, and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with high autonomy.
• Applicants must be residents of the United Kingdom and legally authorized to work in the UK.

Preferred / Desired

• Experience in smart appliances, IoT, or kitchen technology.
• Prior work with offshore manufacturers or contract assembly partners.
• Experience with leading consumer product manufacturers (e.g., Dyson, Thermomix, Philips, Breville, etc.).

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary plus equity participation.
• Opportunity to join as a founding team member shaping MealTec's future.
• Flexible work environment with strong focus on collaboration and innovation.
• Travel opportunities to our New York offices
• Direct impact on a breakthrough consumer technology improving health and convenience worldwide.