Careers

Whispp is hiring a VP of Engineering to take our real‑time, on‑device voice AI from award‑winning prototypes into SDKs that ship on millions of devices.

About Whispp

Whispp’s proprietary audio‑to‑audio AI converts whispered, affected, and noisy speech into a person’s clear, natural voice, in real time and on‑device (CPU/NPU). We uniquely handle voiceless speech where classic voice conversion and DSP fail.

We license our technology to OEMs and platforms across three domains:

• Accessibility – assistive speech tech, AAC devices
• Privacy – silent & discreet calls on smartphones and PCs
• Protection – heavy‑duty hearing protection and ultra‑low bitrate codec for harsh environments

We’ve been recognised by CES Innovation Awards, TIME Best Inventions, and Forbes Accessibility 100 and are running several PoCs with name brand industry partners.

The opportunity

We are now scaling from research and PoCs into product‑driven, SDK‑first implementations of our technology to drive, build and grow a technology licensing business. As VP of Engineering, you will:

• Own delivery of our Whisper‑to‑Speech (W2S) SDK (Android first, then PC/other platforms) to GA, including licensing server and integration tooling.
• Build and lead a multidisciplinary engineering organisation (ML/speech, DSP/audio, SDK/platform, infra/DevOps, QA, and Testing).
• Support conversion of flagship PoCs into NRE and license agreements by making Whispp a reliable, OEM‑grade technology partner.

What you’ll do

• Translate our 2026–2029 roadmap (latency improvements, SDK and codec versions, IP creation) into executable engineering plans and milestones.
• Work closely with the CAIO to take models from research to production: mobile CPU/NPU implementations, noise robustness, multi‑lingual support, personalization, and bone‑conduction input.
• Ship OEM‑ready SDKs and codecs: performance‑optimised, secure, well‑documented, with strong integration UX for device and platform partners.
• Build and scale the engineering team and practices: hiring, org design, CI/CD, testing, performance benchmarking, cost‑efficient AI infrastructure (OVH → GCP/Azure).
• Partner with Sales/BD on PoCs and NREs (PC and smartphone OEMs, AAC vendors) including scoping, estimates, and technical commitments.
• Contribute to Whispp’s IP strategy and help us reach our goal of 3–5 core patents in the near term.

WHAT WE AR LOOKING FOR

Must have

• 10+ years in software/AI engineering, 5+ years in leadership (Head/Director/VP) in deep‑tech, ML/AI, audio/speech, or real‑time media.
• Proven track record shipping SDKs, developer platforms, or embedded software to OEMs or B2B partners (mobile, PC, chipset, or similar).
• Hands‑on background in at least one of: speech/audio ML, DSP, real‑time communications, or on‑device/edge AI.
• Experience working with or around OEM/chipset/platform ecosystems (e.g., Android or PC OEMs, Qualcomm/MediaTek/ARM, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale high‑performing engineering teams in a startup or high‑growth environment.

Nice-to-have

• Experience in assistive tech, accessibility, telco, or similar regulated environments.
• Familiarity with low‑bitrate codecs, secure communications, or connectivity‑constrained environments (automotive, industrial, satellite).
• Exposure to IP/patent creation and privacy/AI regulation constraints.

Who you are

• Mission‑driven and excited about giving people their voices back and creating a new privacy/protection layer for spoken communication.
• Comfortable operating from architecture to execution: from high‑level strategy to unblocking SDK integration issues.
• Pragmatic, collaborative, and low‑ego, with a strong quality bar and a bias for shipping.

Location

Hybrid in the Netherlands near our headquarters in Leiden.

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If this sounds like you, please send your CV and motivation to [email protected], including a brief note on a shipped SDK/platform you’re proud of, and the team you built around it.

Whispp is hiring a Product Manager to drive our SDK and codec products from roadmap to OEM launches, with a strong focus on cross‑functional program execution.

About Whispp

Whispp’s proprietary audio‑to‑audio AI converts whispered, affected, and noisy speech into a person’s clear, natural voice, in real time and on‑device (CPU/NPU). We uniquely handle voiceless and bone‑conducted speech where classical voice conversion and DSP fail.

We license our tech to partners across:

• Accessibility – assistive speech tech, AAC devices
• Privacy – silent & discreet calls on smartphones and PCs
• Protection & Connectivity – hearing protection, special comms, ultra low‑bitrate codec

We are moving from award‑winning PoCs to a scalable SDK‑first licensing business.

The opportunity

You will own and orchestrate the roadmap for Whispp’s Whisper‑to‑Speech (W2S) & Privacy SDK, while running the programs that take us from PoC to signed customer agreements and successful OEM launches. This role combines product management (discovery, prioritisation, requirements) with hands‑on program management (planning, coordination, risk tracking).

What you’ll do

• Turn our company roadmap (AI model, W2S SDK, codec, licensing server) into a clear product roadmap with quarterly milestones.
• Define and maintain use‑case‑driven requirements for Accessibility, Privacy and Noise scenarios across mobile, PC, and other partners.
• Run end‑to‑end planning and coordination for key PoCs and NRE projects with name brand industry partners, in partnership with Sales/BD
• Drive cross‑functional execution across AI/engineering, integration, sales/BD, and legal, ensuring on‑time delivery and clear communication.
• Own SDK release plans (e.g., Android SDK v0.7→1.0, codec MVP→0.8, licensing server v1.0) and make sure stakeholders and customers are ready for each release.
• Gather and synthesise customer feedback from OEMs and partners, feeding it into roadmap and product packaging decisions.
• Contribute to product materials (value propositions, solution briefs, integration overviews) that support the sales pipeline.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Must‑have

• 4–7+ years of experience as Product Manager / Technical PM / Program Manager in B2B software, platforms, or SDKs.
• Experience shipping developer‑facing products (SDKs, APIs, platforms) or embedded/edge software where integration quality matters.
• Strong program management skills: you can run complex, multi‑stakeholder projects with clear timelines, risks, and updates.
• Technically fluent around ML/AI, audio/speech, real‑time media, or on‑device/edge deployments (no need to code, but comfortable with technical discussions).
• Excellent written and verbal communication; you write clear specs, plans, and status updates.

Nice‑to‑have

• Experience with OEM, chipset, or platform ecosystems (Android/PC OEMs, Qualcomm/MediaTek/ARM, AAC device makers, etc.).
• Background in accessibility/assistive tech, secure communications, or connectivity‑constrained environments (industrial, satellite, automotive).
• Exposure to licensing‑driven businesses and multi‑stage enterprise sales cycles.

Who you are

• You like turning ideas, concepts which may be ambiguous and not concrete into structured plans and aligning teams around them.
• You are a detail‑oriented, proactive about risks, and comfortable working directly with customers.
• You are motivated by impact: giving people their original voices back, enabling private speech, and improving communication in noisy or critical environments.

Location

Hybrid in the Netherlands near our headquarters in Leiden.

If this sounds like you, please send your CV and motivation to [email protected], including a short note about a complex SDK/platform or program you’ve shipped end‑to‑end and/or a short description of how you have leveraged an AI tool chain to boost your team’s productivity.