Director, Brand Creative – Hot Wheels

CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER. It’s our heritage and it’s also our future. Because we don’t just make toys. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire fans, entertain audiences and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard—when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day. We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

The Opportunity: 

The Vehicles Brand Creative team is seeking a visionary Creative Director to shape the future of one of the most iconic brands—Hot Wheels – the #1 selling toy in the world!

This leader will drive breakthrough, consumer-centric creative across global campaigns, content, retail, digital, live experiences, and brand ecosystems. This role is both a strategic thinker and a hands-on maker, someone who can define high level brand vision and execute at ground level. Ideal candidate must inspire teams, influence stakeholders, and raise the creative bar in everything they touch.

What Your Impact Will Be: 

• Define and elevate the creative vision for the Hot Wheels brand, ensuring consistency, innovation, and cultural relevance.
• Lead the development of global, idea-led campaigns and brand systems that drive engagement across audiences and business results.
• Champion cohesive visual identities and brand foundations across all consumer touchpoints—campaigns, retail, digital, gaming, experiential, and more.
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Product Design, Packaging, Content, Digital, and Global teams to deliver best-in-class work.
• Provide clear, actionable direction to internal teams and external agencies to produce high-impact creative.
• Mentor, inspire and grow a multi-disciplinary team of designers, copywriters, and content creators.
• Effectively and clearly present and advocate creative work to cross functional teams and senior leadership to ensure clarity and alignment.
• Balance multiple high-profile initiatives, ensuring objectives are met and delivered on time and on budget without compromising creative excellence.

What We’re Looking For:

Skills Required

• A strategic, conceptual thinker who turns insights into powerful brand storytelling.
• A hands-on creative leader with deep design sensibility and high craft standards.
• A culture-forward voice with strong awareness of trends across advertising, entertainment, gaming, retail, and social.
• Experienced in building and evolving iconic consumer brands across multi-generational audiences—from kids to collectors.
• A collaborative leader who thrives in a matrixed organization and builds strong cross-functional partnerships.
• An agency-savvy creative with experience directing and partnering with external agencies and production partners.
• A compelling communicator who can influence at all levels and inspire creative teams to do their best work

Core Capabilities

• Brand strategy and identity development
• Integrated campaign development (digital, social, retail, experiential, content)
• Visual systems and design leadership
• Multi-audience communication (youth, shoppers, adult fans)
• Creative direction across digital, video, motion, animation, retail, experiential and environments, print and packaging
• Agency management and vendor collaboration
• Team leadership, coaching, and creative talent development
• Executive-level presentation and storytelling

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and relevant creative production tools required.

Experience & Education

• 12+ years of experience in creative leadership roles (agency or in-house), with a strong foundation in branding, art direction and graphic design
• Proven success building and evolving global consumer brands.
• Demonstrated experience in digital, social, and content-driven ecosystems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Advertising, or related field (BFA preferred; advanced degree a plus).

This role is an opportunity to shape globally recognized brands, influence culture, and lead a team that believes creativity drives growth. If you’re ready to build what’s next for the most powerful vehicles brands in the world—we’d love to meet you.

*The pay range is indicative of projected hiring range, however base pay will be determined based on a candidate’s work location, skills and experience. Mattel offers competitive total pay programs, comprehensive benefits, and resources to help empower a culture where every employee can reach their full potential. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Mattel, we are dedicated to an inclusive workplace and a culture of belonging. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Join Mattel's Talent Community and start receiving exciting updates about our company, our employees, and our culture. Also, interested in signing up for job alerts? Do so here!

How We Work:
We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors:

• We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
• We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.
• We execute: We are a performance-driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best-in-class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Who We Are:
Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Mattel’s award-winning workplace culture has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Great Place to Work, TIME, and more.

Visit us at https://jobs.mattel.com/ and www.instagram.com/MattelCareers.

Mattel is an Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers, and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran and protected veteran status, disability status, and or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.

Videos to watch:
The Culture at Mattel
Corporate Philanthropy