Manager Product Design - Action Figures

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 Team:
The Action Figure design team is a group of passionate and motivated designers with the goal of inspiring and unlocking the imagination of kids and fans alike.  We are looking for enthusiastic, innovative storytellers to build out Action Figure product lines.  Our products range from world-building playsets, action figures, vehicles and role play items.  We work with equally passionate cross function teams that spans the globe with our international partners, making our design led toy company of Mattel one of the best in the industry.  Are you ready to inspire our next generation of action figure enthusiasts?     

The Opportunity: 
The Product Design Manager will lead and inspire a group of designers, creating innovative products that are rooted in trends, kid insights and fun play.  Collectible segments are designed to appeal the most ardent of fans with a focus on authenticity and quality.  The Product Design Manager will execute and help create product design visions, strengthen the voice of our designers and will be ready for any hands-on managing that is required to keep the business moving.  You will guide, nurture and grow your design team to empower the future leaders within the organization.

What Your Impact Will Be: 

The Business

• You have a thorough understanding of toy product design-development processes
  • From ideation sketches, illustrations, rough models, to final modeling and production
  • Have your finger on the pulse for the latest in toy trends, materials, content and innovation
  • Have a clear understanding of the Toy industry, with familiarity of toys both past and present in the action figure and role play categories.
• You are a strategic design thinker:
  • Able to contribute and execute on product design visions
  • Brings fresh POV with innovative design concepts
  • Understands systems of play within various scales and segments of action figures
  • Understand the stories, essence and lifestyle of the characters we want to bring to life in toys
  • Build strategy around a toy line across a variety of price points and play styles
  • Solid understanding of how to design for the target consumer, influenced by kid usability and parent expectations and needs and/or that of the adult collector
  • Can take in feedback and commentary on projects and revise where necessary
• You are a visual designer
  • Able to create visual design language in a product that is suitable for action figure audiences
  • Set the visual stage in color, shape and story every season by presenting and applying trends
  • Understanding of how play and design work together in product to tell a story
• An excellent communicator:
  • Able to present to an audience of varying sizes both clearly and confidently
  • Can take concepts and distill them into a clear, understandable narrative to garner buy-in throughout the organization through a variety of medium
• Collaborator:
  • Work with outside licensors to build the best product.  To be able to be a problem solver, partner and toy advocate.  To share communication in both directions to ensure alignment across all parties.
  • Working with Mattel’s Consumer Insights team to identify opportunities, consumer needs, parent, and kid purchase behaviors
  • Partner with Mattel’s cross-function team of experts in Marketing, Packaging, Engineering and Product Management.  
• You are nimble:
  • Able to pivot and revise on projects and strategy where business necessitates
  • Occasionally participate in design efforts outside of your area of expertise, and as your own skillset dictates
• Multi-tasker:
  • On projects with varying complexity through maximization of your design team and internal / external resources of Mattel (Internal cross function team, International Mattel partners, outside vendors)
  • Can jump in on any given situation as a hands-on manager to assist your design team

The Team

• You are a design leader
  • You manage a team of designers and empower them to grow and foster forward thinking
  • Able to form a strong business relationship with your team gaining trust through collaboration, guidance, teamwork and empathy
  • You will maximize each designers’ skill within the team and nurture their areas of opportunity
  • You will guide your team to best fulfill strategic product needs
  • You can lead but also be led
• You are a role-model
  • Lead by example and maintain professionalism, representing the core values of Mattel
  • You are passionate and inspire your design team to make toys that matter and make an impact

What We’re Looking For: 

• 7 years+ of cross-functional experience in a product development  
• Able to embrace, interpret and re-tell the stories through toy.  To be able to be an ambassador of a brand that represents Mattel
• Collaborative and communicative team player who enjoys driving and overseeing projects and processes cross-functionally with a wide range of personalities
• Self-directed problem-solver - you're proactive in tackling new challenges and working through uncertainty
• Structured thinker who's able to develop frameworks to support strategic decisions
• On top of trends in the toy space and adjacent industries
• Strong negotiation & relationship building skills
• Must be self-motivated and able to manage multiple parallel-path projects.
• Have a passion for making great product

The annual base salary range for this position is between $104,800.00 - $152,000.00.
**This range is indicative of projected hiring range, however annual base salary 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.

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.

Our Approach to Flexible Work:

We embrace a flexible work model designed to empower a culture of growth, optimism, and wellbeing, where every employee can reach their full potential. Combining purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility, our focus is to optimize performance and drive connection for moments that matter.

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 Affirmative Action/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
Mattel Investor Highlights