Assoc Manager Product Design

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 Associate Manager, MOA Dolls Design, leads a small team of product designers in the development of compelling product experiences across Fashion Dolls, Playsets, Collectibles, and emerging product categories. This role combines aesthetic/technical/innovation product development expertise, project leadership, and people management to ensure creative concepts are successfully translated into manufacturable products. Working across ES and Asia teams, the Associate Manager drives product excellence, fosters team growth, and supports innovation from design concept through pre-production. In addition to the traditional design expertise listed above, this candidate will bring a forward-thinking mindset and strong capabilities in trend forecasting, innovation leadership, talent development, and AI-enabled design practices. These capabilities are increasingly important for future design leaders and will help shape Mattel’s the next generation of products and experiences. What Your Impact Will Be: Design leadership & Team Development Coach and develop designers through feedback, mentoring, and project guidance. Foster a collaborative, innovative, and accountable team environment. Manage workload planning and resource allocation across projects and brands. Trend & Opportunity Identification Monitor trends across toys, fashion, entertainment, gaming, social media, lifestyle, and collectibles. Proactively identify whitespace opportunities and emerging consumer needs Recommend new concepts, product platforms, and growth opportunities based on market insights Benchmark competitors and emerging brands to inform innovation strategies. Culture & Continuous Improvement Promote creativity, innovation, and consumer-focused thinking within the team. Drive process improvements and share best practices across projects. Support brainstorming and early-stage innovation activities in partnership with ES Design Technical & Engineering Excellence Lead product design development from design turnover through FPR Drive design solutions that balance consumer experience, aesthetics, manufacturability, quality, safety, and cost. Resolve product development challenges through collaboration with engineering and manufacturing partners. Ensure design intent is maintained throughout development and production processes. Cross-Functional Influence Partner with ES Design, Product Management, Engineering, SG, Packaging, Quality, and costing teams. Influence decision-making by balancing creative objectives with technical, safety, and business requirements. Facilitate alignment among ES and Asia teams. Budget Control Monitor model spend against approved AOP and identify opportunities for cost savings without compromising model quality.

What We’re Looking For: Design Excellence: Strong concept ideation, sketching, visualization and storytelling, with a good understanding of consumer trends, play patterns, sustainability and material innovation. Leadership & Collaboration: Collaborative, people-focused leader with strong communication, influencing and problem-solving skills, able to build trust and partner effectively across teams and stakeholders. Technical Product Knowledge: Solid understanding of product construction,