Assoc Manager Product Designer at MattelInc in El Segundo, CALIFORNIA, United States

Job description

• The Hot Wheels Tracks and Playsets design team is a group of passionate and inspired designers with the goal of creating the best toys on earth. We are looking for motivated, challenge seeking, innovative thinkers to create the next Hot Wheels Licensed Entertainment toys for kids. Our products range from dynamic vehicle playsets, over-the-top tracks sets and unique accessories as well as Hot Wheels Licensed Entertainment die-cast designs. We work with an equally passionate cross function team 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 up for the challenge?
• Job Description
• The Product Design Associate Manager will lead and inspire a group of designers on 1 or more of our key segments of business in Hot Wheels Licensed Entertainment Tracks and Playsets, creating innovative products. This Design manager must be on top of the latest in kids trends, pop culture, entertainment, kid insights and fun play. The Product Design Associate 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.

Responsibilities

• What Your Impact Will Be:
• You have a thorough understanding of the toy product design-development processes
• With strong ability to ideate, sketch, illustrate, generate rough models
• Thorough understanding on final modeling and production
• Have a clear understanding of the Toy industry and entertainment Industry, with familiarity of toys both past and present within vehicles category
• Able to contribute and execute on product design vision
• Brings fresh POV with innovative design concepts
• Solid understanding of how to design for the target consumer, influenced by kid usability and parent expectations and needs.
• Willingness to lead and be led, taking in feedback and commentary on projects and apply where necessary
• Able to create visual design language in a product that is suitable for our core audience and maintains the Hot Wheels edge
• Understanding of how play and design work together in product to tell a concise story
• 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
• 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.
• Able to adapt fast to new design challenges
• Capable of pivoting and revising projects and strategy where business necessitates.
• Occasionally participate in design efforts outside of your area of expertise, and as your own skillset dictates.
• 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 (You will be able to take on design projects as well)
• 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
• 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

Requirements

• Qualifications
• 5+ years of cross-functional experience in a product development
• 2+ years of people leading experience and managing 2 or more group of individuals
• Able to thrive in the world of Hot Wheels Licensed Entertainment Tracks, Playsets and vehicle design with innovating forward thinking
• Data-driven decision maker with strong analytical and quantitative thinking
• 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.
• Minimum of 2+ years of experience in production related capacity
• Have a passion for making great product

Skills

Required

• Strategic design thinking
• Excellent communication skills
• Collaborative
• Multi-tasker
• Self-directed problem-solver
• Structured thinker
• Must be self-motivated
• Passion for making great product

Benefits

• The pay range for this position is between $115, 000 and $140,000 annual. 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.