Director, Experiential Design - Live Events

Job Description

The Opportunity: 

Mattel is seeking a highly creative and strategic Director, Experiential Design to join the Global Location Based Entertainment (LBE) team. This role will serve as the creative design lead responsible for translating Mattel's world-class intellectual properties into immersive attractions, hospitality concepts, themed retail, and family entertainment venues around the globe.

The Director will champion experiential storytelling and design excellence from concept through execution, creating memorable guest experiences that bring Mattel brands to life in physical environments. This leader will collaborate closely with internal franchise, commercial, consumer products, marketing, and business development teams, as well as external partners, operators, agencies, and design vendors to ensure every experience delivers on both creative vision and business objectives.

What Your Impact Will Be: 

Creative Leadership & Experience Design

• Lead the creative development of global location-based entertainment projects, translating Mattel intellectual property into compelling, immersive, and guest-centric experiences.
• Create and oversee experience concepts that integrate storytelling, physical environments, attractions, interactive elements, retail, dining, and entertainment.
• Develop end-to-end guest journeys, defining narrative structure, emotional moments, spatial flow, wayfinding, and experiential touchpoints.
• Champion visual and experiential storytelling through environmental design, show design, placemaking, and attraction development.
• Establish creative vision and ensure design solutions authentically reflect the essence of each Mattel brand.

Concept Development & Brand Stewardship

• Develop creative frameworks, concept packages, visual assets, mood boards, presentations, design intent documents, and experiential guidelines for global partners.
• Oversee scalable creative systems that can be adapted across Operations, Marketing and Merchandise arms of Location Based Entertainment while maintaining brand consistency.

• Serve as a key brand steward, ensuring all experiences uphold Mattel's quality standards, franchise objectives, and guest expectations.
• Review and approve creative deliverables throughout the design and development process.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with commercial, licensing, franchise, and business development teams to align creative vision with business goals, operational realities, and market opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to evaluate new opportunities, attractions, destinations, and experiential concepts.
• Facilitate alignment across multiple disciplines including design, architecture, operations, marketing, retail, and entertainment.
• Present creative strategies and concepts to executive leadership and external partners.

Project Development & Execution

• Guide projects from blue-sky ideation through design development, fabrication, installation, and opening.
• Partner with external agencies, consultants, architects, media developers, fabricators, and attraction vendors to bring concepts and creative systems to life.

• Provide creative oversight throughout production, ensuring fidelity to design intent and storytelling objectives.
• Support creative reviews, design approvals, and milestone presentations while streamlining decision-making processes.
• Conduct site visits, mock-up reviews, vendor evaluations, and field art direction as needed.

Global Partner Management

• Serve as a primary creative liaison for operators, licensees, and development partners across international markets.
• Build strong relationships with external stakeholders to ensure successful execution of Mattel experiences worldwide.
• Evaluate creative proposals and provide strategic guidance to maximize guest engagement and brand impact.
• Support the growth of Mattel's global LBE portfolio through innovative, scalable, and commercially viable experiential concepts.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For:

• Bachelor's degree in Themed Entertainment Design, Environmental Design, Architecture, Industrial Design, Entertainment Design, Interior Design, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience in themed entertainment, attractions, experiential design, destination development, hospitality, exhibitions, museums, or location-based entertainment.
• Proven experience translating intellectual property into immersive physical experiences.
• Strong background in creative direction, show design, environmental storytelling, attraction development, or experiential design.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams and external partners through complex projects.
• Experience developing attractions, themed environments, entertainment destinations, exhibitions, hospitality experiences, retail environments, or family entertainment centers.
• Exceptional visual communication, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Ability to balance creative excellence with operational, commercial, and budget considerations.
• Strong understanding of guest experience design, placemaking, narrative development, and physical environment design.
• Experience working with global partners and international projects preferred.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with globally recognized entertainment, consumer, or character brands.
• Knowledge of attraction systems, experiential technologies, themed retail, food & beverage, and entertainment programming.
• Familiarity with design development, fabrication processes, and installation oversight.
• Portfolio demonstrating immersive storytelling, attraction design, and experience development.

Additional Information

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.

The pay range for this position is between $130,000USD to 177,000USD annually. 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. 

Videos to watch:
The Culture at Mattel
Corporate Philanthropy