Associate Manager Product Design - MOA Dolls Design

Job Description

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.

Qualifications

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, materials, tooling and manufacturing, with the ability to balance creative vision, manufacturability, quality and cost.
• AI & Digital Design Fluency: Comfortable using AI-powered tools such as Copilot, Vizcom and ChatGPT to support research, concept development, visualization and design workflows, with awareness of responsible AI and IP considerations.

Experience, Education, & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Toy Design, Fashion Design, or related field.
• 7+ years of product design experience, preferably within Dolls or toy industry, consumer products, collectibles, or related industries.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating product innovation, storytelling, and brand centric design.
• Minimum 2 years of people management or team leadership experience preferred.
• Strong product development, problem-solving, and project management capabilities.
• Effective communicator with proven cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Innovative, proactive, and results-oriented mindset.
• Experience working with global teams and manufacturing partners is an advantage.
• Frequent travel to China is required to support development, manufacturing, supplier engagement, and cross-functional business activities.

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.

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 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.

Videos to watch:
The Culture at Mattel
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