Assoc Manager Product Designer

Mattel•El Segundo, CA

12d

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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 - 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.

Nice To Haves

Thorough understanding of the toy product design-development processes.
Strong ability to ideate, sketch, illustrate, generate rough models.
Thorough understanding on final modeling and production.
Clear understanding of the Toy industry and entertainment Industry, with familiarity of toys both past and present within vehicles category.
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.
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).

Responsibilities

Lead and inspire a group of designers on 1 or more key segments of business in Hot Wheels Licensed Entertainment Tracks and Playsets, creating innovative products.
Execute and help create product design visions.
Strengthen the voice of our designers.
Guide, nurture and grow your design team to empower future leaders.
Ideate, sketch, illustrate, and generate rough models.
Contribute and execute on product design vision.
Bring fresh POV with innovative design concepts.
Design for the target consumer, influenced by kid usability and parent expectations and needs.
Create visual design language in a product suitable for the core audience and maintains the Hot Wheels edge.
Understand how play and design work together in product to tell a concise story.
Present to an audience of varying sizes both clearly and confidently.
Take concepts and distill them into a clear, understandable narrative to garner buy-in throughout the organization through a variety of medium.
Work 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.
Adapt fast to new design challenges.
Pivot and revise projects and strategy where business necessitates.
Occasionally participate in design efforts outside of your area of expertise.
Manage multiple parallel-path projects.
Take on design projects as well as manage.
Manage a team of designers and empower them to grow and foster forward thinking.
Form a strong business relationship with your team gaining trust through collaboration, guidance, teamwork and empathy.
Maximize each designer’s skill within the team and nurture their areas of opportunity.
Guide your team to best fulfill strategic product needs.
Lead by example and maintain professionalism, representing the core values of Mattel.
Inspire your design team to make toys that matter and make an impact.