Director Experiential Design - Live Events

Mattel•El Segundo, CA

2h•$130,000 - $177,000•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.