Lead Designer – Consumer Products (Dolls Style Guide)

Mattel•El Segundo, CA

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Designer to join the Global Franchise Creative team supporting our Dolls Style Guide team. This role is responsible for developing best-in-class style guide assets, visual systems, and creative toolkits that inspire licensed consumer products across a wide range of categories. The ideal candidate has exceptional graphic design skills, a strong fashion sensibility, and a sophisticated design eye. They are a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment, can take a creative brief and independently drive projects from concept through final execution, and consistently delivers thoughtful, brand-right creative with minimal direction. This role partners closely with the Creative Manager, Franchise Creative Director, Brand, Licensing, Product Development, Creative Operations, and external creative vendors to develop compelling visual assets that translate seamlessly across a variety of licensed consumer products.

Requirements

7+ years of professional experience in graphic design, style guide development, fashion graphics, consumer products, entertainment, or a related creative field.
Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fashion Design, or equivalent experience.
Exceptional graphic design skills with a refined eye for typography, composition, color, layout, and visual storytelling.
Strong understanding of fashion, graphic, and lifestyle trends.
Proven ability to take a creative request, work independently, and drive projects from concept through final execution with minimal oversight.
Experience developing style guide assets, brand systems, or visual toolkits that support licensed consumer products.
Strong understanding of how creative assets translate across a wide range of consumer product categories.
Experience art directing external vendors, illustrators, photographers, or creative partners.
Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat.
Strong presentation, communication, organization, and project management skills.
Ability to manage multiple brands and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Licensing, entertainment, or consumer products experience is highly preferred.
Exceptional taste level with a strong passion for fashion, graphic design, and visual storytelling.
Self-motivated and able to work autonomously while confidently making creative decisions.
Collaborative, curious, and open to feedback.
Strong problem solver with a positive, solution-oriented mindset.
Organized, adaptable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities.
Demonstrates a growth mindset by staying curious, embracing challenges, and continuously evolving creatively.

Responsibilities

Own the creative development of style guide assets from concept through final execution across Mattel's Dolls portfolio.
Translate creative briefs into compelling visual solutions with minimal direction while maintaining brand integrity.
Apply strong graphic design fundamentals and fashion-inspired thinking to create trend-forward style guide assets and visual collections.
Develop graphics, patterns, typography, iconography, layouts, illustrations, and visual storytelling assets that support global style guides.
Understand how style guide assets will be applied across licensed consumer products including apparel, accessories, footwear, home décor, beauty, stationery, publishing, toys, and more.
Art direct external artists, illustrators, and design vendors to ensure exceptional creative quality, consistency, and brand alignment.
Research and incorporate fashion, lifestyle, color, print, graphic, and consumer trends.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Present concepts and design rationale clearly and confidently to internal stakeholders.
Collaborate closely with Brand, Product Development, Licensing, Creative Operations, and fellow designers.
Maintain exceptional attention to detail while upholding the highest standards of creative excellence.