Principal Product Designer
About The Position
The Principal Product Designer is a senior individual contributor who sets a high creative and technical standard for Just Play’s New Brands portfolio. The role defines and advances product and brand opportunities, shapes creative direction for complex or high-impact projects, and influences cross-functional decisions from early strategy through development. It applies deep toy-industry expertise to translate consumer, category, and business insights into original, market-ready product platforms. The position works with Design, Marketing, senior leadership, and external creative and development partners. It leads concept development and reviews, guides teams toward practical solutions that preserve design intent, and mentors Associate and Senior Product Designers. The role is primarily office-based, with occasional domestic and international travel as business needs require.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in industrial design, product design, toy design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Ten or more years of progressively responsible toy design or related consumer-product design experience.
- Portfolio demonstrating leadership of original product platforms or complex product lines from ideation through development.
- Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and PowerPoint.
- Strong working knowledge of 3D CAD and related product-development tools.
- Deep knowledge of toy materials, manufacturing methods, product-development processes, features, and play patterns.
- Exceptional creative judgment, communication, influence, collaboration, and multi-project management skills.
Nice To Haves
- Broad experience across plush, dolls, collectibles, play sets, and/or accessories.
- Experience with licensed pitches, external creative partners, and international product-development teams.
- Ability to travel occasionally, domestically and internationally, as business needs require.
Responsibilities
- Lead development of high-impact original product concepts, new intellectual property, and brand platforms across the New Brands portfolio.
- Establish creative direction and design frameworks for complex, ambiguous, or strategically important opportunities.
- Translate consumer, category, entertainment, technology, and business insights into differentiated product strategies and market-ready concepts.
- Create, review, and direct sophisticated 2D and 3D concept materials, product presentations, and design specifications.
- Advise Design, Marketing, and senior leadership, communicating recommendations, tradeoffs, and creative rationale.
- Lead cross-functional concept reviews and coordinate with external creative and development partners to ensure design intent is understood and executed.
- Anticipate product-development risks, manufacturing considerations, and market opportunities, and guide teams toward practical, high-quality solutions.
- Mentor and elevate Associate and Senior Product Designers through feedback, coaching, and sharing expertise.
- Contribute to licensed pitches and business-development presentations as needed.
- Perform other related duties consistent with the scope of the role.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
