Senior Toy Designer - Dolls

Jazwares Careers • Los Angeles, CA

23h • Hybrid

About The Position

As the Senior Toy Designer in our Dolls division, you will successfully lead the design and development of innovative doll lines for high-profile licensed brands. This role requires an expert balance of creative vision and strategic alignment to translate premier entertainment properties into compelling consumer products. You will champion the entire design process from initial sketching and ideation to technical problem-solving and final production. Collaboration is key: you will partner cross-functionally with brand management, engineering, and external licensors to deliver user-centric play experiences while strictly adhering to cost, quality, and timeline requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in toy design, industrial design, industrial engineering, or industry relevant field is a plus
• 5+ years of toy or consumer product design experience (experience with dolls, fashion, or kids' products preferred)
• 1+ years of experience working with global manufacturing factories (Asia preferred)
• Exhibit interest and knowledge of the current trends/innovations as well as an understanding the competitive marketplace in the toy industry
• Proactively observes and gain understanding of the competative marketplace including current trends and innovation
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office & G-Suite
• Strong proficiency in adobe creative suite (illustrator, photoshop, and indesign) or other similar tools
• Strong project management skills
• Able to work cross functionally and reciprocally with multiple departments
• Able to work independently or collaboratively
• Knowledge of materials and multiple manufacturing processes
• Knowledge of working with licensed brands
• Exceptional visual, verbal, and written communication skills
• Able to multitask, organize, prioritize, and manage time efficiently
• Demonstrates a strong design sense, including a well-developed sense of aesthetics
• Can easily adapt to shifting priorities, and can manage multiple priorities at one time, while also demonstrating vigilance in keeping projects moving forward and hitting deadlines
• Effective problem solver and critical thinker; proactive in resolving issues
• Expertise in control drawings and rendered illustration concepts
• Ability to deal effectively with diverse individuals at all organizational levels in a professional manner

Nice To Haves

• Experience in the toy/baby/costume/pets industry
• Knowledge of 3D modeling, sculpting, and rendering (Familiar with Zbrush/Rhino/Fusion 360) a plus
• Multilingual a plus

Responsibilities

• Instrumental in generating new toy concepts and designing new play experiences for new and/or existing brands and product lines
• Deliver end to end product design including research, concepts, prototypes, and user testing
• Champion great design in our high-quality products and help assure they are within target cost and QA/QC requirements
• Oversees the product design process
• Create systems of play centered around compatibility, usability, and superior play experiences
• Builds consensus between members throughout the design process
• Work collaboratively with your branding, product management, engineering, packaging, licensor, and other internal team partners to create product that is the best fit for the brand and meets licensor requirements
• Attend Brand and licensing meeting and brainstorming to obtain enough information for product design
• Successfully present and communicate concepts to the brand, development, management, and licensor teams
• Ensure delivery of precise, clear, and complete product turnover specifications and ensure they fully understood by the international team/factory
• Work with outside vendors
• Support the overall strategic goals of product, provide direction and feedback during the development process that is attentive to licensor and for brand assurance
• Responsible for completing, reviewing, documenting specification changes, submitting for licensor approval, and providing comments for illustrative turns, sculpts, paint masters, and sample reviews
• Work closely with brand/management teams to resolve development issues, while assuring designs meet the target cost, schedule, and brand standards
• Participate in the entire life cycle of project development from a concept through initial ideation, refinement, prototype execution, and turn over packages to development teams
• Champion high quality designs and products that are within target cost and QA/QC requirements
• Collaborate with packaging design team to assure product and packaging are aligned

Benefits

• Basic medical insurance that is 100% company-paid for employees and their children
• Employee basic life and AD&D insurance
• 401(K) retirement program with Jazwares matching up to 4% of pretax or post-tax deferrals
• Short and long-term disability
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexible work schedule (Monday through Thursday on-site, with an optional WFH on Fridays)
• Up to 20 workdays fully remote each year
• Time Off for vacation and sick leave
• Opportunity to volunteer for up to 16 hours a year on community service projects

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree