Toy Designer - Trends

Jazwares Careers • Culver City, CA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Product Designer for Trends, you will design and develop innovative toy products across hard and soft goods for key trend-driven properties. Working closely with the Design Manager and Packaging Designer, you will turn emerging trends into engaging play experiences that align with brand strategies and licensor requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Toy Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, or a related field is a plus.
• 3+ years of product design experience in the toy industry, with a proven track record across both hard goods (action figures, plastics, playsets) and soft goods (plush, textiles).
• 1+ years of experience collaborating directly with global manufacturing vendors (Asia preferred), with a strong understanding of plastic injection molding, assembly, and creating precise turn-over specification packages.
• Deep understanding of creating cohesive systems of play (compatibility, articulation, and usability) within strict licensed brand style guides (experience with Pokémon or entertainment properties is a huge plus).
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) and expertise in creating highly detailed control drawings and rendered illustration concepts.
• Proficiency in G-Suite/MS Office.
• Exceptional visual, verbal, and written communication skills for pitching concepts to licensors and cross-functional teams.
• Highly adaptable critical thinker who can seamlessly manage multiple shifting priorities and deadlines while keeping projects moving forward.
• Collaborative team player who can also work independently to problem-solve and execute design goals.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Pokémon or entertainment properties is a huge 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
• 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
• Perform other duties as assigned

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
• 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree