Associate Manager Graphic Design

The Opportunity:

The Associate Graphic Design Manager will act as a key leadership partner to the Senior Design Manager, driving excellence across our packaging and graphic design work. In this role, you will lead a small, high-performing design team while remaining hands-on with creative execution. You will bridge the gap between creative strategy and production reality—managing licensor relationships, streamlining workflows with regional factories, and fostering a collaborative, high-energy environment.

What Your Impact Will Be:

Position Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Partnership (45%)

• Direct Management: Lead and mentor a small team of graphic designers, supporting their career growth and ensuring the team hits its collective performance objectives.

• Relationship Building: Actively build strong, trusting connections within your own team, while partnering smoothly with cross-functional stakeholders (Product Development, Engineering, Costing...etc).

• Culture Catalyst: Bring high energy to the studio, fostering an environment of collaborative innovation and creative problem-solving. Role model the growth mindset for the community and team you will be serving.

• Collaborate with global cross-functional teams to understand business objectives and translate them into innovative creative solutions.

Project Management, Workflows & Risk Mitigation (25%)

• Workflow Optimization: Maintain an intimate understanding of end-to-end design and packaging workflows, ensuring deadlines are hit efficiently.

• Progress Tracking & Risk Management: Actively participate in tracking project timelines. Proactively identify project risks, bottleneck issues, or delays, and execute solutions before they impact production.

• Managing projects from concept to completion, while delivering high-quality work within efficient project management and team support.

• Work closely with ES counterparts through clear communication, scheduled touch bases, and regular collaboration to not only help the business to keep moving forward, but to also understand front end business needs.

Brand & Industry Compliance (15%)

• Licensor Brand Stewardship: Ensure all graphic assets, style guides, and package layouts directly align with strict global Licensor branding standards.

• Toy Industry Expertise: While preferred, not mandatory. Apply deep knowledge of the toy industry/CPG industry, market trends, and child-safe product/packaging standards to all design outputs.

• Regulatory Knowledge: Understanding regulations requirements and how it applies to packaging; working closely with QE to meet these legal requirements

Printing, Technical Skills & Global Production (15%)

• Vendor & Factory Collaboration: Partner closely with external printing vendors, local manufacturing plants, and regional cross-functional partners (e.g., Vietnam, PTMI Indonesia, China and Mexico (Montoi)).

• Technical Quality Control: Apply strong print production and pre-press knowledge to ensure files are optimized for flawless physical production.

• Travel: Willingness and flexibility to travel to regional factories, vendors, or partner offices when necessary to oversee production quality or align teams.

What We’re Looking For:

• Experience: at least 3 - 5 years of working experience at a management level, with a proven track record of leading a small creative team.

• Industry Knowledge: Solid background in the toy industry or global consumer goods sector, with a deep understanding of standard industry design workflows.

• Licensor Familiarity: Strong portfolio showcasing experience working within strict licensor branding parameters or global entertainment brands.

• Proficiency in English: Strong proficiency and comfort level communicating in English, as this is a global team with headquarters located in the US.

• Strong presentation skills: Can command a room presenting/speaking publicly in both languages

Technical Toolkit:

• Highly proficient in PowerPoint (PPT) for creating clear, professional presentations for internal stakeholders and external partners.

• Excellent foundational knowledge of packaging print processes, color management, and working directly with production plants

Additional:

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and other design software. – these are our standard tools. Familiarity with other design software is a plus, not a requirement.

• Experience with AI platforms is also highly valued.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Mattel, we are dedicated to an inclusive workplace and a culture of belonging. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

How We Work:
We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors:

• We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
• We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.
• We execute: We are a performance-driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best-in-class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Our Approach to Flexible Work:
We embrace a flexible work model designed to empower a culture of growth, optimism, and wellbeing, where every employee can reach their full potential. Combining purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility, our focus is to optimize performance and drive connection for moments that matter.

Who We Are:
Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Mattel’s award-winning workplace culture has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Great Place to Work, TIME, and more.

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Mattel is an Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers, and all applicants will receive consideration for employment.

Videos to watch:
The Culture at Mattel
Corporate Philanthropy