Sr Manager, Quality Engineering

Company Description

CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER. It’s our heritage and it’s also our future. Because we don’t just make toys. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire fans, entertain audiences and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard—when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day. We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

The Team:
The Quality Engineering team is responsible for working with the product design and development groups to influence design and engineering decisions that uphold all consumer, regulatory, and brand expectations for quality, safety, and reliability. We also work directly with international quality and manufacturing teams to support pre-production debug and any post-production issues that may arise. This is a group that makes data-driven decisions and creates the appropriate rationale for our requirements

Job Description

The Opportunity: 
Mattel is currently seeking a Senior Manager, Quality Engineering in El Segundo, CA. This role is a key member of the corporate Quality Engineering leadership team, reporting to the Sr. Director of Quality Engineering. The Senior Manager will develop and execute functional strategies that align with business priorities, influence design and development practices across global brand teams, and lead cross-functional initiatives to enhance quality, safety, and compliance.

The Senior Manager will have responsibility for people leadership, strategic alignment, and execution of enterprise-level quality initiatives, while building organizational capability and shaping a culture of quality excellence

What Your Impact Will Be: 

Strategy Development & Execution

• Develops and implements functional strategies for regulatory compliance, risk management, and product quality that align with corporate objectives.
• Leverages regulatory intelligence and benchmarking insights to adapt systems and influence quality direction.

Leadership & Team Development

• Leads, coaches, and mentors a team of Quality Engineers, building organizational capability in quality systems, decision-making, and technical excellence.
• Establishes clear goals, KPIs, and accountability frameworks to ensure team performance aligns with strategic priorities.
• Manages and develops the US- and Asia-based Quality Engineering teams, providing direction, performance management, and support across time zones to ensure consistent execution of quality priorities.

Cross-Functional Influence

• Designs and leads strategic communication strategies to align cross-functional partners (Marketing, Design, Development, Product Safety, Regulatory Compliance, and Manufacturing) around shared quality objectives.
• Anticipates downstream risks and ensures early cross-functional engagement to drive proactive resolution.

Decision-Making & Data Strategy

• Defines enterprise data strategy for quality analytics, ensuring insights inform business and product decisions.
• Builds systems for scalable, accurate, and consistent data management, enabling evidence-based decision-making across the organization.

Technical & Engineering Excellence

• Shapes enterprise approaches to investigation, root cause analysis, and risk management tools (FMEA, FTA, PHA), ensuring robust processes that support compliance and innovation.
• Develops scalable sampling and verification strategies aligned with corporate risk management and lifecycle planning.

Culture & Continuous Improvement

• Fosters a culture of regulatory agility, continuous learning, and shared ownership of quality.
• Champions adoption of best practices and innovative tools to strengthen compliance, efficiency, and product performance.
• Partners with senior leadership to align enterprise quality goals with long-term business strategies and cultural transformation efforts.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For:

Experience, Education, & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering (Master’s degree preferred).
• 8+ years of progressive experience in product development, engineering, or quality roles, including at least 3 years in leadership.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, project management tools, and statistical analysis so