Senior Product Designer - Barbie

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:
We are seeking a highly creative and innovative Sr. Designer to join our Barbie product design team, focused on fashion and innovation. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the future of Barbie, one of the most iconic brands in pop culture history. We work with an equally passionate cross functional team that spans the globe, making our design-led toy company one of the best in the industry.

Job Description

The Opportunity:
The Global Product Design team is a group of passionate and inspired creatives with the goal of creating the best toys on earth! As a Barbie product designer, you will play a crucial role in developing fashion lines that resonate with today's diverse audience while continuing to empower and inspire the next generation of girls. Your designs will not only shape the aesthetic of Barbie dolls but also reflect and promote the values of diversity, empowerment, and creativity. With the recent success of the Barbie movie, the brand has experienced a remarkable resurgence in popularity, capturing the attention of a new generation. This presents a pivotal moment to leverage the brand's cultural relevance and momentum, allowing your work to inspire and engage audiences in innovative ways. By integrating contemporary fashion trends and innovative ideas, you will contribute to making Barbie a relevant figure in today’s society, inspiring young minds through imaginative play and representation. Your work will help Barbie remain a symbol of empowerment and aspiration, driving conversations around fashion and identity in a constantly evolving cultural context.

What Your Impact Will Be:

• Create trendy and imaginative clothing and accessory designs for Barbie, ensuring alignment with brand values and current fashion trends from concept ideation through to final product development.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate innovative materials, sustainability practices, and technology into Barbie products.
• Conduct market research and trend analysis to identify opportunities for innovative toy concepts and product extensions that resonate with fans and consumers.
• Engage with pop culture influences and trends to ensure Barbie remains relevant and appealing to a broad audience, including collaborations with influencers, artists, and fashion designers.
• Advocate for inclusivity in design, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of girls and women globally through Barbie's fashion lines.
• Iterate on toy designs based on internal feedback, user testing, and market insights to optimize play value, functionality, and appeal while staying true to brand essence.
• Generate creative ideas, sketches, renderings, and 3D models to visualize toy concepts and effectively communicate design vision to cross-functional teams.
• Work closely with engineers, sculptors, and manufacturers to refine designs, ensure feasibility, safety, and adherence to quality standards, and oversee the prototyping and production process.
• Stay up to date on technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes to innovate and improve toy designs while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
• Mentor junior designers to foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning within the design team.

Qualifications

What We're Looking For:

• 4+ years of toy, fashion, and/or textile experience
• Knowledge of material and manufacturing process
• Proficient in Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite Illustrator and 2D computer programs
• Strong communication and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and multi-task to meet deadlines
• Ability to effectively work autonomously and in a team environment
• Strong portfolio demonstrating strong design excellence, details, aesthetic and problem solving showcasing innovative designs and a passion for current trends.
• Interest and knowledge of current trends. Understanding of features and play patterns in the toy industry is a plus.

Additional Information

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Mattel we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this ro