Sr Manager, Brand Creative - Portfolio Vehicles

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.

Job Description

The Opportunity: 
The Vehicles Brand Creative team is seeking a visionary Senior Creative Manager to help shape the future of some of the most iconic brands in the world—Matchbox, Disney Pixar Cars, and Thomas & Friends. 

This leader will drive breakthrough, consumer-centric creative across global campaigns, content, retail, digital, live experiences, and brand ecosystems. This role is both a strategic thinker and a hands-on maker, someone who can define high level brand vision and execute at ground level. Ideal candidate must inspire teams, influence stakeholders, and raise the creative bar in everything they touch. 

What Your Impact Will Be: 

• Define and elevate the creative vision for this portfolio of vehicles brands, ensuring distinct equities, consistency across each brand, innovation, and cultural relevance. 
• Lead the development of global, idea-led campaigns and brand systems that drive engagement across audiences and business results. 
• Champion, design and develop cohesive visual identities, brand foundations, narratives and messaging for all brands 
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Product Design, Packaging, Content, Digital, and Global teams to deliver best-in-class work. 
• Provide clear, actionable direction to internal teams and external agencies to produce high-impact creative. 
• Mentor, inspire and grow a multi-disciplinary team of designers, copywriters, and content creators. 
• Effectively and clearly present and advocate creative work to cross functional teams and senior leadership to ensure clarity and alignment. 
• Balance multiple high-profile initiatives, ensuring objectives are met and delivered on time and on budget without compromising creative excellence. 

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For:

Experience & Education 

• 8-10+ years of experience in creative leadership roles (agency or in-house), with a strong foundation in branding, art direction and graphic design 
• Proven success building and evolving global consumer brands. 
• Demonstrated experience in digital, social, and content-driven ecosystems. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Advertising, or related field (BFA preferred; advanced degree a plus). 
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and relevant creative production tools required. 

Skills Required 

• A strategic, conceptual thinker who turns insights into powerful brand storytelling. 
• A hands-on creative leader with deep design sensibility and high craft standards. 
• A brand architect experienced in defining and scaling brand narratives and storytelling frameworks, and establishing clear messaging and tone of voice guidelines that drive consistency and impact across all touchpoints. 
• A culture-forward voice with strong awareness of trends across advertising, entertainment, gaming, retail, and social. 
• Experienced in building and evolving iconic consumer brands across multi-generational audiences—from kids to collectors. 
• A collaborative leader who thrives in a matrixed organization and builds strong cross-functional partnerships. 
• An agency-savvy creative with experience directing and partnering with external agencies and production partners. 
• A compelling communicator who can influence at all levels and inspire creative teams to do their best work 

Core Capabilities 

• Brand strategy and identity development 
• Integrated campaign development (digital, social, retail, experiential, content) 
• Visual systems and design leadership 
• Multi-audience communication (youth, shoppers, adult fans) 
• Creative direction across digital, video, motion, animation, retail, experiential and environments, print and packaging 
• Agency management and vendor collaboration 
• Team leadership, coaching, and creative talent development 
• Executive-level presentation and storytelling 
   

*The pay range is indicative of projected hiring range, however base pay will be determined based on a candidate’s work location, skills and experience. Mattel offers competitive total pay pro