Lead Packaging Designer - Dolls Portfolio

About the role

Mattel is seeking a Lead Packaging Designer to shape the next generation of packaging across its Dolls portfolio. This is a hands-on creative leadership role for an experienced packaging designer who combines graphic design skills with a strong understanding of structure, product presentation, storytelling and the realities of moving packaging from concept through production. The designer leads projects from early ideation through final production, working closely with Product Design, Marketing, Packaging Engineering, Copywriters, Development, Consumer Insights and global production partners.

Key responsibilities

• Create breakthrough brand visual identities for new Mattel Venture toy packaging from concept through production.
• Help build brand guidelines, styleguides, visual toolkits and design systems covering typography, colour, photography/illustration direction and packaging principles.
• Partner on packaging strategy, concept development and design execution, translating insights and business strategy into clear creative narratives.
• Produce high-quality presentations, concept boards, visual frameworks and storytelling materials.
• Use AI tools to speed up ideation, mood development, visualization, concept iteration and presentation development.
• Set a high creative bar and partner with and direct internal development designers and external illustrators, photographers and vendors.
• Manage the packaging design critical path, review production artwork, guide internal and external resources and identify issues early.
• Balance creative ambition with cost, schedule, manufacturing and retail realities, and defend creative concepts to cross-functional teams and senior leadership.

Required profile

• 10+ years of professional packaging or graphic design experience, ideally in toys, consumer products, CPG, entertainment or another highly visual consumer-facing industry.
• Team player able to accept and give creative direction, with excellent communication, organizational and presentation skills.
• Curious, collaborative, adaptable and low ego, comfortable with ambiguity, shifting priorities and tight deadlines.
• Preferred: experience launching new brands, sub-brands or franchise extensions; toys, licensed IP or youth/family lifestyle experience; omnichannel brand assets; working with overseas partners.

Required skills

• Adobe Creative Suite, especially Illustrator, Photoshop and Dimension.
• Strong image-making, typography, composition and visual storytelling.
• Familiarity with 3D visualization, rendering, prototyping and AI image/concept generation tools (strongly preferred).
• Portfolio showing packaging craft, typography, composition, colour, hierarchy, image-making and product storytelling.

The stated pay range is $115,000 to $140,000 per year, depending on location, skills and experience.