Mattel

Sr Packaging Designer - Monster High

Mattel • $90K — $110K *
Retail & Consumer Goods
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of professional packaging or graphic design experience, ideally within highly visual industries such as toys or consumer products.
  • Strong proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Dimension) and 3D visualization tools.
  • Experience from concept to production, focusing on graphics, structure, and manufacturing considerations.
  • Familiarity with AI-enabled creative tools and understanding of their responsible application in design workflows.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage external partners and present design concepts effectively to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Lead packaging design projects from ideation through production, focusing on visual storytelling and structural integrity.
  • Develop brand guidelines and design systems that clarify visual language and packaging principles.
  • Translate insights and business strategies into compelling packaging narratives for alignment with stakeholders.
  • Create high-quality presentations, concept boards, and visual frameworks that effectively communicate design vision.
  • Maintain a high creative bar while balancing production realities such as cost and timelines.

Benefits

  • Purpose-driven work environment focused on empowering creativity and collaboration.
  • Flexible work model with in-office collaboration Monday-Thursday and remote work on Fridays.
  • Culture that encourages continuous learning and innovation.
  • Emphasis on team collaboration and shared values within the company.
  • Opportunities for personal and professional growth within a supportive team framework.
Full Job Description
Mattel is seeking a Senior Packaging Designer to help shape the next generation of packaging for Monster High. This is a hands-on creative leadership role for an experienced packaging designer who combines exceptional graphic design skills with a strong understanding of structure, product presentation, storytelling, and the realities of bringing packaging from concept through production. The ideal candidate is a highly skilled, versatile designer and visual problem solver who can translate brand strategy, consumer insights, product features, and marketing strategies into compelling packaging experiences. They understand that great packaging must do more than look beautiful-it must communicate clearly, showcase the product, create impact at shelf and online, and work within structural, manufacturing, sustainability, cost, and timing requirements. This designer will lead projects from early ideation through final production, developing sketches, graphic concepts, structural ideas, 3D mockups, renderings, and presentation-ready visualizations that bring ideas to life quickly and convincingly. They should be equally comfortable exploring a wide range of possibilities at the beginning of a project and obsessing over the details required to deliver exceptional final packaging. A high level of proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite-particularly Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dimension-is essential, along with strong image-making, typography, composition, and visual story telling skills. Experience with 3D visualization and rendering tools is highly valued, as is the ability to think dimensionally and translate a 2D design concept into a compelling physical package. The Lead Packaging Designer should also be comfortable incorporating AI-enabled creative tools into the design process, using them thoughtfully for rapid ideation, visualization, image exploration, storytelling, and concept development. AI should complement-not replace-strong design fundamentals, enabling the designer to explore more possibilities and communicate ideas more effectively and efficiently. This role works closely with Product Design, Marketing, Packaging Engineering, Copywriters, Development, Consumer Insights, and global production partners throughout the development process. The designer will communicate creative intent clearly, incorporate input from multiple stakeholders, provide thoughtful creative direction, and work collaboratively to solve design, structural, production, cost, and schedule challenges. They will also help manage the packaging design critical path, maintaining accuracy and creative integrity from initial concept through final artwork and approval. This includes reviewing production artwork, guiding internal and external resources, identifying potential issues early, and ensuring that the final execution reflects the intent and quality of the original design. Just as important as creative ability is how this person works. We are looking for someone curious, collaborative, adaptable, and low ego-a designer who brings a strong point of view without being precious about it. They should be comfortable with ambiguity, shifting priorities, feedback, and iteration, and understand that the strongest solutions often come through partnership. Excellent communication skills, openness to different perspectives, and the ability to build trust across disciplines and levels of the organization are critical to success. The Opportunity: • The primary role is the creation of breakthrough brand visual identities for new Mattel Venture toy packaging from concept through production. • Help Build brand guidelines, styleguides, visual toolkits, and design systems that clarify brand codes, graphic language, typography, color, photography/illustration direction, and packaging principles • Partner on packaging strategy, concept development, and design execution from early exploration through production, ensuring the work is strategically grounded, emotionally resonant, and visually distinctive. • Translate insights, raw concepts, and business strategy into clear creative narratives that secure alignment and buy-in from cross-functional partners and executive stakeholders. • Create high-quality presentations, concept boards, visual frameworks, and storytelling materials that communicate design vision with clarity, taste, and strategic intent. • Use AI tools thoughtfully and effectively to accelerate ideation, mood development, visualization, concept iteration, presentation development, and creative workflow efficiency. • Set and maintain a high creative bar for design taste, craft, and consistency • Partner with and direct, internal development designers and cross-functional creative contributors while effectively briefing and art directing external illustrators, photographers and vendors. • Partner with product design, marketing, insights, structural engineering, program management, legal, licensing, e-commerce, and global teams to ensure packaging and graphic assets deliver on strategy and can be executed at scale. • Balance creative ambition with cost, schedule, manufacturing, and retail realities. • Advocate for the consumer and the brand, ensuring final creative work is compelling, ownable, understandable, and aligned with key business objectives. • Successfully present and defend creative concepts to cross-functional teams, senior leadership, and executive management. What Your Impact Will Be: • 5+ years of professional packaging or graphic design experience, ideally within toys, consumer products, CPG, entertainment, or another highly visual consumer-facing industry. • Team player (ability to work with immediate team members and cross functional partners) • Ability to accept and give creative direction • Up to date on current trends: graphics, advertising, fashion, technology, entertainment, social, etc. • A portfolio demonstrating exceptional packaging design craft, including strong typography, composition, color, hierarchy, image-making, and product storytelling. • Experience establishing packaging brand guidelines, styleguides. • Experience in packaging design from concept through production, including structure, graphics, hierarchy, typography, color, materials, finishes, retail impact, and manufacturing considerations. • Demonstrated familiarity with AI-enabled creative tools and workflows, with the judgment to use them responsibly, efficiently, and in service of stronger creative outcomes. • Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects with different delivery dates simultaneously, in order to meet tight deadlines • Excellent communication and organizational skills • Excellent presentation skills with the ability to articulate design and vision • Experience managing external partners, freelance specialists, and global production partners. • Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, presentation tools, and modern design workflows; familiarity with 3D visualization, rendering, prototyping, and AI image/concept generation tools is strongly preferred. • Self-directed, proactive, and comfortable working through ambiguity in a fast-paced innovation environment with multiple parallel-path projects. Preferred Experience • Experience launching new brands, sub-brands, or franchise extensions from early strategy through consumer-facing execution. • Experience in toys, entertainment, licensed IP, consumer products, or youth/family lifestyle categories. • Experience developing omnichannel brand assets for retail, e-commerce, social, digital, and presentation environments. • Experience working with overseas partners and managing creative quality through production and commercialization. Qualifications What We're Looking For: • Demonstrated a growth mindset by staying curious and continuously learning, embracing challenges, and improving themselves. Additional Information 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: This role is an in-office role Monday-Thursday, and work from home on Fridays. 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.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc. is a global toy company that designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of toys and games. The company's brands include Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, and more. Mattel's products are sold in over 150 countries and the company has manufacturing facilities in 10 countries. Mattel is committed to sustainability and has set a goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials in all products and packaging by 2030. The company is also committed to diversity and inclusion and has been recognized for its efforts in this area.
Learn more about Mattel
Size
36,300 employees
Market Cap
$5.9 billion
Industry
Net Income
$126.6 million
Founded
1945
5 Year Trend
-4.3%
Revenue
$4.5 billion
NASDAQ

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