Director, Video Strategy & Content Ecosystem

Mattel, Inc.and Subsidiaries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 178,000 - 223,000; Full time

Job summary

Mattel, Inc. is seeking a senior leader to own video platform strategy and audience growth across YouTube, FAST/CTV, and creator-led content. You will guide strategy, governance, and distribution to maximize audience engagement and monetization for diverse franchises.

The role requires deep platform expertise, editorial judgment, and cross-functional leadership to align content with business goals and audience needs.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience across video strategy and platform programming.
• Deep expertise in YouTube strategy, channel growth and monetization.
• Strong understanding of digital video ecosystems including FAST/CTV and creator platforms.
• Experience working with production teams, studios and creators.
• Strong production and financial fluency with budgets and schedules.

Responsibilities

• Define Mattel's global video strategy across major platforms and audiences.
• Lead YouTube strategy and governance, including channel architecture and distribution.
• Develop strategies for kids and general adult audiences with commercial potential.
• Build relationships with YouTube/Google and other partners for platform opportunities.
• Shape content strategy and formats linking franchise priorities to audiences.

Skills

YouTube strategy

Audience development

Platform strategy

Editorial judgment

Leadership

Job description

Pay Range: USD $178,000 and $223,000 Yearly.

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 programs, comprehensive benefits, and resources to help empower a culture where every employee can reach their full potential.

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:

Working across Brand, Creative, Production, Media, Influencer, Entertainment and regional teams, this leader will bring platform and audience intelligence upstream into content development. The ideal candidate combines deep platform expertise with editorial judgment, production fluency, commercial acumen and strong cross‑functional leadership.

What Your Impact Will Be:

Video Platform Strategy & Audience Growth

• Define Mattel's global video strategy across YouTube, FAST/CTV, creator-led video, social video and emerging platforms, translating audience behavior, cultural trends and performance data into growth opportunities.
• Lead YouTube strategy and governance globally, including channel architecture, portfolio strategy, programming frameworks, audience development and distribution.
• Develop differentiated strategies for made-for-kids audiences and general audience/adult fan and collector audiences based on their distinct behaviors, content expectations and commercial opportunities.
• Build strategic relationships with YouTube/Google and other priority video and distribution partners and identify emerging platforms, formats and technologies relevant to Mattel's audiences.

Content Strategy, Development & Production

• Develop platform-native video strategies and repeatable content formats that connect franchise priorities with audience needs and platform behavior.
• Shape Mattel's general audience and adult fan and collector content strategy, including original series, repeatable formats, creator-led programming and new storytelling models.
• Ensure major franchise moments, live experiences, partnerships and entertainment launches are designed as content engines that extend storytelling before, during and after the moment.
• Develop the role of creator-distributed video within Mattel's broader strategy, identifying opportunities to reach audiences through integrations, recurring creator formats and creator-owned channels when owned-channel investment is not the most effective approach. Partner with Influencer, Media and Partnerships teams on activation and measurement.
• Partner with internal Production teams, agencies, studios, creators and external production companies to develop content that is creative, platform-native and financially efficient.
• Evaluate creative concepts, scopes of work, production models and budgets, ensuring investment is appropriate for the audience opportunity, platform and expected performance.
• Identify and manage relationships with YouTube-native studios, producers, showrunners and other specialized video partners.
• Drive greater value from Mattel's existing content library through strategic reuse, re-editing, atomization, compilation and redistribution, balancing net-new production with scalable content models.

Content Economics, Monetization & Distribution

• Establish frameworks for evaluating video investment and efficiency across production and media, including production cost, audience delivery, watch time, cost per view/watch hour, paid media efficiency and content longevity.
• Partner with Media to determine when paid support can accelerate audience and content growth and ensure investment decisions consider both organic and paid performance.
• Develop and optimize Mattel's video monetization strategy across YouTube advertising, sponsorships and integrations, licensing, distribution, FAST/CTV and other emerging commercial models.
• Lead Mattel's global video channel management and distribution capability, establishing governance and best practices for channel management, publishing, metadata, rights management and platform optimization.
• Oversee agency and external partner relationships supporting channel operations and continue to simplify Mattel's channel portfolio, concentrating resources where they create the greatest strategic value.

Performance Intelligence & Video Center of Excellence

• Translate audience behavior, content performance, platform analytics, competitive benchmarks and marketplace trends into recommendations that actively shape programming, production and investment decisions.
• Establish measurement frameworks, benchmarks and performance targets connecting video investment to audience growth, engagement, consumption, efficiency, monetization and franchise impact.
• Build an ongoing test-and-learn agenda across formats, talent, content length, publishing cadence, distribution, creative approaches and monetization models.
• Lead Mattel's Video Center of Excellence, developing the playbooks, standards, operating principles and education that strengthen video capabilities across brands and markets.
• Serve as Mattel's senior advisor on YouTube and video strategy, helping leadership teams make informed decisions about content investment, platform opportunities, production models and distribution.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Influence

• Lead and develop a high-performing team spanning video strategy, content development, audience strategy and channel management.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships and establish clear roles and decision rights across teams involved in video strategy, development, production, creator partnerships, distribution and amplification.
• Influence strategic decisions and align stakeholders around shared audience and business outcomes.

What We're Looking For:

• 10-15+ years of experience across video strategy, digital content, audience development, production, programming or platform strategy within entertainment, media, digital platforms, studios, agencies or global consumer brands.
• Deep expertise in YouTube strategy, programming, channel growth, audience development, optimization and monetization.
• Strong understanding of the broader digital video ecosystem, including FAST/CTV, creator platforms, social video and emerging distribution models.
• Demonstrated experience developing or commissioning digital video content and working directly with production companies, studios, producers, creators and creative teams.
• Strong production and financial fluency, including experience evaluating creative treatments, scopes, budgets, schedules and production models.
• Demonstrated ability to connect content investment with audience performance, monetization and business outcomes and make strategic tradeoffs across a portfolio.
• Experience using audience, performance and competitive data to establish benchmarks, set targets and shape programming, creative development and investment decisions.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, editorial judgment, executive communication and leadership skills, with the ability to operate across creative, analytical and commercial disciplines.
• 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 programs, comprehensive benefits, and resources to help empower a culture where every employee can reach their full potential.

Don't meet every single requirement?At Mattel, we are dedicated to an inclusive workplace and a culture of belonging. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

How We Work:

• 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.

Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world's leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Mattel's award-winning workplace culture has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Great Place to Work, TIME, and more.

Mattel is an Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers, and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran and protected veteran status, disability status, and or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.