Product Marketing Specialist- Toys

MerchSource; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

MerchSource is seeking a Product Marketing Specialist to support day-to-day marketing activities for its toy brands, including FAO Schwarz, Discovery, and Claire’s. The role offers exposure to product development, packaging, ecommerce content, and showroom execution from ideation to retail launch.

The ideal candidate has 2–4 years of experience in marketing, with strong organizational skills and a hands-on, detail-oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Merchandising, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of experience in marketing, product marketing, or brand marketing; toys/consumer products is a plus.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; collaborative cross-functional work.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day product marketing activities across toy brands and categories, keeping projects organized and on schedule.
• Assist Discovery brand initiatives, including ideation, roadmaps, research, packaging, and ecommerce content.
• Develop product positioning, selling points, sell sheets, and marketing materials.
• Coordinate product samples and packaging for meetings, photoshoots, and showroom events.
• Support ecommerce photography and video development with product guidance.
• Prepare showroom materials, displays, and retailer presentation assets.
• Assist with retailer and licensor submissions, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery.
• Help maintain marketing templates and documentation across the toy portfolio.

Skills

Product marketing

Brand marketing

Merchandising

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Merchandising, or related field

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

MerchSource is a consumer products company headquartered in Irvine, California. We design, develop, source, and distribute products across toys, electronics, wellness, home décor, and gifting.

Our portfolio includes products under recognized brands such as FAO Schwarz, Sharper Image, and Discovery.

From the first creative concept to the retail shelf, our teams bring together design, product development, sourcing, and distribution to turn ideas into products that inspire play, discovery, and everyday enjoyment.

Creative ideas. Recognized brands. Products that connect with people.

This position is hybrid M-Th in office in Irvine, CA, Friday remote

Who We Need

We are seeking a highly organized, creative, and motivated Product Marketing Specialist to join our toy marketing team. This role is ideal for an early-career marketer looking to build broad product marketing experience within the toy and consumer products industry.

The Product Marketing Specialist will support day-to-day product and brand marketing activities across our toy portfolio, including FAO Schwarz, Discovery, and Claire’s, while taking on increased responsibility supporting the Discovery brand. The role will work across product development, packaging, ecommerce, retail marketing, sales support, and showroom execution, providing exposure to the full product lifecycle from early-stage ideation through retail launch.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, creative, and comfortable managing multiple projects and deadlines. This person should enjoy being hands-on, have a strong visual eye, and be excited to grow their experience in product development and brand marketing.

This individual will collaborate closely with Product Marketing Managers, Product Development, Industrial Design, Creative, Sales, Ecommerce, and other cross-functional partners to help bring compelling products and programs to market.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day product marketing activities across assigned toy brands and categories, helping ensure projects remain organized, on schedule, and aligned with brand objectives.
• Support Discovery brand and product initiatives, including product ideation, roadmap development, competitive research, product and packaging development, marketing briefs, product naming, ecommerce content, and launch support, with opportunities to take on increased ownership over time.
• Conduct competitive, category, consumer, and retailer research to identify emerging trends, product opportunities, and relevant marketplace insights.
• Support the development and maintenance of seasonal product roadmaps, line lists, assortment plans, and account-specific program documents, ensuring information, imagery, specifications, and key milestones remain current.
• Partner with Product Development and Industrial Design on product development needs, including CMF direction, reference imagery, mood boards, competitive inspiration, and supporting creative briefs.
• Support development of product positioning, key selling points, sell sheets, product boards, ecommerce briefs, retailer presentations, and other marketing materials.
• Coordinate product samples and packaging for customer meetings, retailer submissions, photography, ecommerce shoots, and other marketing needs, including tracking, organization, shipping, and receiving.
• Support ecommerce photography and video development by coordinating product samples, props, wardrobe, and other shoot requirements while providing product and brand guidance to internal and external partners.
• Support showroom and customer meeting readiness, including product merchandising, sample organization, product boards, signage, displays, line lists, and other presentation materials.
• Assist with retailer and licensor submissions, ensuring required product information, imagery, and supporting materials are accurate and delivered on time.
• Help maintain consistent marketing processes, templates, and documentation across the toy portfolio to improve organization and efficiency.
• Support Sales and Marketing teams with customer presentations, sales summits, retailer meetings, and other key brand initiatives.
• Manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously while communicating project status, needs, and potential issues to appropriate team members.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Merchandising, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of experience in marketing, product marketing, brand marketing, merchandising, or a related role; experience within toys, consumer products, retail, or licensed brands is a plus.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate product information across spreadsheets, presentations, line lists, and other working documents.
• Interest in product development, consumer trends, toys, and retail, with an ability to translate trends and competitive insights into actionable ideas.
• Creative and visually minded, with the ability to identify compelling imagery, trends, colors, product inspiration, and presentation approaches.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and willing to take a hands-on approach to getting projects completed.
• Self-motivated, resourceful, and proactive, with a willingness to learn and take on increasing responsibility.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel; experience with creative tools, AI/image-generation tools, or ecommerce content development is a plus.

MerchSource, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic.