Senior Product Designer — Iconic Board Games

Mattel; El Segundo (CA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

Mattel is seeking an experienced Lead Product Designer to shape the future of iconic games like UNO, Pictionary, Scrabble, and more. You will bridge gameplay systems, physical product design, prototyping, and leadership, owning complex programs and guiding teams while staying hands-on.

You will collaborate across Design, Marketing, Engineering, Consumer Insights, Packaging, Licensing, and Operations to transform ideas into intuitive products, balancing creativity with manufacturability and

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience designing tabletop, card, party, strategy, family games, toys, or related physical consumer products, with demonstrated strength in game and product design.
• Experience leading the complete game development process, including ideation, mechanics, prototyping, playtesting, balancing, iteration, and commercialization.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating sophisticated problem solving, compelling physical product design, and the ability to translate ideas into clear, engaging play experiences.
• Deep understanding of player motivation, game systems, probability, progression, accessibility, and player experience design.
• Knowledge of consumer product development, manufacturing processes, materials, tooling, and production constraints.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop new gameplay experiences across Mattel's portfolio of family, party, strategy, and card games.
• Own complex projects from early concept exploration through prototyping, playtesting, refinement, and final product execution.
• Apply game design principles, player psychology, consumer insights, and a strong understanding of player behavior to create experiences that are simple to learn, rewarding to play, and built for repeat engagement.
• Build and test prototypes quickly, using playtesting and consumer feedback to improve mechanics, pacing, accessibility, and overall player experience.
• Identify opportunities to reinvent established brands while developing entirely new ways to play.
• Translate gameplay into intuitive, beautifully crafted physical products, components, and interactions.
• Develop clear design solutions through sketching, model making, CAD, rendering, prototyping, and other appropriate visualization tools.
• Lead constructive critique and design reviews that strengthen ideas, sharpen decision-making, and raise the quality of the work.
• Mentor and support Product Designers and Senior Product Designers through feedback, collaboration, and hands‑on problem solving.

Skills

Game design

Playtesting

Prototyping

Cross-functional leadership

Player behavior

Tools

CAD

Job description

Mattel is seeking an experienced Lead Product Designer to shape the future of iconic games like UNO, Pictionary, Scrabble, and more. You will bridge gameplay systems, physical product design, prototyping, and leadership, owning complex programs and guiding teams while staying hands-on.

You will collaborate across Design, Marketing, Engineering, Consumer Insights, Packaging, Licensing, and Operations to transform ideas into intuitive products, balancing creativity with manufacturability and