Toy Designer - Trends

Jazwares-; Culver City (CA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 91,740; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance (100% company-paid)

Life & AD&D insurance

401(k) with 4% match

Disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible hybrid work schedule

Volunteer time (Jazwares Cares)

Paid time off

Job summary

Jazwares, a Berkshire Hathaway company, seeks a Product Designer for Trends in Culver City, CA to design toy products across hard and soft goods, aligning with brand strategies and licensor requirements.

You will generate concepts, build prototypes, and test ideas, delivering turnover specs to international teams while collaborating with branding, engineering, and packaging. The role calls for 3+ years in toy design, vendor collaboration, and strong Adobe skills.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of product design experience in the toy industry.
• Experience collaborating with global manufacturing vendors (Asia preferred).
• Understanding of plastic injection molding, assembly, and turn-over specs.
• Ability to create cohesive systems of play within licensed brand guides.
• Strong visual, verbal, and written communication for licensors and teams.

Responsibilities

• Generate new toy concepts and design play experiences for brands and lines.
• Deliver end-to-end product design including research, concepts, prototypes, and testing.
• Champion design within target cost and QA/QC requirements.
• Create systems of play focused on compatibility, usability, and experience.
• Collaborate with branding, product management, engineering, packaging, and licensors.
• Present concepts to brand, development, management, and licensor teams.
• Prepare, review, and document specification changes for licensors and factories.
• Work with outside vendors and resolve development issues while meeting schedules.
• Support strategic goals and provide design direction throughout development.

Skills

Product design experience

Vendor collaboration

Systems of play design

Licensor/presentation skills

Communication skills

Multitask management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Toy Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Illustrator

Photoshop

G-Suite/MS Office

Job description

As a Product Designer for Trends, you will design and develop innovative toy products across hard and soft goods for key trend-driven properties. Working closely with the Design Manager and Packaging Designer, you will turn emerging trends into engaging play experiences that align with brand strategies and licensor requirements.

What You Will Do:

• Instrumental in generating new toy concepts and designing new play experiences for new and/or existing brands and product lines
• Deliver end to end product design including research, concepts, prototypes, and user testing
• Champion great design in our high-quality products and help assure they are within target cost and QA/QC requirements
• Create systems of play centered around compatibility, usability, and superior play experiences
• Builds consensus between members throughout the design process
• Work collaboratively with your branding, product management, engineering, packaging, licensor, and other internal team partners to create product that is the best fit for the brand and meets licensor requirements
• Attend Brand and licensing meeting and brainstorming to obtain enough information for product design
• Successfully present and communicate concepts to the brand, development, management, and licensor teams
• Ensure delivery of precise, clear, and complete product turnover specifications and ensure they fully understood by the international team/factory
• Work with outside vendors
• Support the overall strategic goals of product, provide direction and feedback during the development process that is attentive to licensor and for brand assurance
• Responsible for completing, reviewing, documenting specification changes, submitting for licensor approval, and providing comments for illustrative turns, sculpts, paint masters, and sample reviews
• Work closely with brand/management teams to resolve development issues, while assuring designs meet the target cost, schedule, and brand standards
• Participate in the entire life cycle of project development from a concept through initial ideation, refinement, prototype execution, and turn over packages to development teams
• Champion high quality designs and products that are within target cost and QA/QC requirements
• Collaborate with packaging design team to assure product and packaging are aligned
• Perform other duties as assigned

Manages People: No

What We Are Looking For:

Bachelor’s Degree in Toy Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, or a related field is a plus.

3+ years of product design experience in the toy industry, with a proven track record across both hard goods (action figures, plastics, playsets) and soft goods (plush, textiles).

1+ years of experience collaborating directly with global manufacturing vendors (Asia preferred), with a strong understanding of plastic injection molding, assembly, and creating precise turn-over specification packages.

Deep understanding of creating cohesive systems of play (compatibility, articulation, and usability) within strict licensed brand style guides (experience with Pokémon or entertainment properties is a huge plus).

Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) and expertise in creating highly detailed control drawings and rendered illustration concepts. Proficiency in G-Suite/MS Office.

Exceptional visual, verbal, and written communication skills for pitching concepts to licensors and cross-functional teams.

Highly adaptable critical thinker who can seamlessly manage multiple shifting priorities and deadlines while keeping projects moving forward.

Collaborative team player who can also work independently to problem-solve and execute design goals.

What we offer:

The salary range for this position is $70,000.00 - $91,740.00 / Yr. The base salary may vary based on experience, role tenure, performance, industry, and location. Eligibility for the annual performance incentive may apply. Jazwares is a multi-state employer, so the salary range may not apply to other states.

Our benefits package includes basic medical insurance that is 100% company-paid for employees and their children, employee basic life and AD&D insurance, a 401(K) retirement program with Jazwares matching up to 4% of pretax or post-tax deferrals, short and long-term disability, and tuition reimbursement.

Our work environment provides a flexible work schedule that includes Monday through Thursday on-site, with an optional WFH on Fridays, up to 20 workdays fully remote each year, and Time Off for vacation and sick leave. Through Jazwares Cares, you will have the opportunity to volunteer for up to 16 hours a year on community service projects.

Reasonable Accommodations

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working at Jazwares

At Jazwares, we believe an innovative idea can come from anywhere and anyone. Through our three pillars, we foster innovation and encourage creativity in every area of our business.

• Passion: Our conviction and enthusiasm show in our products, relationships, and commitment to our community.
• Collaboration: We share one vision worldwide, constantly striving to improve and innovate together.
• Humility: We recognize the value in others and treat everyone with respect. Our strength lies in our people and talent.

JAZWARES is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, ancestry, disability, age, military status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. Jazwares is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.

Who We Are

Jazwares, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading global toy manufacturer with a robust portfolio of owned and licensed brands. Founded in 1997, Jazwares celebrates imaginative play with a progressive focus on identifying new and relevant trends to transform into high-quality products for consumers of all ages. Jazwares engages consumers through innovative play experiences with popular brands such as Squishmallows™, Pokémon™, Hello Kitty™, Star Wars™, Five Nights at Freddy’s™, Disney™, BumBumz™, and BLDR™. In addition to toys, offerings include costumes, games, and pillows. Headquartered in Plantation, Florida, Jazwares has offices worldwide and sells its products in over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.jazwares.com and follow us on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and Facebook .

Recruitment Safety

Please be wary of unsolicited communications from individuals or websites you are not familiar with, or any communications requesting sensitive personal data or information. All official Jazwares employment information will come from our company email ending in @jazwares.com. Jazwares will never request any monetary payments at any point during its hiring process. If you have any questions about any unsolicited communications, you can reach out to [e-mail]. We look forward to you experiencing a safe and enjoyable application process at Jazwares!

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Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.