Associate Manager, Brand Strategy & Marketing - Barbie

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 Opportunity

The Associate Manager, Brand Strategy & Marketing will assist with defining the long-term brand equity, positioning, and cross-category strategy while also driving day-to-day brand activations, in partnership with internal cross-functional teams and external agencies. The Associate Manager will focus on the Barbie kid business, developing and executing strategies that define the brand strategy, accelerate brand awareness, drive launches and grow the full franchise business.

What We’re Looking For

*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.

Responsibilities

Support annual brand planning, strategic milestones and key business updates across the Barbie brand; Partner with Toy and Franchise Marketing to ensure strategic alignment and brand consistency across products, content, experiences, retail, and franchise initiatives; Partner with Insights to analyze consumer, cultural, competitive, and franchise performance trends and develop strategic recommendations that inform brand strategy; Partner with Brand Creative to develop integrated marketing campaigns that translate brand strategy into compelling consumer experiences; Partner with Mattel Studios to ensure content aligns with brand strategy and business objectives; Serve as the central point of coordination across content, product, experiences, retail and marketing teams; Develop executive-ready presentations and strategic narratives to communicate brand priorities and recommendations; With leadership, plan brand “moments” (anniversaries, entertainment launches, retail programs) that support all businesses at retail and work with commercial partners to ensure flawless execution; Translate brand strategy into campaigns, content, and activations; With leadership, plan integrated marketing plans (digital, retail, social, influencer, events, PR) and work with commercial partners to execute; Ensure media strategy is executed well across regions, and manage day-to-day creative production; Ensure creative execution stays consistent with brand positioning (via brand guardrails) and product highlights; Ensure brand stories are executed well to drive demand generation, brand love, and consumer loyalty; Manage day-to-day execution of agency scope in partnership with brand creative; Track & report on campaign performance (awareness, engagement, conversion); Track & report on franchise health through consumer engagement, sales performance, and cultural impact

Requirements

5+ years (3 years with MBA) experience in brand strategy/marketing (on brand or agency side), franchise management/marketing, content marketing, or purpose-driven strategy/marketing; Experience managing a portfolio spanning multiple categories (toys, apparel, publishing, etc.); Self-starter who is detail oriented, driven, focused, pro-active and collaborative; Strategic thinking: Ability to define brand vision and multi-year roadmaps; Consumer insights & research: Strong understanding of consumer psychology, brand equity drivers, and cultural trends. Ability to synthesize data and pull insights to create recommendations; Thorough understanding of marketing mix and KPIs; Portfolio management: Balancing toys and non-toy CP categories under a unified brand; Cross-functional leadership: Skilled at influencing Design, Product, Marketing, and Franchise teams without direct authority; Financial acumen: Experience with P&L at the brand or category level