Director, Product Development - Innovation Ventures

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

Innovation Ventures is where Mattel builds what's next. As our entrepreneurial innovation studio, Innovation Ventures exists to create the next generation of breakthrough brands, new business models, and entirely new ways to play. Operating with the agility of a startup and the resources of one of the world's leading toy companies, our team turns emerging consumer insights into bold new concepts that have the potential to become Mattel's next growth driver. If you're energized by ambiguity, passionate about solving problems in new ways, and excited by the opportunity to build something from the ground up, Innovation Ventures offers the rare chance to shape the future of play while making a lasting impact on Mattel's long-term growth.

The Opportunity

Mattel is seeking a Director, Product Development to lead the Development workstream for an assigned, complex, and high-impact product development portfolio, including the establishment and development of a new brand. This leader will serve as a senior development decision-maker, aligning technical direction, product requirements, manufacturing readiness, cost, quality, safety, and schedule commitments from concept through commercialization.

Reporting directly to the SVP, the role partners closely with Product Development, Design, Manufacturing, Quality, Sourcing, Finance, Brand, external partners, licensors, and business stakeholders to resolve complex technical and execution risks, establish clear governance, and ensure products are ready for production launch. This leader will also strengthen development operating rhythm, technical escalation pathways, portfolio decision-making, and team capability for the assigned brand and related programs.

Responsibilities

Lead the Development workstream across an assigned product portfolio and new brand, setting priorities, governance, decision rights, and operating rhythm to drive disciplined execution.; Serve as the senior development decision-maker for complex technical trade-offs, including feasibility, product specifications, materials, tooling strategy, manufacturing process, quality, safety, cost, and schedule implications.; Drive production-readiness alignment across cross-functional teams, ensuring development plans, technical requirements, BOMs, tooling plans, quality expectations, and manufacturing assumptions are integrated before key launch and production milestones.; Establish clear readiness gates, escalation routines, milestone reviews, and executive-level reporting to surface risks early and support timely business decisions.; Lead resolution of high-complexity product development issues, including requirement conflicts, technical risks, manufacturing constraints, cost challenges, supplier capability gaps, and schedule pressures.; Partner with Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Sourcing, Finance, Marketing, Plant teams, and external partners to balance consumer experience, product performance, manufacturability, quality, cost, and speed to market.; Oversee development planning and execution for the assigned brand, related categories, licensed properties, and new product initiatives, ensuring plans are integrated from concept through commercialization.; Accountable for assigned portfolio development performance, including on-time commit, time to market, production readiness, quality metrics, cost targets, value engineering, risk mitigation, and execution discipline.; Drive strategic initiatives that improve how teams plan, develop, validate, and launch products, including process simplification, value stream mapping, scalable ways of working, and technical decision frameworks.; Build, coach, and develop a high-performing Development Program Management team, strengthening leadership capability, technical judgment, accountability, and cross-functional partnership.; Lead through global and cross-functional complexity, partnering with regional teams, manufacturing sites, suppliers, licensors, and business stakeholders to deliver against portfolio commitments.; Represent Development in senior leadership and executive-level discussions, providing clear recommendations, risk assessment, decision options, and trade-off analysis to support assigned portfolio and business priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Product Development, Operations, Program Management, Business, or a related field, advanced degree preferred.; 10+ years of progressive experience in product development, development program management, engineering, manufacturing, operations, or a related function, including experience leading teams and managing complex development programs or portfolios.; Strong technical judgment and demonstrated experience making or influencing senior-level product development decisions involving specifications, feasibility, tooling, manufacturing readiness, quality, safety, cost, and schedule trade-offs.; Deep understanding of product development lifecycles, milestone management, design-to-manufacturing handoffs, production readiness, commercialization processes, and portfolio financial drivers.; Experience leading cross-functional teams through ambiguity, resolving complex technical and business issues, and influencing senior stakeholders without always relying on direct authority.; Proven ability to establish portfolio governance, readiness gates, operating rhythms, escalation processes, and executive-level reporting that improve alignment, accountability, and decision-making.; Experience partnering with Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Sourcing, Finance, Marketing, Plant teams, suppliers, and external partners in a global development environment.; Track record leading strategic initiatives, process improvement, Value Stream Mapping, value engineering, and cross-functional change efforts at scale.; Demonstrated people leadership experience, including building high-performing teams, developing talent, strengthening team capability, and leading through change.; Strong leadership presence, communication skills, stakeholder management, judgment, analytical problem-solving, and ability to translate complex technical risks into clear business recommendations.; Demonstrated a growth mindset by staying curious and continuously learning, embracing challenges, and improving themselves.