Manager, Creative Content Kids & Preschool (Vehicles, Action Figures & Fisher Price)

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:  Mattel Studios is seeking a Manager, Creative Content to help lead the development and execution of a dynamic slate of kids and preschool animated programming based on Mattel’s vehicles, action figures, and Fisher-Price brands. This role will serve as a key creative lead across multiple projects and platforms, partnering closely with internal stakeholders and external creative partners to deliver premium, brand-defining storytelling for television, streaming, YouTube, and emerging digital platforms. Reporting to a Director, Creative Content, this position requires a strong creative executive with demonstrated experience managing projects across development and production, shaping franchise strategy through content, and driving cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate is a proactive and detailed leader with strong creative instincts, excellent communication skills, and deep knowledge of the evolving kids and family entertainment landscape. What Your Impact Will Be:  Responsibilities Lead on the creative development and execution of a slate of animated long-form and short-form projects across TV, streaming, YouTube, and digital platforms Serve as the primary creative executive on select projects while partnering with senior creative leadership on high-priority franchise initiatives Drive strong story and franchise development in collaboration with writers, producers, studios, showrunners, and creative talent to ensure compelling, brand-aligned storytelling Provide strategic creative leadership and actionable feedback across all stages of development and production, including pitches, outlines, scripts, visual development, casting, animatics, edits, and final delivery Partner cross-functionally with Franchise, Consumer Products, Marketing, Digital, Publishing, and other internal teams to support cohesive franchise-building strategies through content Manage and strengthen relationships with external production studios, creators, agents, writers, and industry partners Identify and cultivate emerging creative talent, new storytelling opportunities, and innovative content formats that support Mattel’s long-term franchise goals Oversee multiple concurrent productions and development pipelines, ensuring creative quality, brand consistency, and alignment with business priorities Guide the development of digital-first and platform-native storytelling strategies, with an understanding of audience engagement across YouTube, streaming, and broadcast ecosystems Collaborate with production and studio teams to proactively solve creative and production challenges while maintaining timelines and quality expectations Contribute meaningfully to internal greenlight discussions, franchise strategy conversations, and content planning initiatives Stay current on trends in animation, kids and family entertainment, digital media, and audience behavior to inform creative direction and competitive positioning Support presentation development, pitch materials, and executive-facing creative documents for internal and external stakeholders Serve as a key liaison for asset requests, cross-functional creative needs, and communication between departments What We’re Looking For: 5–8 years of experience in animation, television, streaming, or digital content development and production Proven experience managing creative projects and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders across multiple stages of production Strong understanding of storytelling fundamentals, including character development, structure, pacing, comedy, and emotional resonance for kids and preschool audiences Demonstrated ability to lead creative discussions, provide thoughtful and constructive notes, and influence decision-making Experience working with franchise-driven or brand-based entertainment content Strong visual storytelling sensibility and understanding of animation production pipelines from development through delivery Experience developing content across multiple audience demographics, including preschool and kids/family programming Familiarity with digital-first storytelling and audience engagement strategies, particularly on YouTube and emerging platforms Highly organized with strong project management skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills Passion for animation, kids’ media, and the evolving entertainment landscape Preferred Skills Experience overseeing both long-form and short-form animated content Understanding of platform-specific content strategies across broadcast, streaming, and digital ecosystems Existing relationships within the animation and kids entertainment creative community Experience collaborating on global franchise and brand initiatives Strong PowerPoint and presentation storytelling skills What Success Looks Like Delivery of high-quality, audience-driven content that strengthens Mattel’s franchises and expands brand relevance across platforms Strong creative leadership and ownership across key projects and strategic initiatives Effective collaboration across creative, production, franchise, and business teams Successful management of multiple productions while maintaining creative excellence and operational efficiency Innovative storytelling approaches that elevate Mattel S