Sr. Designer

JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular brands and children's toy licenses in the world, currently seeks an experienced, energetic, self-starter for the role of Sr. Designer to join our Action Play Division for our headquarters in Santa Monica, CA. As a Designer, you’ll join a creative team of passionate, like-minded toy nerds. Together, this team keeps the company fresh, forward-thinking, connected and modern. Sr. Designers are responsible for holding the creative vision for a project from conception through production.

Reporting to the Director of Design, a Sr. Designer will ideate and implement the design, play pattern and technical aspects of product development, while managing the complexities of the development process to ensure the overall brand vision, cost and schedule requirements are met.

Responsibilities include:

• Be a toy nerd! – Cool hunt for trends and consumer insights to identify new ways to play, explore design trends, pop culture and new potential licenses.
• Concept design - Create innovative new products and play patterns through collaborative team brainstorming and exploration.
• Design visualization– hands on creation of holistic product design through sketches, renderings, graphics, 3D models, foam core mockups, control drawings, material selection, color specifications and flow charts.
• Work closely with 3rd party vendors (sculptors, painters, illustrators, etc.) as needed per project.
• Definition of product features through written documents and diagrams and internal project management systems.
• Preparation of 2D and 3D presentation materials (boards, samples, etc.) for internal and external meetings; participation in trade show set ups/tear downs.
• Create and review instruction sheets as needed.
• Interaction with internal departments including Executive Leadership, Costing Engineers, Creative Services, the HK support team, Marketing, Packaging and Sales.
• Management of product design throughout the development process.

Skills & Experience required:

• 3-5 years design/product development experience within the consumer product or (preferably) the toy industries.
• Experience in Playset development mandatory
• Degree in design, illustration or industrial design.
• Strong Sketching, Illustration, and Rendering Skills (proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator is necessary).
• Analyze problems and make effective recommendations
• Experience mentoring and managing junior team members
• Ability to work in 3D programs such as Rhino, Maya, Solid Works and Keyshot is a plus.
• Flexibility, creativity, enthusiasm for, and love of, the creative process.
• Works well as part of a team (an absolute MUST).
• Project management skills; the ability to multi-task and handle several projects simultaneously.
• The vision and perseverance to take ideas from concept, through development and into production.
• Have the capability to independently develop ideas with sound judgment
• Self-starting, self-motivating, and self-managing; a solid team player.
• Exceptional organizational skills are necessary, no exception.
• Excellent creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work against strict deadlines and rapid changes in regards to direction and priorities.
• Comfortable presenting product lines and speaking in groups.
• Experience with Soft Goods and Doll Design/Development is a plus.

Our Benefits:

• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, disability, life & accident insurance and employee assistance program
• Savings: 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs
• Compensation: JAKKS Pacific offers a competitive salary. Compensation for this role commensurate with experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $77,000-$90,000.

Company Overview

A leading designer and marketer of children’s toys and consumer products, JAKKS Pacific® is always on the lookout for talented, bright and creative individuals to join our ever-growing team.

Best known for our toy and entertainment products, JAKKS produces impressive and innovative products across multiple categories spanning from action figures, collectibles, and dolls, to high performance activity toys and vehicles, and let’s not forget our deep portfolios of beloved licensed characters. In other words, we work hard to make play more fun, and we believe it has paid off.

Included in Fortune’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies for four years in a row, and Forbes’ 100 Best Small Companies for three years, JAKKS is an aggressive and passionate company, with a commitment to customers and a dedication to growing our business.

Our goal is to continuously cultivate a talented and diverse workforce while providing a safe and productive work environment and an excellent career growth opportunity while working with a dynamic team who loves what they do and for a Company that ultimately makes children smile, play and succeed!

Jakks Pacific, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

No Recruiters Please.