Design Manager

Design Expertise and Innovation

• Translate creative concepts into commercially viable products.
• Provide expertise in execution, materials, and technical design.
• Ensure milestones from concept approval through in-store dates are met accurately and efficiently.
• Champion Universal creative and quality standards across designs.
• Lead brainstorming sessions and monitor design, retail, consumer, cultural, and competitive trends.

Communication and Collaboration

• Build trusted relationships with internal teams, leadership, rights owners, filmmakers, and external partners.
• Use negotiation and influence skills to align diverse stakeholders across company divisions.
• Represent the Product Design Studio in internal and external meetings.
• Coordinate partners from concept through production with clear accountability and on-brand execution.
• Present creative strategies, product designs, and line plans to partners.

Basic Requirements

• Concept-to-execution design capability across toys, hardlines, and consumer products.
• Ability to translate brand guidelines, character stylization, and entertainment intellectual property into market-ready designs.
• Proficiency in sketching, visual ideation, and digital rendering.
• Understanding of tooling, materials, safety requirements, and manufacturing constraints.
• Experience reviewing prototypes, samples, and pre-production builds.
• Ability to create production-ready specifications, artwork files, and presentation materials.
• Understanding of packaging structure, branding elements, toy functionality, and instructions.
• Current awareness of market trends and ability to translate them to Universal intellectual properties.

Desired Characteristics

• Deep understanding of entertainment and consumer products licensing across Toys & Hardlines and related categories.
• Ability to translate brand guidelines, character stylization, and entertainment intellectual property into compelling product designs.

About Universal Products & Experiences