Principal Product Designer

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Department: Creative - New Brands

Reports To: Senior Director - Product Design

Location: El Segundo, California

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary: $150,000 to $160,000 annually

Company Overview

Just Play is a consumer products company that creates engaging, imaginative toys and products for children and families. We partner with leading entertainment brands and develop original concepts for mass retail distribution in North America and international markets.

Position Summary

The Principal Product Designer is a senior individual contributor who sets a high creative and technical standard for the New Brands portfolio. This role defines and advances product and brand opportunities, shapes creative direction for complex or high-impact projects and influences cross-functional decisions from early strategy through development.

The Principal Product Designer brings deep toy-industry expertise and translates broad consumer, category, and business insights into original, market-ready product platforms.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the development of high-impact original product concepts, new intellectual property, and brand platforms across the New Brands portfolio.
• Establish creative direction and design frameworks for complex, ambiguous, or strategically important opportunities.
• Translate consumer, category, entertainment, technology, and business insights into differentiated product strategies and market-ready concepts.
• Create, review, and direct sophisticated 2D and 3D concept materials, product presentations, and design specifications.
• Serve as a trusted design advisor to Design, Marketing, and senior leadership; clearly communicate recommendations, tradeoffs, and creative rationale.
• Lead cross-functional concept reviews and coordinate with external creative and development partners to ensure design intent is understood and executed.
• Anticipate product-development risks, manufacturing considerations, and market opportunities; guide teams toward practical, high-quality solutions.
• Mentor and elevate Associate and Senior Product Designers through feedback, coaching, and sharing of expertise.
• Contribute to licensed pitches and business-development presentations as needed.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the scope of the role.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in industrial design, product design, toy design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible toy design or related consumer-product design experience.
• Portfolio demonstrating leadership of original product platforms or complex product lines from ideation through development.
• Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and PowerPoint; strong working knowledge of 3D CAD and related product-development tools.
• Deep knowledge of toy materials, manufacturing methods, product-development processes, features, and play patterns.
• Exceptional creative judgment, communication, influence, collaboration, and multi-project management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Broad experience across plush, dolls, collectibles, play sets, and/or accessories.
• Experience with licensed pitches, external creative partners, and international product-development teams.
• Ability to travel occasionally, domestically and internationally, as business needs require.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

This role is primarily performed in an office environment and requires the ability to use a computer and communicate effectively with colleagues and external partners. Occasional domestic and international travel may be required. The Company will provide reasonable accommodations to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accommodation

Just Play is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to any legally protected characteristic. Applicants and employees who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or employment process may request one from Human Resources.

Employment Status

Employment with Just Play is at will, meaning either the employee or the Company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice or cause, subject to applicable law. Nothing in this job description creates a contract of employment. The Company may revise this description as business needs change.