Marketing Associate, Marketing Activation - Dolls (North America)

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: 

Support the development and execution of commercial marketing plans for the Dolls portfolio across North America. The Associate will help bring global brand strategies to life through retail activation, partnerships, and marketing programs that drive brand engagement and commercial performance. This role partners closely with Brand Marketing, Sales, Retail Marketing, and Demand Planning to ensure seamless execution and delivery of key initiatives.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking, strong project management, analytical rigor, and exceptional communication skills. This individual will help drive marketing initiatives that support brand growth, consumer engagement, and commercial performance across key retail and omnichannel partners.

What Your Impact Will Be: 

Marketing Activation & Execution

• Partner with the Sr. Marketing Manager and cross-functional teams to develop and execute commercial marketing plans for assigned brands and categories.
• Assist in translating global brand strategies into regionally relevant activation plans and retail programs.
• Coordinate execution across partnerships, retail activations, and consumer-facing marketing initiatives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure projects are delivered on time and aligned to brand objectives.
• Support development of licensor presentations, marketing briefs, timelines, POS recaps, and executional materials.

Retail & Sales Support

• Collaborate with Sales and Retail Marketing teams to support retailer presentations, customer programs, and activation opportunities.
• Serve as a key portfolio expert, maintaining a comprehensive understanding of assigned SKUs including product features, pricing, launch timing, distribution, retailer placement, performance trends, and key business metrics
• Assist in the development of retailer-specific marketing plans and promotional initiatives.
• Help manage execution of retail-exclusive programs and channel-specific activations.
• Support the collection and organization of retailer feedback and market insights.

Business Performance & Insights

• Track and report performance of key marketing activations, partnerships, and promotional programs.
• Support analysis of POS data, market trends, competitive activity, and consumer insights to identify opportunities and inform future plans.
• Assist in developing post-program evaluations and actionable recommendations
• Create presentations and business updates that communicate performance, learnings, and recommendations to leadership
• Monitor dashboards and reporting tools that monitor key business and marketing performance metrics.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as key coordinator across Brand Marketing, Sales, Retail Marketing, Demand Planning, and Licensor teams to support integrated marketing initiatives.
• Facilitate project meetings and manage follow-up actions to ensure alignment and execution excellence.
• Gather and share competitive, retail, and consumer trends that may impact activation strategies and commercial performance.

What We’re Looking For:

• 2–4 years of experience in marketing, brand marketing, shopper marketing, retail marketing, trade marketing, or related fields.
• Good project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-changing environment.
• Strong analytical skills with experience working with sales, retail, marketing, or consumer data.
• Ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams and managing multiple stakeholders.
• Proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience in consumer products, toys, entertainment, retail, or related industries is a plus
• Understanding of retail and omnichannel marketing environments is a plus.
• Passion for brands, consumer engagement, and delivering best-in-class marketing execution.

KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrates analytical thinking to analyze and interpret consumer, retail, and business data and translate findings into actionable recommendations that are creative and aligned with the brand strategy. Understands how marketing activation supports the achievement of  business objectives and contributes with ideas that strengthen activation plans and commercial performance. Communicates effectively and clearly.
• Delivers Impact: Takes ownership of assigned tasks and follows through on commitments with attention to detail. Proactively identifies issues and collaborates with cross-functional partners to deliver marketing initiatives on time and with high quality.
• Highly Adaptable: Comfortable with ambiguity and changing priorities. A continuous learner that is ready to push the Marketing organization into new areas and challenge the status quo. Maintain a positive attitude that rolls with changes.
• Collaboration and Influence: Communicates clearly and effectively, considers diverse perspectives, and provides well-supported recommendations. Will be expected to coordinate teams that include team members with more senior titles.

*The pay range is indicative of projected hiring range, however base pay will be determined based on a candidate’s work location, skills and experience. Mattel offers competitive total pay programs, comprehensive benefits, and resources to help empower a culture where every employee can reach their full potential. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Mattel, we are dedicated to an inclusive workplace and a culture of belonging. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Join Mattel's Talent Community and start receiving exciting updates about our company, our employees, and our culture. Also, interested in signing up for job alerts? Do so here!

How We Work:
We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors:

• We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
• We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.
• We execute: We are a performance-driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best-in-class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Who We Are:
Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Mattel’s award-winning workplace culture has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Great Place to Work, TIME, and more.

Visit us at https://jobs.mattel.com/ and www.instagram.com/MattelCareers.

Mattel is an Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers, and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran and protected veteran status, disability status, and or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.

Videos to watch:
The Culture at Mattel
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