Design Lead

Design Lead

Are you a kid at heart looking to build a career with a leading global children's toy, entertainment and digital gaming company?

At Spin Master, our unwavering commitment to open mindedness, integrity and innovation is a great part of what has made us an industry leader. How do we stay ahead of the pack? By hiring the best and brightest minds—and that's why we want you!

Job Description

What will you work on?

As Design Lead you have expertise in developing Kids/Family games and puzzles. Executes concepts from hands-on ideation through the entire development cycle. Leads projects with minimal guidance. Understands the modern tabletop gaming environment. Attends creative and milestone meetings to stay informed and provides support on projects. Works with Design Lead on higher complexity items/needs.

How will you create impact?

• Brainstorm, ideate, sketch, create concept boards and mockups that focus on innovation and support brand strategy and consumer needs.
• Develop and create artwork for game components and puzzles using industry software tools.
• Partner with cross-functional teams on a variety of games and puzzle formats addressing all aspects of product development for licensed, non-licensed, and owned IP brands - Marketing, Engineering, Content, Packaging, Asia counterparts.
• Maintains a consistently high level of quality, thoroughness and attention to detail. Ensure integrity of design in final deliverables.
• Effectively communicates all project related progress/issues or concerns to the team and to Project Management in a timely and professional manner.
• Interacts with multiple licensors, understands briefs, and navigates assets and processes as necessary to facilitate product development and licensor approval process.

How will you fit into the team?

• Passion for Games!
• Ideation & Conceptualization – Develops multiple concepts and creates 2D concept boards and 3D mockups. Participates in collaborative game development processes: Brainstorming, game play testing, prototyping, research.
• Has a strong desire to innovate and understands what is required to challenge and execute concepts.
• Play Pattern Development
• Strong familiarity with general game mechanisms and the functions that make a game work to construct new games and mechanics.
• Possesses a deep familiarity with the trading card game space. Knowledge of players, mechanics, experience play testing games and identifying issues.
• Proactively leads play testing sessions to solicit targeted feedback and develop the solutions needed from basic kids' games to advanced family games, and how to rebalance variables for best game function. Offers ideas and troubleshoots for solutions.
• Familiarity with rules writing and laying out instructions with the user interface as a primary focus. Writes and maintains rules documents.
• Strong graphic design composition to create puzzle artwork and game components.
• Ability to present toy and game concepts in a clear and engaging manner to stakeholders.

What are your skills and experience?

• Command of industry design software to draw and illustrate – Photoshop / Illustrator/ Sketchbook Pro / InDesign. (CAD a plus.)
• Understands file setup and requirements needed for print ready graphics production for Game boards, Cards, Instructions, and Puzzles artwork.
• Specification & Documenting - creates accurate specs with manufacturing considerations in the forefront; Partners with PD for costing and engineering issues; Has proficient understanding of special documentation needs including navigating licensor assets, style guides, and asset management systems for licensor approvals.
• Product Life Cycle - has completed many rounds of product life cycles and understands how schedule influences each stage and intuitively anticipate next steps and challenges, then plan for them.
• Manufacturing Understanding - has gained historical knowledge of manufacturing processes from previous projects; Understands and applies sound principles during all stages of development; Has thorough understanding of manufacturing capabilities within their category.

The anticipated pay range for candidates who will work in New York City is $100,000 to $120,000 Per Annum. The offered pay to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to years of experience within the job, years of experience within the required industry, education, etc.

This job posting is tied to an open vacancy.

What you can expect from us:

• Growth and Career Opportunities
• Flexible Work Hours
• Innovation, Collaboration and Fun
• Comprehensive Benefits
• Other fun Perks!

What's it like to work here?

Spin Master is a fast-paced, hands-on organization that provides many great opportunities for impactful decision-making; though our challenging start-up atmosphere isn't for everyone, we have a proven record of opportunities for future advancement and internal transfers for our passionate and results driven team.

Everyone is welcome in our sandbox and we are committed to an accessible and inclusive hiring process that provides reasonable accommodation to all applicants.