Director Strategic Initiatives, Digital Gaming

Job Overview Mattel's Digital Gaming team is seeking a Director of Strategic Initiatives to play a central role in driving execution across a dynamic and growing digital portfolio. This role partners closely with the Head of Digital to translate strategic priorities into measurable outcomes, leading high‑impact initiatives from planning through delivery. The Director will own cross‑functional coordination, operating cadences, and governance across teams and external partners such as Mattel163, ensuring alignment on roadmaps, milestones, and decision‑making. Key Responsibilities Own the strategic initiatives portfolio "single source of truth" across Digital Gaming, Digital Experiences, and Future Lab (priorities, milestones, dependencies, risks, decisions) so leadership can make timely trade‑offs. Lead high‑priority strategic initiatives end‑to‑end, from framing and planning through execution, stakeholder alignment, and delivery. Own the operating cadence and collaboration model with Mattel163, including joint planning, roadmap and release alignment, monthly performance reviews, and a shared risk/decision log. Coordinate cross‑functional approvals and dependencies that sit between Mattel and Mattel163 (e.g., brand, legal, finance, marketing, product/tech), including clear handoffs, turnaround expectations, and escalation paths. Build and run an operating cadence for the Head of Digital's leadership agenda (e.g., weekly leadership syncs, monthly initiative/performance reviews, quarterly planning/offsites), including agendas, pre‑reads, decision logs, and follow‑through. Drive decision‑quality by structuring options, surfacing constraints, and packaging recommendations into clear, executive‑ready narratives and materials. Partner with Finance and functional leaders to coordinate planning cycles, resource allocation conversations, and performance reporting. Create lightweight governance for cross‑functional execution, including clear owners, timelines, and escalation paths, especially for initiatives that cut across product, tech, brand, legal, and finance. Operationalize Future Lab work by setting a repeatable pipeline (e.g., intake, experiment design, learning review, scale/stop recommendation), ensuring experiments are purposeful and learnings are captured. Coordinate stakeholder management on behalf of the Head of Digital: prepare briefings, synthesize updates, and ensure tight follow‑through on action items. (If applicable) Lead and develop program talent (project/program managers) by setting standards, coaching and establishing reusable templates and rituals. Success Metrics (6‑12 months) A clear, adopted operating rhythm is in place (cadences, pre‑reads, decision logs, action tracking) and reduces last‑minute escalations. Leadership has a reliable view of the digital initiatives portfolio with visible risks/dependencies and clear escalation paths. Mattel163 collaboration runs on a predictable cadence with clear owners and fewer late‑stage surprises. Priority initiatives show predictable execution (clear owners, timelines, decision points) with fewer stalled cross‑functional handoffs. Planning cycles produce crisp priorities and usable operating plans, not just presentations. Future Lab has a disciplined pipeline with clear hypotheses, learning goals, and scale/stop recommendations. Key partners (e.g., Finance, Legal, Product/Tech, Brand) report improved clarity and responsiveness from the Digital org. Working Relationships Primary partner: Head of Digital (daily/weekly). Core interfaces include leaders across Digital Gaming, Digital Experiences, and Future Lab; Mattel163 leadership and operational counterparts; and cross‑functional partners such as Finance, Legal, HR, Brand/Marketing, Product/Engineering/Tech, Data/Analytics, and external partners as needed. Decision rights: you own the operating mechanisms (cadence, artifacts, governance) and drive recommendations on priorities and trade‑offs; final decisions sit with the Head of Digital and/or functional owners. About the Team You will operate at the intersection of beloved brands and digital innovation, helping a senior leader drive outcomes across a portfolio that spans games, interactive experiences, and innovation. This role is designed for an operator who wants to build the operating system behind a modern digital portfolio and be accountable for execution, not just coordination, including strong collaboration with Mattel163. Qualifications 7+ years in strategy, strategic initiatives/programs, business operations, product ops, program management, consulting, or equivalent, ideally in gaming, interactive experiences, tech, entertainment, or consumer digital. Proven ability to lead complex, cross‑functional initiatives with multiple senior stakeholders and ambiguous inputs. Experience partnering with an internal or external studio/partner and driving outcomes across organizational boundaries (e.g., portfolio governance, planning cadence, shared metrics). Strong structuring and problem‑solving: you can turn messy problems into clear options, trade‑offs, and decisions. Demonstrated strength in executive communication (clear writing, sharp decks, decision‑oriented readouts). Comfort operating with ambiguity and urgency while maintaining high standards and strong follow‑through. Practical analytical and financial fluency (e.g., KPIs, business cases, scenario thinking); depth required will depend on scope. A track record of process design that teams actually adopt (rituals, templates, governance that reduces friction). Domain curiosity and working knowledge of digital products, gaming, and interactive experiences (no need to be a career game designer). Trusted partner style: you can influence without authority, give direct feedback constructively, and build alignment across functions. Comfort working across geographies and time zones with an asynchronous‑first approach when needed. Compensation The pay range is indicative of a projected hiring range; base pay will be determined based on the candidate's work location, skills and experience. Equal Opportunity Statement Mattel is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 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 any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Mattel, Inc.and Subsidiaries