Associate Manager, Brand Strategy & Activation - Hot Wheels

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. At Mattel, every team member is respected, included, and heard, enabling everyone to show up as themselves and do their best work every day.

About the Role

The Associate Manager, Brand Strategy & Activation will assist in defining long-term brand equity, positioning, and cross-category strategy while driving day-to-day brand activations in partnership with internal cross-functional teams and external agencies. This role focuses on the Hot Wheels adult fan business, developing and executing strategies to define brand direction, accelerate awareness, drive launches, and grow the full franchise.

Responsibilities

• Brand Strategy
  • Partner with Toy and Franchise Marketing to ensure brand consistency across product, experiences, and retail.
  • Develop content in partnership with Mattel Studios to align with brand objectives.
  • Serve as the cross-functional integrator between content, product, experiences, retail, and marketing.
• Brand Activation
  • Plan brand “moments” (anniversaries, entertainment launches, retail programs) that support all businesses at retail and collaborate with commercial partners for flawless execution.
  • Translate brand strategy into campaigns, content, and activations.
  • Plan integrated marketing plans (digital, retail, social, influencer, events, PR) and work with commercial partners to execute.
  • Ensure media strategy is executed well across regions and manage day-to-day creative production.
  • Maintain creative execution consistency with brand positioning (via brand guardrails) and product highlights.
  • Execute brand stories to drive demand generation, brand love, and consumer loyalty.
  • Manage day-to-day execution of agency scope in partnership with brand creative.
  • Track and report on campaign performance (awareness, engagement, conversion).
  • Track and report on franchise health through consumer engagement, sales performance, and cultural impact.

Requirements

• 5+ years (3 years with MBA) of experience in brand marketing (on brand or agency side), franchise management/marketing, content marketing, or purpose-driven strategy/marketing.
• Experience managing a portfolio spanning multiple categories (toys, apparel, publishing, etc.).
• Self-starter with strong attention to detail, drive, focus, proactivity, and collaboration.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to define brand vision and multi-year roadmaps.
• Strong understanding of consumer psychology, brand equity drivers, and cultural trends; ability to synthesize data and derive actionable insights.
• Thorough understanding of marketing mix and KPIs.
• Experience balancing toys and non-toy CP categories under a unified brand.
• Cross-functional leadership skills to influence Design, Product, Marketing, and Franchise teams without direct authority.
• Financial acumen with experience managing P&L at the brand or category level.
• Excellent storytelling, presentation, and influencing skills; proficiency in PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Pay

The pay range is indicative of the projected hiring range, with base pay determined based on a candidate’s work location, skills, and experience. Mattel offers competitive total pay programs, comprehensive benefits, and resources to empower employees.

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company, owning iconic brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA, and Polly Pocket. We create toys, content, consumer products, digital experiences, and live events, collaborating with global retail and ecommerce partners. Founded in 1945, Mattel is dedicated to empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.