Sr Manager, Brand Strategy & Activation - Portfolio Vehicles

Mattel•El Segundo, CA

20h

About The Position

The Opportunity: The Sr Manager, Brand Strategy & Activation will lead defining the long-term brand strategy, positioning, and cross-category strategy. The Sr Manager will focus on Thomas & Friends, Matchbox and Disney Pixar Cars, developing and executing strategies that define the brand strategy, accelerate brand awareness, drive launches and grow the full franchise business. The Sr Manager will manage a team of direct reports, and will report directly into Head of Brand for Portfolio Vehicles.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in marketing, with a minimum 3-5 years in brand marketing.
Experience with franchise management/marketing, content marketing, retail/commercial marketing, social media marketing, PR & influencer marketing valued
Experience managing a portfolio spanning multiple categories (toys, apparel, publishing, etc.).
Strategic thinking: Ability to define brand vision and multi-year roadmaps.
Consumer insights & research: Strong understanding of consumer psychology, brand equity drivers, and cultural trends. Ability to synthesize data and pull insights to create recommendations
Thorough understanding of marketing mix and KPIs
Bold thinker with a finger on the pulse of culture. Can balance creative & innovative thinking with data and KPIs
Thrives in a fast-paced and creative environment
Cross-functional leadership: Skilled at influencing Design, Product, Marketing, and Franchise teams without direct authority.
Financial acumen: Experience with P&L at the brand or category level.
Communication skills: Excellent at storytelling, presentations, and influencing senior leadership.
Strong PowerPoint creation and presentation skills, proficiency in Outlook, Word and Excel
Experience leading & developing a high-performing team

Responsibilities

Brand Strategy Partner with leadership to define brand vision, mission, and positioning
Steward brand equity across all categories (toys and franchise verticals)
Lead consumer insights work and make informed recommendations to inform equity and purpose
Develop portfolio strategy in partnership with leadership
Establish global brand guardrails (visual identity, tone, messaging pillars) to allow cross functional empowerment
Partner with Toy and Franchise Marketing to ensure brand consistency across product, experiences and retail
Develop Content in partnership with Mattel Studios to ensure brand objectives and alignment
Serve as the cross-functional integrator between content, product, experiences, retail, and marketing
Plan brand “moments” (anniversaries, entertainment launches, retail programs) that support all lines of business.
Translate brand strategy into campaigns, content, and activations
Plan and execute integrated marketing plans (digital, retail, social, influencer, events, PR)
Manage media strategy in partnership with regional marketing leads and creative production in partnership with creative team (ads, visuals, storytelling assets)
Ensure creative execution stays consistent with brand positioning (via brand guardrails) and product highlights
Create brand stories that drive demand, brand love and consumer loyalty
In partnership with Brand Creative, manage external agencies scope and strategy
Track & report on campaign performance (awareness, engagement, conversion)
Track & report on brand health through consumer engagement, sales performance, and cultural impact.