Job Description

Toy Designer

Location: NYC MondayThursday in office, Friday WFH

About the Role

The Toy Designer is a creative visionary who transforms playful ideas into commercially successful products. This role blends design, innovation, product formulation, trend research, and cross-functional collaboration. You will develop and execute new product lines and line plans from concept through production, create prototypes, identify market opportunities, and work hand-in-hand with creative, product development, and sales teams to bring engaging toys to market.

This position requires strong toy design experience, a deep understanding of play patterns and consumer behavior, and the ability to balance creativity with technical feasibility and safety standards.

Key Responsibilities

Product & Line Development

• Conceptualize, brief designers, and develop new toy products, product lines, and seasonal line plans.

Formulate product concepts, materials, features, and play patterns aligned with the brand and consumer needs.

• Create detailed sketches, prototypes, digital renderings, and/or 3D models to communicate design intent.

Research, Trends & Insights

• Conduct trend research, consumer insights analysis, competitive reviews, and whitespace exploration.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, materials, and industry advancements.
• Attend trade shows and industry events to identify new opportunities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with creative, sales, and marketing teams to support go-to-market efforts, packaging direction, and product launch strategy.
• Work with engineers, product development, and manufacturing partners to ensure safety, feasibility, functionality, and production quality.
• Participate in internal presentations, line reviews, and product pitches.

Execution & Production

• Work with compliance to ensure designs comply with all toy safety standards and regulations.
• Monitor the development process to ensure final products meet design specifications and quality expectations.

Maintain an organized digital library of assets, inspiration, and research across categories.

Iteration & Improvement

• Incorporate feedback from playtesting, focus groups, and internal reviews into design refinements.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve existing products and expand lines.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Toy Design, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in toy design or consumer product design.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating creativity, innovation, and toy-focused design thinking.
• Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and 3D modeling or rendering tools.
• Excellent sketching, prototyping, and visual communication skills.
• Strong understanding of child development, play patterns, ergonomics, and age-appropriate design.
• Familiarity with toy safety standards and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with strong organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration abilities.

Bonus Skills

Experience working with licensed characters , IP adaptation, or designing within brand guidelines. Experience with trend forecasting, whitespace research, or brand storytelling. Understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, and production constraints.

Job Tags

Similar Jobs