Design Manager

Universal Products & Experiences is seeking a Design Manager to oversee end-to-end creative and product development across Toys & Hardlines categories, driving design excellence, innovation, and commercial success. This role shapes and executes product design programs in alignment with brand vision, franchise priorities, and retailer business objectives, partnering closely with partners to execute market-ready products. Ensure brand integrity, quality, and on-time delivery while guiding creative & product development from concept through approval to drive innovation and strengthen brand presence at retail. Key Responsibilities Lead and oversee product development across Toys & Hardlines categories with key ANZ/SEA licensees and licensing agents, ensuring brand integrity, quality, and commercial relevance. Provide confident creative direction across projects and meetings with internal and external partners, driving clear decisions, outcomes, and next steps. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing creative culture that encourages innovation, growth, and thoughtful risk-taking. Drive creative excellence while optimizing processes, timelines, and resources to align design development with business objectives and key milestones. Demonstrate deep brand and category expertise to identify trends, uncover new opportunities, and translate strategic ideas into market-ready product lines. Conceptualize and develop compelling, differentiated product ranges across categories Partner and collaborate cross-functionally with all internal teams and stakeholders to support business initiatives and strategies. Licensing & Brand Stewardship Deep understanding of entertainment and consumer products licensing across Toys and Hardlines Ensure all licensed products uphold franchise integrity, storytelling, and visual consistency. Guide partners through the licensing and approval process, setting expectations for quality, timelines, and execution. Design Expertise & Innovation Collaborate with category teams to help translate creative concepts into commercially viable products and to identify business opportunities. Serve as the product expert in execution, materials, and technical design. Demonstrate professional understanding/knowledge of product development and retail timelines, ensuring all milestones — from concept approvals to in-store dates — are met with accuracy and efficiency. Champion brand consistency by ensuring all designs meet Universal’s creative and quality standards. Deliver clear, actionable creative & product design direction and guidelines to partners. Manage and prioritize team priorities and workload in a fast-paced environment. Lead creative brainstorming sessions for new product concepts, categories, and brand extensions. Stay informed on global design, retail, consumer and cultural trends, to identify new opportunities for product and design innovation. Monitor competitive products and packaging to inspire differentiation and innovation. Communication & Collaboration Lead and model effective cross-functional communication, building trusted relationships with internal teams, leadership and external partners that enable open dialogue, alignment, and effective decision-making. Confident, outgoing with effective negotiation skills and ability to influence across company divisions, managing multiple third parties, rights owners and filmmakers. Represent the Product Design Studio (PDS) as a design manager in internal and external meetings, providing clear creative direction and follow-through actions and outcomes. Oversee collaboration with partners across all stages of product design and development, from concept through production, ensuring clarity, accountability, and on-brand execution. Partner closely with Category, Franchise and Legal teams to ensure partners are equipped with the tools, assets, guidance, and information needed to deliver commercially compelling products. Confidently pitch and present creative strategies, product designs, and line plans to partners, adapting messaging to influence diverse stakeholders. Basic Requirements: Strong concept‑to‑execution design capability across toys, hardlines, and consumer products. Ability to translate brand guidelines, character stylization, and entertainment IP into compelling, market‑ready product designs. Proficiency in sketching, visual ideation, and digital rendering to clearly communicate design intent. Ability to provide effective drawovers and direction to partners and ensure character / property integrity. Understanding of tooling, materials, safety requirements, and manufacturing constraints, with the ability to design within cost and feasibility parameters. Skilled in reviewing prototypes, samples, and pre‑production builds to ensure design integrity is maintained throughout development. Ability to create clear, production‑ready design documentation, including specs, artwork files, and presentation materials. Strong visual storytelling and presentation skills to effectively sell ideas internally and to external partners. Proficient understanding of packaging structure, branding design element and toy functional details and instructions. On the pulse of current market trends and ability to translate to Universal IPs. Desired Characteristics: Deep understanding of entertainment and consumer products licensing across Toys & Hardlines and cross Categories. Ability to translate brand guidelines, character stylization, and entertainment IP into compelling, market‑ready product designs. As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected]. NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our global theme park destinations, consumer products, and experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through our powerhouse film and television studios, including Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features, and the four global television studios under the Universal Studio Group banner, and operate industry-leading theme parks and experiences around the world through Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Orlando Resort, home to Universal Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Hollywood. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit for more information. Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world. At Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E), we transform iconic stories into products and experiences fans can wear, play, collect, and enjoy every day. From the thrilling universe of Jurassic World to the fun of Minions and the timeless magic of Back to the Future, we bring beloved franchises to life far beyond the screen.​ ​ UP&E has grown rapidly while keeping the energy, agility, and inventive spirit of a start‑up. Our mission is bold yet simple: to take imagination beyond the screen through innovative products, immersive retail, and unforgettable theme park experiences. Partnering with world‑class licensees and creators, we deliver toys, fashion, collectibles, games, and lifestyle products across parks, retail, and digital platforms worldwide.​ Creativity, technology, and storytelling are at the heart of everything we do. As part of Universal Destinations & Experiences, you’ll join a collaborative, inclusive global team where every voice matters — helping us be an employer of choice for top talent and a partner of choice for retailers, licensees, and creators. If you’re ready to bring imagination to life and create moments that matter, your adventure starts here.​ ​ Join us and help create moments that matter.