Undergraduate Industrial Placement, Consumer Products Licensing

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, entertain and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard—when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day. We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

The Team

Consumer Products EMEA team sits within the world of brand licensing, which is an exciting, fast paced industry where there’s always something new to get stuck in to. Simply put, brand licensing allows companies to ‘rent’ our well-known brands and use it on their products, connecting our powerful brands to in-demand products such as clothing, home furnishings, sporting goods and much, much more. Imagine seeing Barbie clothing in Primark or a remote-control Hot Wheels car – we make that happen!

Licensing opens a new world of product possibilities for brands; whilst generating additional revenue streams. The consumer products team utilise both creativity and commercial acumen to partner with manufacturers in a range of product categories. Applying our IPs to products such as apparel, games, publishing, food, health & beauty and many more allows consumers to immerse themselves in their favourite brands. The licensing/consumer products team work on these projects from initial ideas, right through to seeing that product on shelf and beyond. When it comes to marketing, licensing is an opportunity to create lots of new consumer touch points, whilst generating revenue simultaneously.  

The beauty of licensing at Mattel is we get to work across not one, but all Mattel and HiT brands meaning variety and high-profile brands are our everyday, from Barbie and Hot Wheels through to UNO, Scrabble, Thomas and Fireman Sam. Additionally, in this role you will get to work across the EMEA region with our teams in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and more. Finally, we get to follow our licensed products from the design stage right through to them being placed on the shelf, meaning we get real ownership and input of the products we proudly produce.

The Opportunity

We are looking for two undergraduate university students, to join either the Soflines (including but not limited to accessories & clothing) or the Hardlines (including but not limited to publishing, puzzles & baby care) teams. Both roles will work closely within their respective teams and provide support where needed.

• Products Approval: assist the CP creative team to ensure products are keeping within the brand guidelines set by Mattel and supporting the creative process
• Market Insight: supporting the team when it comes to monitoring market trends and gathering insights into competition, marketing activity etc
• Project Support: project admin across the EMEA region (tracking, chasing deadlines, updates, reminders to managers and team)
• Support Creative team: set up new licensees in creative in assets platform, updating creative folders
• Support on Amazon Consumer products campaigns
• Event Organisation Support and Attendance (Trade Fairs, Consumer Shows, Partner Days, Summits): coordination of all aspects including organising venue, inviting licensees, dressing venues, organising samples, transport, product displays and sales materials
• Process Support: support Category Managers in uploading and amending licensee deals onto our internal system, Rights Logic
• General Department Support:
  • Support category managers with commercial activity
  • Sample coordination for PR and Marketing initiatives
  • Liaison with licensees to gather specific category information for presentations and databases
  • General office admin including filing, holiday planning, stationery, reporting 
  • Update and maintain product decks with current product imagery and licensee information
  • Updating brand and franchise decks
  • Managing promotional and advertising activity with our partners

Social and Philanthropic Opportunities

• Taking accountability for planning and delivering office engagement and philanthropic events
• Playing an active role in the generation of event initiatives, with the other Mattel interns Social Committee, to drive employee engagement, as part of the “Intern Project”
• Living the Mattel Brands by facilitating events and brand activations as guided by the Company. These initiatives include the Halloween Party, Children’s Festive Party and other ad-hoc events and activations
• Assisting with the organisation and delivery of philanthropic activities as a member of Mattel’s charity events management team, “Our Committee”

What We’re Looking For:

Technical Competencies:

• Microsoft Office: Advanced Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Excellent telephone manner and typing skills.
• Time management skills
• Must be able to prioritise
• Exceptional organisational and communication skills

Behavioural Competencies:

• Currently studying an undergraduate degree with a placement year (Masters students will not be accepted)
• Must be a team player
• Proactive, flexible and adaptable
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to build strong relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally
• Able to prioritise work with good organisational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills with an excellent telephone manner
• Self-sufficient and able to work under pressure
• Live/willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the Slough office

What It’s Like to Work Here

We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors:

• We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
• We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.
• We execute: We are a performance driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best in class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Who We Are

Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO and MEGA, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Visit us at https://jobs.mattel.com/ and www.instagram.com/MattelCareers.

Mattel is an Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers including minorities, females, individuals with disabilities, and those of all sexual orientations and gender identities.