Job Description

ToyMonster International is a global toy company with a mission to inspire, encourage and excite kids of all ages around the world. With a growing portfolio of owned brands and Global licensing programs, the ToyMonster team prides itself on being able to innovate and deliver products with a smile all over the world.

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Distributing to 54+ countries and supported with offices in Australia (Melbourne, head office), Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Sales teams throughout the US, Asia & Europe, ToyMonster is fast becoming known as a creative hub that can deliver bucketloads of fun for kids and partners.

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The ToyMonster Leadership team is run by industry veterans who are hands on toy testers themselves; the culture that has been cultivated from the top down encourages each employee to be curious, courageous and creative to foster a workplace of innovation and inclusion where every Monster Member is inspired to learn, grow and try their best at all times.

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Visit www.toymonster.net for more about our brilliant brands and people.

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What You'll Love About ToyMonster

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At ToyMonster, we're serious about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. We work hard, move quickly, celebrate success and genuinely enjoy coming to work.

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- Working with a passionate and supportive leadership team
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- Modern offices in St Kilda
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- Free dedicated parking located close-by
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- Annual Bonus linked to KPIs
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- A global business with exciting international exposure
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- Variety and autonomy in your role
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- Staff events and celebrations
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- A collaborative, energetic workplace where your contribution is valued
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- The opportunity to make a real impact every day
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Why Join Us?

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We're looking for someone who wants to become part of the team rather than simply fill a role.

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If you love working in a dynamic environment where every day is different, we'd love to hear from you.

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What you'll be doing

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Lead the creative and technical development of multiple toy brands and product ranges from initial ideation through to production. The role combines senior creative leadership with hands-on product and industrial design, ensuring concepts are creative, commercially viable, safe, manufacturable and delivered to agreed quality, cost and timing expectations.

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The position also provides guidance and mentoring to the design team and works closely with the SVP Product & Marketing, internal functions, retailers, licensing partners and overseas factories.

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Key Responsibilities

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Lead the creative and technical development of multiple toy brands and product ranges, from initial ideation through to production.

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Develop original, commercially viable toy concepts that balance innovation, play value, aesthetics, cost and manufacturing feasibility.

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Remain actively hands-on throughout the design process, contributing directly to concept development, sketching, CAD, product visualisation, technical problem-solving and sample reviews, not solely delegation or team management.

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Review and approve concepts, technical drawings, CAD files, specifications, colour, material and finish details, and other product documentation.

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Work closely with Product Management, Graphic Design, Engineering, Marketing, Sales and Operations to deliver cohesive and commercially effective product ranges.

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Identify cost-saving and value-engineering opportunities while protecting essential product features, quality and the original design intent.

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Ensure products are designed with relevant child safety standards, durability, age-grading and manufacturing requirements in mind.

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Guide products through key development stages, including concept approval, costing, prototyping, tooling, sampling and production.

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Collaborate directly with overseas factories to resolve design, construction, material, mechanism and manufacturing challenges.

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Review prototypes and initial samples, providing precise, practical and actionable feedback to factories and internal teams.

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Travel overseas, primarily to China, at key stages of development to work directly with factories, review and approve samples, resolve manufacturing issues and approve projects to proceed to tooling.

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Keep the SVP Product & Marketing informed and involved throughout overseas sample reviews and tooling decisions, providing clear updates, recommendations and supporting information before key approvals are made.

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Make confident, timely decisions while on the ground, ensuring development continues efficiently without compromising creative intent, quality, safety or commercial objectives.

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Review and approve tooling samples, pre-production samples and final production samples, ensuring all agreed design, quality and functional requirements have been achieved.

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Be available to undertake multiple overseas trips each year, sometimes arranged around factory sampling schedules and changing project requirements.

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Monitor project progress, identify risks early and take proactive action to keep projects on schedule.

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Oversee multiple concurrent projects, establishing priorities, development plans and clear deliverables across the portfolio.

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Accurately assess resource requirements and allocate design projects according to team capacity, capability, timelines and commercial priorities.

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Maintain visibility across all assigned brands, ensuring projects meet creative, technical, commercial and timing expectations.

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Monitor emerging toy, entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and consumer trends to identify relevant product and play opportunities.

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Provide strong creative direction while personally executing design work where required to progress projects, resolve challenges and meet deadlines.

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Lead design reviews and provide transparent, constructive and actionable feedback to designers and external development partners.

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Present product concepts, ranges and development recommendations clearly and confidently to senior internal stakeholders, retailers, buyers and licensing partners.

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Confidently respond to buyer feedback, commercial questions and product-development requests while representing the intended product and brand strategy.

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Work closely with the SVP Product & Marketing, maintaining regular communication and involvement at key creative, commercial and technical decision points.

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Mentor and support junior and mid-weight designers, helping strengthen their creative thinking,



technical skills and commercial understanding.

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Support effective allocation of design projects and resources according to capability, workload, priorities and deadlines.

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Provide clear, constructive and actionable feedback through design reviews and day-to-day project guidance.

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Build a practical, collaborative and solutions-focused team culture in which seniority is demonstrated through both leadership and active contribution.

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What you will need to have

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Extensive experience in product or industrial design, ideally within children's toys, collectibles, consumer products or a closely related industry.

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A strong portfolio demonstrating original concept development, commercial product thinking and experience taking products from initial idea through to production.

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Strong awareness of emerging toy, entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and consumer trends relevant to children, families and the kidult market.

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Exceptional creative and industrial design capability, supported by a strong understanding of play patterns, consumer appeal and age-appropriate design.

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Advanced hand-sketching skills, with the ability to quickly and clearly communicate concepts, construction details and technical solutions.

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Excellent presentation and visual storytelling skills, with the confidence to present to senior stakeholders, retailers, buyers and licensing partners.

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Strong understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, toy construction, plastics, fabrics, mechanisms and production limitations.

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Strong knowledge of product development, tooling and manufacturing processes, including the judgement required to approve samples and progression to tooling.

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Strong commercial judgement, including an understanding of costing, retail price points, value engineering and margin considerations.

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Proven experience reviewing prototypes, tooling samples and production samples and providing accurate, actionable feedback.

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Demonstrated ability to manage multiple brands and complex projects simultaneously.

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Strong resource-planning skills, with the ability to balance workloads, priorities, team capabilities and deadlines across a multidisciplinary design team.

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Excellent creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve issues quickly without losing sight of the original product vision.

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Strong organisation and time-management skills, with the ability to work effectively across fast-moving and competing priorities.

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Clear and confident communication skills when working with internal teams, senior leadership, factories, buyers, retailers and licensing partners.

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Strong leadership and mentoring capability, combined with a collaborative and approachable working style.

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A genuinely hands-on approach, with the willingness and capability to personally undertake detailed design and development work alongside the team.

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Flexibility and willingness to travel internationally multiple times each year to support sample approvals, tooling decisions and factory development.

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Exceptional proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

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Advanced CAD and 3D-modelling skills using preferred industry-standard programme/s.

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Awareness of emerging AI tools and enthusiasm for using them appropriately to support ideation, visualisation, communication and workflow efficiency.

📌 Director of Product Design (Victoria)
🏢 Toymonster International
📍 Victoria