Commercial Leader - Middle East

Please note that this role will be filled through Adecco, a third-party recruitment agency. However, all hiring processes, including applications and interviews, will be managed by Mattel.

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 fans, entertain audiences 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 Opportunity:

We are seeking a visionary Head of GCC to lead our business across Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. As the senior leader for the region, you will have full responsibility for the GCC team and commercial agenda, with a clear mandate to drive our franchise-first strategy—positioning our brands at the center and expanding their reach through toys, consumer products, publishing, and location-based entertainment (LBE).

You will set clear business goals, deliver operating income (OI) targets, and ensure sustainable growth across the GCC region. More than selling individual products, this position is about building brand universes that resonate deeply with consumers, retailers, and partners.

This role is not about selling individual products—it’s about building brand universes that resonate with consumers, retailers, and partners. You will be responsible for shaping the regional growth strategy, driving commercial performance, and ensuring our franchises become deeply embedded in the GCC cultural and consumer landscape.

What Your Impact Will Be:

• Regional Leadership: Lead and inspire the GCC team, setting clear vision and priorities, ensuring collaboration across functions, and fostering a culture of performance and accountability.
• Franchise-First Growth: Position the brand/IP at the core of all activities, localizing and executing global franchise strategies across toys, consumer products, publishing, and LBE.
• Commercial Excellence: Drive the GCC commercial agenda—developing and executing sales and retail strategies that maximize consumer reach and revenue growth across all verticals.
• Brand Building: Partner with Marketing and Licensing to strengthen the presence of our brands, creating consumer demand and engagement across physical and digital touchpoints.
• Partnership Development: Build and expand long-term strategic relationships with retailers, licensees, and partners, ensuring alignment to the franchise strategy.
• Team Leadership: Build, coach, and develop a high-performing GCC team, ensuring strong succession pipelines and talent development.
• Market Insight: Lead market intelligence efforts to identify opportunities, consumer trends, and competitor activity, translating insights into actionable strategies.
• Representation: Act as the senior representative of the company across the GCC, engaging with partners, customers, and local authorities to strengthen reputation and market presence.

What We’re Looking For:

• 7–10 years of senior leadership experience in franchise/brand management, consumer products, entertainment, or retail—preferably in the Middle East.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• Proven success in driving brand-led franchise ecosystems and scaling IP-driven businesses across multiple categories.
• Strong commercial and retail acumen with deep understanding of licensing, CP, and multi-category brand monetization.
• Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• A strategic, consumer-obsessed thinker with the ability to execute in-market.
• Fluency in English; Arabic a plus.
• Willingness to travel frequently across the GCC region.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Mattel, we are dedicated to an inclusive workplace and a culture of belonging. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to Join Mattel's Talent Community and start receiving exciting updates about our company, our employees, and our culture. Also, interested in signing up for job alerts? Do so here! You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

How We Work:
We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations 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.

Our Approach to Flexible Work:
We embrace a flexible work model designed to empower a culture of growth, optimism, and wellbeing, where every employee can reach their full potential. Combining purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility, our focus is to optimize performance and drive connection for moments that matter.

Who We Are:
Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold 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 generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Mattel’s award-winning workplace culture has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Great Place to Work, TIME, and more.

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, and all applicants will receive consideration for employment.

Videos to watch:
The Culture at Mattel
Corporate Philanthropy