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Toy Design Engineer Jobs in Connecticut (NOW HIRING)

Are you a kid at heart looking to build a career with a leading global children's toy ... Partner withcross-functionalteams(Engineering, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Graphic Design, Sales ...

Are you a kid at heart looking to build a career with a leading global children's toy ... Partner with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Graphic Design ...

Collaborate with Structural Engineering, Marketing, Quality Control and Product Development teams ... Experience in the consumer products industry; toy package design preferred. * Advanced knowledge of ...

Collaborate with Structural Engineering, Marketing, Quality Control and Product Development teams ... Experience in the consumer products industry; toy package design preferred. * Advanced knowledge of ...

Toy Design Engineer information

See Connecticut salary details

$38.5K

$83.9K

$150.8K

How much do toy design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for toy design engineer in Connecticut is $83,855.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,700.00 and $93,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Toy Design Engineer vs Product Designer?

AspectToy Design EngineerProduct Designer
CredentialsDegree in Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, or related fieldsDegree in Industrial Design, Graphic Design, or related fields
Work EnvironmentToy manufacturing companies, design studiosVarious industries including consumer products, tech, and retail
Industry UsagePrimarily in toy and entertainment industriesBroader across multiple consumer product sectors

While both roles involve designing products, Toy Design Engineers focus specifically on creating safe, engaging toys, often working closely with manufacturing. Product Designers have a broader scope, working on a variety of consumer products across industries. The key difference lies in the specialization within the toy industry versus general product design.

What are the most common challenges faced by toy design engineers when bringing a new product to market?

Toy Design Engineers often face challenges balancing creativity with strict safety regulations and manufacturing constraints. Ensuring that a toy is both innovative and compliant with safety standards, such as ASTM and CPSIA, can be complex and time-consuming. Additionally, coordinating with cross-functional teams—including marketing, manufacturing, and quality assurance—requires strong communication skills and flexibility. Rapid prototyping and iterative testing are also essential to address design flaws and meet tight production deadlines.

How do you become a toy design engineer?

To become a toy design engineer, individuals typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial design, engineering, or a related field. Gaining experience with CAD software, prototyping, and understanding safety standards is important, along with developing a strong portfolio of design projects. Internships or entry-level positions in toy companies can also provide valuable industry experience.

What does a toy design engineer do?

A Toy Design Engineer is responsible for creating and developing new toys, combining creativity with technical knowledge to ensure toys are fun, safe, and manufacturable. They work on concept development, prototyping, material selection, and testing to meet safety standards and market trends. Toy Design Engineers often collaborate with marketing, manufacturing, and child development experts to design products that appeal to children and meet regulatory requirements. Their work involves sketching ideas, using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and overseeing prototype construction and testing.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a toy design engineer?

To thrive as a Toy Design Engineer, you need a strong background in mechanical engineering, industrial design, and materials science, often supported by a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field. Familiarity with CAD software (such as SolidWorks or AutoCAD), prototyping tools, and safety standards certifications is typically required. Creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication are essential soft skills for developing innovative and safe toys and collaborating with cross-functional teams. These skills ensure the creation of engaging, safe, and manufacturable toys that meet both regulatory requirements and market demands.
What job categories do people searching Toy Design Engineer jobs in Connecticut look for? The top searched job categories for Toy Design Engineer jobs in Connecticut are:
What cities in Connecticut are hiring for Toy Design Engineer jobs? Cities in Connecticut with the most Toy Design Engineer job openings:

Vice President, Design

Spin Master

Wilton, CT • Hybrid

Full-time

Vision, Life

Posted 19 days ago


Job description

Please Note: If you are a current Spin Master employee with access to Workday, apply to this job via the Workday application.

Are you a kid at heart looking to build a career with a leading global children's toy, entertainment and digital gaming company?

At Spin Master, our unwavering commitment to open mindedness, integrity and innovation is a great part of what has made us an industry leader. How do we stay ahead of the pack? By hiring the best and brightest minds-and that's why we want you!

Job Description:

What will you work on?

The Vice President, Designis responsible forthe strategic leadership and execution of allaspects of design for new and carry forward products. Reporting to the President of Melissa & Doug,this rolewillshapeandguide thecreativevision for thebrand.

This role is required 4 days per week in our Connecticut office.
How will you create impact?

  • Leading a team of designers at all levels and responsible for the creation and execution of products for the brand(s) in addition to partnering with vendors and inventors around the world toaccomplishbusiness goals and financials.
  • Be the brand steward, ensuring new products deliver the Melissa & Doug brand mission,aestheticand quality.
  • Serve as akey contributor in the creation of 3-year new product strategy and review and refine as needed
  • Champion,inspireandleadthe internal team and external partners for the invention of new products based on innovation, insight, research, consumer needs, play pattern, play value, quality,safetyand inclusive design thatreflectschildren of alldiverseabilities andbackgrounds.
  • Work withinventorsand inventor relations team to evaluate submissions and reach out to the inventor and vendor community to seek out innovation.
  • Communicate vision for eachproductassigned in visual, verbal and prototype forms
  • Manage designerworkload, employing external resources when needed for all new product development to ensure key PD launch dates are achieved and the team are delivering on all aspects of the development process.
  • Partner withcross-functionalteams(Engineering, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Graphic Design, Sales, Planning, Copywriting) toensureseamlessand on-timedevelopment of each project.
  • Partner and collaborate with both internal and external design and ID consultants and manage the development costs with all design team members to bring each productwithinagreed project budgets and cost targets.
  • Lead the growth and developmentofthe designteambytraining,mentoringand coaching teammembers at alllevels,fosteringandinspiringa cultureofcreativity,accountabilityandinnovation.


What are your skills and experience?

  • Minimum of 20 years of experience in consumer product design with direct experience within the Toy businessand owned Brands/IP.
  • Strong experience leading teams that drive high visibility, high impact designprojects, withatleast10 years of experience managing and scaling teams, with proven mentoring and supervisory skills.
  • Highly skilledat collaborating withdiverseteams and stakeholders to influenceoutcomes,driveexecution and refine processes.
  • Proventrack recordof achieving KPIs inconsumer product design, including product launch success, on-time delivery, costtargetsand innovation pipelineperformance.


#LI-Hybrid #LI-HM1

This job posting is tied to an open vacancy.

What you can expect from us:

Our mission is to Make Life More Fun with a vision to push the boundaries of innovation, creativity, and fun.

  • Growth and Career Opportunities

  • Flexible Work Hours

  • Innovation, Collaboration and Fun

  • Comprehensive Benefits

  • Other fun Perks!

What's it like to work here?

Spin Master is a fast-paced, hands-on organization that provides many great opportunities for impactful decision-making; though our challenging start-up atmosphere isn't for everyone, we have a proven record of opportunities for future advancement and internal transfers for our passionate and results driven team.

Everyone is welcome in our sandbox and we are committed to an accessible and inclusive hiring process that provides reasonable accommodation to all applicants.

Spin Master strives to create an accessible and inclusive application and selection process and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to job applicants who may require provisions to participate in the recruitment, selection and/or assessment processes. Should you require an accommodation, please contact our Talent Acquisition team, by email at TAinquiries@spinmaster.com or by phone at 416 364-6002 and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @SpinMaster to stay up to date on Spin Master career opportunities.

We do appreciate all interest; however only those selected for interview will be contacted.