Designer of Collectables , Consumer Gifts & Toys

ABOUT US
tms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world's leading brands. With 1,200+ employees across 26 countries, we offer an impressive range of solutions - from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery.
Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including McDonald's, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas.
Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best.
WHAT MATTERS THE MOST
Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving.
tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com.
At tms we believe that from day one our job is to prepare you, develop you, train you and invest in you so that while with us you will become ready to take on the next challenge better prepared than you thought possible.
So whether you're here for a meeting, a project, or a career - be prepared to Leave Changed.
WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE
Love toys? Great. Love collecting? Even greater! This is so much more than a just a toy design role.
We're seeking out a creative product designer/developer with a strong fandom for collectibles, gaming, lifestyle and fashion products at their core. An interest in how sport, music and entertainment influences culture would also be a welcomed. Someone who understands that modern collectability, play and brand engagement live far beyond just the toy and games aisle.
In our quest, we'd love to meet designers who are culturally fluent and visually confident; people inspired as much by fashion drops, sneaker culture, sport, music, gaming and streetwear as by blind box collectibles and kidult toys. You understand why fans care - scarcity, storytelling, heroes, worlds, lore, rituals and status. You will help shape product-led ideas and experiences that resonate with older kids, teens, Gen-Z and kidult audiences, while remaining grounded in manufacturable, scalable reality for mass market promotions.
You will support and influence the International Family Business Unit, across the end-to-end process, from early ideation through development and production, with a particular emphasis on early-stage concept generation, visual storytelling and sell-in thinking. This role plays a critical part in unlocking ideas quickly, energising internal teams and opening meaningful conversations with clients and partners.
WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE AGENCY
Concept, Ideation and Culture

• Generate fast, original concepts that consider collectability mechanics - series logic, rarity, variants, completion and display, alongside play and function
• Craft fast-thinking and conceptual sprints in response to campaign strategy briefs, dovetailing your thinking with cultural moments, trends, brand and consumer insights
• Bring a deep understanding of fandom behaviours, sub-cultures and hero-driven storytelling into ideation: from gaming and anime to sport, music and street culture
• Help identify global and local market trends and translate them into relevant product opportunities
• Immerse yourself in the worlds of retail brands, licensing and IP to support internal teams and client understanding

Design, Visualisation & Storytelling

• Confident, expressive sketching and rapid visualisation skills to communicate early ideas
• Translate speed of thought into expressive explorations to define iconic silhouettes and character-led products
• Fluent with switching between mixed-media tools; from mood boards and sketches, to digital visuals and proof-of-concept renders and physical prototypes, you'll be adept at exploring form and function and sell concepts internally and externally to clients and partners
• Write clear, compelling copy that explains design thinking rationalise and strategic intent
• Balance creativity with real-world commercial checks including cost, manufacturing, safety and sustainability

Collaboration and Development

• Solve complex design and engineering challenges with cross-functional teams
• Produce red-line draw-overs, 3D prints and prototype/sketch models to communicate solutions effectively
• Work alongside peers across account, strategy, creative, digital, engineering, delivery and supply chain and partnerships teams
• Support senior leaders on larger programs while confidently owning smaller workstreams end-to-end

CORE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Toy Design, Product Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design or Illustration or another relevant creative discipline, or equivalent professional experience

• 3-6 years' agency or in-house product/industrial design experience within collectibles, toys, games, lifestyle/fashion, sport, entertainment or adjacent categories

• Knowledge of global retail brands, licenses, and studios in the consumer product, toy, games, and entertainment categories

• Strong presenter and storyteller, with the ability to deliver concise and engaging presentations using various media

• A strong portfolio demonstrating collectible thinking, cultural awareness, depth and range in concept thinking, visual storytelling and early-stage concept visualisation (including sketch work)
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat)

• Familiar with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word, Excel)

• Foundational knowledge of 3D modelling, printing, and rendering software (e.g., Fusion 360, Blender, ZBrush, SolidWorks, Freeform, Keyshot, or similar)
• Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes, safety considerations and sustainability principles

BONUS SKILLS, WAYS OF THINKING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Deep personal engagement with collectibles, pop-culture and fandoms, with an ability to articulate why certain IP, characters or formats resonate
• Understanding of play patterns, child development, and safety standards (EN71/ASTM) as creative and commercial enabler
• Curiosity about how consumers engage with both mainstream brands and emerging IP
• Comfortable and confident working in a fast-moving, hybrid and cross-functional environment

If you have any questions about the job, we are open to discussing this role further, so please feel free to get in touch.