Staff Brand Designer

Mercury•Portland, OR

About The Position

Mercury is a financial technology company on a mission to help startups spend less time banking and more time building. We believe that thoughtful design is key to our success and hold our craft to an exceptionally high standard. We are seeking a Staff Brand Designer who embodies this standard, someone whose precise eye and considered execution elevates the work around them. This role is for a designer who focuses on the minute details like type hierarchy, negative space, grids, and crops. You will bring a well-developed aesthetic philosophy, honed through years of high-level work, to everything you do. In this position, you will be responsible for the most technically complex brand design work at Mercury, provide craft oversight for the Brand Studio, and help define visual excellence as our brand evolves.

Requirements

A portfolio demonstrating mastery of typography, layout, color, and composition across various brand contexts.
A clear and deeply held aesthetic point of view, with the ability to articulate design principles through rigorous practice.
Fluency in brand systems, with experience building for scale and consistency, and stewarding a brand through growth or change.
7-10+ years of brand design experience in high-craft environments (agency, fashion, elevated consumer, or design-forward tech).
Experience operating at a staff level, including working autonomously, influencing without authority, and making decisions that shape team output.
Proficiency in Figma and hands-on experience contributing to or owning a design system.
Strong verbal and presentation skills to clearly communicate design process, intent, and impact.
Excellent judgment for balancing detailed focus with a broader perspective.
Curiosity, restraint, and a genuine passion for meaningful work.

Responsibilities

Set and uphold the craft standard for Mercury's brand across campaigns, web, social, events, and all brand touchpoints.
Lead technically complex and high-visibility brand design projects from start to finish.
Collaborate with a staff-level brand designer and creative leadership to co-lead the evolution of Mercury's creative direction, defining and executing visual standards for typography, imagery, layout, and motion.
Provide hands-on craft oversight for Brand Studio output, including reviewing work, raising the quality bar, and guiding the team in decision-making.
Commission and art-direct external creatives such as photographers, illustrators, and motion designers.
Develop brand system documentation and decision-making frameworks to ensure team confidence and consistency.
Mentor IC3 and IC4 designers through critique, pairing, and direct feedback to elevate their craft.
Collaborate with brand strategists, copywriters, PMMs, and leadership on Mercury's brand presence across all channels.