Visual Design Lead

Morningstar • Chicago, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Morningstar's Creative Services team is seeking an experienced Visual Design Lead to drive the visual quality and brand expression of its B2B marketing website. This is a visual design role focused on craft—including typography, layout, composition, color, and brand expression at scale—not UX or product design. The role leads design across digital marketing platforms and collaborates with Creative Services peers, the Corporate Digital Web team, and cross-functional marketing and technology partners. The ideal candidate is AI-fluent and will help pilot and advance AI-enabled workflows that accelerate iteration and raise quality while upholding Morningstar's standards for craft, brand integrity, and ethics.

The position is based in Morningstar's Chicago office, with a minimum of four days onsite per week. The successful candidate will contribute to Morningstar's collaborative creative culture, which values design craft, good judgment, empathy, collaboration, brand consistency, design systems, and AI-enabled workflows.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience designing large-scale marketing websites or digital marketing experiences.
• Exceptional visual design skills in typography, layout, color, brand expression, and data visualization.
• Experience contributing to and managing design systems.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in visual/graphic design or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to clearly present and defend design decisions to senior stakeholders, connecting visual rationale to brand and business impact.
• Proven ability to build alignment across teams while navigating competing priorities and feedback.
• Self-directed approach and ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-moving environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma.
• Proficiency with CMS platforms, HTML, and CSS.
• Working knowledge of AI-assisted design tools and their responsible use to augment creativity and efficiency.
• Portfolio showcasing visual design work, including polished layouts, typography, and marketing website executions; applicants should describe their role and visual decisions for each project.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Contentstack.
• Interest in people leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead visual design for Morningstar's B2B marketing website, including web experiences, landing pages, and the design system that powers them.
• Apply strong craft in typography, layout, composition, color, and information hierarchy to create brand-forward digital experiences.
• Contribute to and help art-direct imagery so visual assets are cohesive and consistent across the site.
• Translate briefs and creative direction into polished, high-quality visual executions.
• Present and defend design solutions to cross-functional teams, connecting visual decisions to brand and business goals.
• Contribute to and evolve Morningstar design systems and digital brand standards, partnering with engineers to ensure design quality through implementation.
• Champion AI-enabled design workflows by piloting tools that augment creativity and accelerate production.
• Mentor peers.

Benefits

• 100% 401(k) match up to 6% of salary.
• Stock ownership potential.
• Company-provided life insurance equal to 1x salary plus commission.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions of up to $500–$2,000 annually for specific plans and coverages.
• Additional medical wellness incentives of up to $300–$600 annually.
• Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance.
• Trust-based time off.
• Six-week paid sabbatical program.
• Six-week paid family caregiving leave.
• Eight to 24 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Adoption assistance.
• Leadership coaching and formal mentorship opportunities.
• Annual $1,000 flex stipend for personal education and well-being expenses.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Charitable matching gifts program.
• Dollars for Doers volunteer program and paid volunteering days.
• Employee resource and affinity groups.
• Additional benefits to support flexibility as needs change.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior