Visual Design Lead

Morningstar's Creative Services team is seeking an experienced Visual Design Lead to drive the visual quality and brand expression of our B2B marketing website. This role focuses on visual design—typography, layout, composition, color, and brand expression at scale—not UX or product design. You'll lead design work across our digital marketing platforms, collaborating with Creative Services peers, the Corporate Digital Web team, and cross-functional partners in marketing and technology.

The ideal candidate is AI-fluent, helping pilot and advance AI-enabled workflows that accelerate iteration and raise quality while upholding Morningstar's standards for craft, brand integrity, and ethics. This position is based in our Chicago office with a minimum of four days onsite per week.

About the team

Morningstar is a collaborative environment with a strong commitment to craft. Our design heritage is rooted in helping people around the world make confident investing decisions. We look for team members who bring good judgment, empathy, and a collaborative mindset—and who can navigate competing priorities while maintaining Morningstar's standard of design excellence. The Creative Services team embraces brand consistency and efficiency through design systems and AI-enabled workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead visual design for Morningstar's B2B marketing website—web experiences, landing pages, and the design system that powers them.
• Apply exceptional craft in typography, layout, composition, color, and information hierarchy to create brand-forward digital experiences.
• Contribute to and help art-direct imagery so that visual assets feel 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, piloting tools that augment creativity and accelerate production.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience designing large-scale marketing websites or digital marketing experiences.
• Exceptional visual design skills—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, a related field, or equivalent experience.

Skills

• Communication & Collaboration: 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.
• Work Style & Leadership: Self-directed and able to manage multiple projects in a fast-moving environment. Experience mentoring peers; interest in people leadership is a plus.
• Tools & Technology: Advanced proficiency in Figma. Proficiency with CMS platforms (Contentstack is a plus), HTML, and CSS. Working knowledge of AI-assisted design tools, used responsibly to augment creativity and efficiency.

Benefits

• Financial Health:
  • 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
• Physical Health:
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
  • Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance
• Emotional Health:
  • Trust-Based Time Off
  • 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
  • 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
  • Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
  • Tuition Reimbursement
• Social Health:
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Pay

Total Cash Compensation Range: $95,275.00 - $139,741.66 (inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive).

Schedule

This position is based in our Chicago office with a hybrid work model of four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change.