Staff Motion Designer - 3D

Mercury.com; New York (NY); On-site; USD 189,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity (stock options/RSUs)

Benefits

Base salary range disclosed

Job summary

Mercury is seeking an accomplished Motion Designer to own motion concepts for its biggest launches in an onsite New York role. You will lead 3D/world-building efforts, craft typography-driven narratives, and define scalable motion systems across brand moments and UI visuals.

You will collaborate with Design, Writing, Narrative, and Production to elevate brand storytelling, mentor other designers, and shape AI-assisted workflows to maintain high craft.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of motion design experience with 3D/2D mastery
• Portfolio demonstrates product storytelling through motion
• Proficient in Cinema 4D, Houdini, Blender or equivalent
• Advanced After Effects and timing/finishing
• Experience building motion systems and brand guidelines
• Ability to lead and mentor designers and studios

Responsibilities

• Lead motion concepts for product launches, campaigns and brand moments
• Build 3D worlds, materials, and textures for large moments
• Drive product storytelling through title design, typography, transitions and UI motion
• Define and evolve Mercury’s motion design system and reusable templates
• Explore motion for interactive contexts and AI-assisted workflows
• Promote AI-assisted workflows for motion/3D and storyboarding
• Collaborate across Design, Writing, Narrative, and Production
• Lead high-level 3D/motion craft and art-direct specialists
• Raise Brand Studio motion craft through critique and example
• Maintain craft and coherence across all brand motion

Skills

3D & 2D mastery

Leadership & mentoring

AI tooling fluency

Strong communication

Brand storytelling

Tools

Cinema 4D

Houdini

Blender

After Effects

Houdini VEX

Python

Job description

Own motion and 3D craft across Mercury’s biggest launches, brand moments, and UI experiences in an onsite role in New York.

Responsibilities

• Lead motion concepts for major product launches, campaigns, and brand moments, leveraging strong 3D capability for product visualization, environments, objects, and brand worlds
• Build 3D worlds, along with materials and textures, to create a distinct, recognizable look for Mercury’s largest moments
• Drive product storytelling through title design, typography, transitions, diagrams, and UI motion, turning complex products into clear visual narratives
• Define and evolve Mercury’s motion design system, covering typography principles, pacing, transitions, product UI, sound, and interaction, plus reusable behaviors and templates that do not feel templated
• Explore motion for interactive contexts and provide a point of view on how AI tooling can increase speed while maintaining craft quality
• Develop and promote AI-assisted workflows for motion and 3D, including generative pre-vis and storyboarding through texture, world, and asset generation, and share progress with the Brand Studio
• Assess new AI creative tools as they emerge and decide which tools fit the team pipeline versus those that compromise craft
• Collaborate with Design, Writing, Narrative, and Production from concept through delivery, serving as a key cross-functional partner for brand-critical moments
• Personally lead high-level 3D and motion craft while art-directing specialist animators, 3D artists, and studios when additional depth or scale is needed
• Raise Brand Studio motion craft through partnership, critique, and example by doing the work and setting the standard
• Maintain craft and coherence across every moving expression of the brand, from a 30-second launch film to UI micro-interactions

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional experience in motion design, with a portfolio showing mastery across 3D and 2D and conceptual thinking about how motion should move, feel, and unfold over time
• Advanced proficiency in Cinema 4D, Houdini, Blender, or similar 3D tools, including materials, texturing, lighting, and world-building
• Advanced proficiency in After Effects or similar 2D motion tools, including deep command of timing, easing, composition, and finishing detail
• Experience building and documenting motion systems or brand guidelines beyond one-off deliverables
• Ability to switch between high-craft brand moments and faster-moving product/UI and social work without sacrificing quality
• Track record art-directing or mentoring other designers, animators, or outside studios in a craft-first role led by example
• Fluency with AI tooling as part of a creative practice, with a clear understanding of where AI helps and where craft must lead
• Exposure to scripting or procedural workflows (expressions, Houdini VEX, Python) is a strong plus
• Strong communication skills to articulate concepts and creative decisions to internal teams, leadership, and external partners
• Natural leader who thrives in a highly collaborative environment where ideas drive progress

Technologies

• Cinema 4D
• Houdini
• Blender
• After Effects
• Houdini VEX
• Python

Benefits

• Base salary
• Equity (stock options/RSUs)
• Benefits

Total Rewards

• Total rewards include base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits
• Salary and equity ranges are highly competitive within the SaaS and fintech industry and updated regularly using reliable compensation survey data
• New hire offers are based on experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers
• Target new hire base salary ranges:
  • US employees in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area: $189,400 - $236,700 USD
  • US employees outside of New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area: $170,400 - $213,000 USD
  • Canadian employees (any location): $179,000 - $223,700 CAD