Visual Design Lead

Morningstar; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match up to 6% of salary

Stock Ownership

Company-provided life insurance

Health benefits

HSA contributions

Wellness Incentives

Disability insurance

Paid Sabbatical

Job summary

Morningstar’s Chicago-based Visual Design Lead role focuses on craft—typography, layout, color, and brand expression—for scale across B2B marketing sites and landing pages. You will lead design across marketing platforms, collaborating with Creative Services, the Corporate Digital Web team, and cross-functional partners in marketing and technology.

This role emphasizes AI-enabled workflows that accelerate iteration while maintaining Morningstar’s design standards.

Qualifications

• 7+ years designing large-scale marketing websites or digital marketing experiences.
• Exceptional visual design skills across typography, layout, color, brand expression, and data visualization.
• Experience contributing to and managing design systems.
• Bachelor's or master's in visual/graphic design or equivalent experience.
• Clear communication to senior stakeholders connecting visual rationale to brand and business impact.
• Ability to align teams across competing priorities and feedback.
• Self-directed and capable of managing multiple projects in a fast-moving environment.
• Mentoring peers; people leadership is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead visual design for Morningstar's B2B marketing website, landing pages, and the design system.
• Apply craft in typography, layout, color, and information hierarchy to create brand-forward digital experiences.
• Contribute to and art-direct imagery for cohesive visual assets across the site.
• Translate briefs into polished visual executions and defend design solutions to cross-functional teams.
• Evolve design systems and brand standards, partnering with engineers to ensure design quality in implementation.
• Champion AI-enabled design workflows to accelerate production while upholding brand integrity.

Skills

Visual design

Typography

Layout

Brand expression

Data visualization

Figma

CMS platforms

HTML/CSS

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in visual/graphic design

Tools

Contentstack

HTML

CSS

Job description

Visual Design Lead Creative Services — Dedicated to B2B Web About the role 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 is a visual design role — not UX or product design — focused on craft: typography, layout, composition, color, and brand expression at scale. 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.

Our creative culture 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.

Job 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.

Qualifications

• Design 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.
• 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.

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• 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

Total Cash Compensation Range $95,275.00-139,741.66 Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.

Company overview

Morningstar Inc. Legal Entity Morningstar is a global independent investment research and financial data company. Here, you'll help uncover what’s hidden, simplify what’s complex, and create insights that empower investor success.

Morningstar Development Program

Morningstar is strongly committed to creating and preserving equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We make all employment decisions—including recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and other personnel matters—without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship, gender identity and expression, parental status, or other legally protected characteristics or conduct.