Job Description

About therole:

Morningstar's Creative Services team islooking foran experiencedLeadDigital Designerwith a genuine commitment to buildingexceptional, user-centered digital experiences.In this role,you'lllead design work across our digital platforms, collaborating with Creative Services peers, the Corporate Digital Web team, and cross-functional partners in marketing, product, and technology. Through thoughtful, high-impact design,you'llhelp shape Morningstar's global web presence — taking complex ideas and making them clear, useful experiences that serve both investors and clients.

The ideal candidate is AI‑fluent—playinga key role in advancing how AI is thoughtfully applied within the design practice—helping explore, pilot, and lead the adoption of AI‑enabled tools and workflows that augment design thinking, accelerate iteration, and improve clarity—while upholding Morningstar’s standards for quality, ethics, brand integrity, and human‑centered design.

This position is based in our Chicago office and follows a hybrid model with a minimum of four days onsite. We intentionally prioritize in‑person collaboration, aswe’vefound it strengthens creative quality, alignment, and team momentum.

Ourcreativeculture:

Morningstar is a collaborativeenvironmentwherecreative roleswork across disciplines and regions with a strong commitment to craft. Our design heritage is rooted in helping people around the world make confident investing decisions. We work as integrated teams — sharing feedback, solving problems together, and supporting each other's growth.We look forteam memberswho bring good judgment, empathy, and a collaborative mindset to every project, and who can navigate business trade-offs and competing prioritieswhilemaintainingMorningstar's standard of design excellence.The Creative Services teamembracesbrand consistencyandincreasedefficiency by buildingdesign systemsand leaning into AI for scale and innovation

Jobresponsibilities

• Design a wide range of digital content — web experiences, design systems, data visualizations, and interactive experiences.

• Take an active role in the design process from discovery through delivery, helping shape B2B solutions that engage and inform.

• Apply strong core design skills — especially in typography, composition, information hierarchy, and data visualization —to create delightful, engaging experiences that reinforce the Morningstar brand.

• Proven fluency with AI-enabled content workflows, including experience evaluating, piloting, or operationalizing AI tools that improve content quality, efficiency, or governance.

• Solve challenging information and communication design problems and be able to present multiple concepts for consideration, with sound rationale.

• Contribute to competitive assessments and gather inputs that inform strategy and creative direction.

• Present and defend design solutions to cross-functional teams, be open to feedback and know how and when to defend design choicesthat balance business goals

• Incorporate Morningstar design systems, brand standards, anddigital best practiceswhile educating both stakeholders and engineers.

• Connect and communicate with other design teams within Morningstar.

Qualifications

Design

• 7+ years of experience designing digital products, interactions, large-scale websites, or applications.

• Experience contributing toand managingdesign systems, with the ability to educate stakeholders and partners on standards and best practices.

• Bachelor's or master's degree in digital/visual design,a relatedfield, or equivalent experience.

• Strong skills in information hierarchy, typography, and data visualization.

• Ability to present design solutions clearly to project teams and stakeholders.

Communication & Collaboration

• Experience leading cross-functional projects that balance innovation and usability, with the ability to listen andanticipateneeds from multiple teams.

• Comfortable presenting and defending design decisions to seniorstakeholders andtranslating design rationale into business and user impact.

• Proven ability to build alignment across disciplines — including marketing, product, and engineering — while navigating competing priorities and feedback.

Work Style & Leadership

• Flexible and able to manage multiple projects andshiftingpriorities in a fast-moving environment.

• Self-directed and comfortable working independently,leveragingmodern tools—including AI— to improve focus, efficiency, and the quality of design output.

• Experience mentoring orleading peers; interest inpeopleleadership is a plus.

Tools & Technology

• Advancedproficiencyin Figma and other design and prototyping tools.

• Familiarity with CMS platforms (Contentstackis a plus), HTML, and CSS.

• A working knowledge of AI-assisted design and productivity tools, and a sense of how to use themresponsibly to augment creativity, efficiency, and decision‑making.

How to apply: 

Please include a portfolio of workyou'remost proud of, so you can tell stories about your experience and impact.We'reinterested in your designs and want to understand how you work with a team to solve problems.

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.

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