About the role:

Morningstar's Creative Services team is looking for an experienced Lead Digital Designer with a genuine commitment to building exceptional, user-centered digital experiences. In this role, you'll lead 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'll help 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-playing a 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, as we've found it strengthens creative quality, alignment, and team momentum.

Job responsibilities:

• 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 choices that balance business goals.

• Incorporate Morningstar design systems, brand standards, and digital best practices while 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 to and managing design 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 related field, 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 and anticipate needs from multiple teams.

• Comfortable presenting and defending design decisions to senior stakeholders and translating 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 and shifting priorities in a fast-moving environment.

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

• Experience mentoring or leading peers; interest in people leadership is a plus.

Tools & Technology

• Advanced proficiency in Figma and other design and prototyping tools.

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

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

How to apply:

Please include a portfolio of work you're most proud of, so you can tell stories about your experience and impact. We're interested 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.