The Design Director, Professional Software Products, will be charged with creating and maintaining a singular user experience across Morningstar’s global portfolio of software products aimed at the Institutional Investor, with a consistent point of view that excites users, but also addresses complex, data-rich UI environments that professional users expect as well.  
 
This design leader will play an integral role in setting and building a design vision across the company’s Institutional software products. They will create beautiful and compelling products and solutions across varied professional audiences—reflecting a single unified brand experience that Morningstar customers can truly love, and that help people reach their financial goals. 
 
Morningstar is seeking an individual who is motivated and excited to create design solutions that simplify complex workflows and analytic tasks, express the Morningstar brand (end-to-end) with beauty, help lead the company to a position of excellence in data visualization and UX journeys that are a pleasure to experience. This idea driven industry leader will be excited to resolve complex problems—using digital technology to tell stories—thereby taking Morningstar products further into the future.  
 
An inspired, design-centric, sensibility is already flourishing at Morningstar. This unique culture values design and designers as part of its strategic foundation, alongside technology and editorial/research peers. The Design Director will be charged with leading teams to create consistency, drive excellence and do great work. 
 
Highlights:

• Organize and communicate across a global organization—coordinating with the global design head and design leads for all Professional products, as well as the Brand team—to ensure consistent product design and brand expression 
• Create an atmosphere that sweats the design details necessary to make things simple, beautiful and consistent 
• Be an obsessive advocate for user-centered and ‘design thinking’ approaches to creative problem solving 
• Use data and experimentation in the design process to deliver on intended outcomes 
• Thrive in an agile work environment, including the ability to embrace iterative product development while maintaining a cohesive and holistic view of the overall design experience
• Oversee multiple design disciplines and lead their design work across multiple cross-functional scrum teams

 
 
Profile:

• Leadership/Collaboration 
• Successfully lead in an environment of innovation around products that are transformational
• Ego-less collaborative approach to partner closely with key stakeholders
• Able to build strong relationships with colleagues and business partners
• Oversee indirect and direct management
• Entrepreneurial spirit, strategic vision and the desire to lead and nurture talent
• Lead and inspire diverse teams through collaborative approach and respectful influence
• Able to be a player/coach--getting hands dirty, while leading and managing at 30,000 feet

 
Attributes: 

• Process-oriented, and agile thinker who anticipates and thinks through business challenges
• Curious about new technology, and pushing experiences to be current and modern 
• Able to write and present effectively; you’ll need to guide and persuade many individuals and opinions 
• Strives for excellence—celebrates and pushes the boundaries of creativity in unexpected ways 
• Balance of right-brain/left-brain, creative/analytical thinking, grounded in strategy and functionality
• Hands-on, self-directed, team-oriented, and comfortable with candid, direct communication 

 
Experience:

• 10+ years of creative leadership and vision setting with proven experience building digital products through user-centered design
• Have a compelling portfolio 
• Inspired experience managing a multi-disciplinary team with great leadership qualities 
• Proven ability to earn respect and credibility throughout an organization
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Design or other related fields 

Morningstar is an equal opportunity employer.