Senior Brand Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Brand Designer

Company: Rocket Money

Location: San Francisco, CA, Washington, D.C., New York City, N.Y., Detroit MI.

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Brand Design / Visual Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-09

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (1-2 days in office recommended)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead the evolution and application of Rocket Money's visual brand language across diverse touchpoints, including mobile product interfaces, lifecycle marketing campaigns, and broader marketing surfaces.
• Collaborate closely with Product Design teams to seamlessly integrate branded visuals into core user flows, such as onboarding experiences, new feature launches, and in-app educational content, ensuring brand consistency and a cohesive user journey.
• Work in partnership with the Design Systems team to develop and maintain visual components that promote brand cohesion, scalability, and flexibility across the product and marketing ecosystem.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior designers, actively contributing to the refinement of team workflows, design standards, and best practices within the Brand Design function.
• Utilize expertise in motion graphics, layout design, typography, and iconography to craft clear, compelling, and emotionally resonant visual narratives that enhance the user experience and strengthen brand identity.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Design and iterate on key visual elements of the Rocket Money brand, ensuring consistent application across mobile applications, web interfaces, email campaigns, social media assets, and marketing collateral.
• Partner with Product Designers early in the development cycle to translate wireframes and user flows into visually compelling interfaces that adhere to brand guidelines while optimizing for user experience and conversion.
• Contribute to the development and documentation of the Rocket Money Design System, focusing on the creation and refinement of branded visual components, styles, and usage guidelines for designers and developers.
• Act as a subject matter expert on brand application for junior designers, providing feedback on their work, sharing knowledge, and helping to elevate the overall design quality of the team.
• Explore and implement motion design principles to add dynamism and enhance storytelling within the product and marketing visuals, improving engagement and clarity.
• Ensure all designed materials meet accessibility standards and best practices, creating inclusive visual experiences for all users.
• Present design concepts and rationale clearly and effectively to cross-functional stakeholders, including product managers, engineers, and marketing managers, incorporating feedback thoughtfully.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Visual Communication, or a related field is typically preferred, although equivalent practical experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant skills are often accepted in the design industry.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in brand design, product design, or visual design roles, with a strong emphasis on creating high-quality visual design across UI/UX surfaces and demonstrated experience designing for mobile-first products. A portfolio showcasing this experience is essential.

Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in visual design principles, including layout, typography, color theory, hierarchy, and information design, specifically applied within digital product environments.
• Demonstrated ability to translate brand guidelines into compelling visual experiences across diverse digital platforms, maintaining consistency and impact.
• Significant experience designing for mobile applications, understanding mobile UI patterns, constraints, and best practices.
• Clear understanding and practical application of hierarchy and information design principles to create intuitive and scannable interfaces.
• Advanced proficiency with Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration within shared design systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions, rationale, and processes effectively to both design and non-design audiences.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing, to achieve shared goals and deliver impactful design solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Fluency or experience in motion design and animation principles for enhancing digital interfaces and marketing assets.
• Experience in illustration direction or the ability to create brand-aligned illustrations.
• Prior experience working within the Fintech or personal finance industry, understanding the unique design challenges and user needs in this space.
• Experience contributing to or maintaining a comprehensive design system.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated online portfolio showcasing a range of high-quality visual design projects, with a strong emphasis on work across UI/UX surfaces and mobile-first products.
• Include detailed case studies that illustrate your design process from problem definition and research through iteration and final execution.
• Demonstrate your ability to apply and evolve a visual brand identity within a product context.
• Highlight projects where you collaborated with product teams, showcasing your ability to integrate brand visuals into functional interfaces.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly outline your approach to understanding the design problem, including any relevant research or discovery methods used.
• Detail your ideation process, including sketching, wireframing, or low-fidelity prototyping methods, and how you iterated on designs based on feedback or constraints.
• Explain how you validated your design solutions, whether through user testing, stakeholder reviews, or data analysis.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,000 - $130,000 per year + bonus + benefits. This range is competitive for a Senior Brand Designer role in the specified locations (San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C., Detroit) and aligns with the experience level and responsibilities outlined. The final base pay will be determined based on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, taking into account the specific cost of living and market rates for each location.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
• Life Insurance coverage.
• Long-Term and Short-Term Disability insurance.
• Competitive base salary with potential for performance-based bonuses.
• 401k retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.
• Team Member Stock Purchasing Program (TMSPP), offering an opportunity to invest in the company.
• Access to Learning & Development Opportunities for continuous professional growth, including design-specific training and workshops.
• Tuition Reimbursement program for further education relevant to your role.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) to support work-life balance and creative rejuvenation.
• Daily Lunch, Snacks, and Coffee provided (for employees working from the office).
• Commuter benefits program (for employees working from the office).

Working Hours: Full-time position, typically standard business hours. The hybrid model encourages flexibility while promoting in-office collaboration 1-2 days per week, allowing designers to balance focused work with team interaction and creative synergy.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Fintech. Rocket Money operates within the personal finance sector, focusing on helping users manage subscriptions, bills, budgeting, and savings. This context means the design team works on complex interfaces handling sensitive financial data, requiring a strong emphasis on trust, clarity, and security in visual communication.

Company Size: 201-500 employees (based on LinkedIn data). This size suggests a well-established company with structured teams, but still small enough to potentially offer direct impact and visibility for a senior-level designer.

Founded: Information not provided in input data. However, the company was formerly known as Truebill and was acquired by Rocket Companies in late 2021, indicating a history as a successful startup now part of a larger corporate structure.

Team Structure:

• The role is on the Brand Design team, indicating a focus on visual identity, marketing, and potentially product-level branding implementation.
• Collaboration is explicitly mentioned with Product Design, Lifecycle Marketing, and Product Managers, suggesting a cross-functional team structure where design works closely with product development and marketing functions.
• The role involves mentoring junior designers, indicating a hierarchical structure within the Brand Design team.

Methodology:

• Implicitly follows a user-centered design process given the focus on "user-centered visuals" and collaboration with Product Design and Product Management.
• Likely utilizes agile or a similar iterative development methodology given the collaboration with product teams on feature launches and updates.
• Emphasis on visual evolution and brand consistency suggests a methodology that balances creative exploration with systematic application of design principles.

Company Website: https://www.rocketmoney.com

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Senior. This level implies an expectation of independent work, leadership within projects, mentoring of junior designers, and significant contribution to the team's strategic direction and standards. Senior designers are typically responsible for tackling more complex design problems and influencing design decisions across multiple areas.

Reporting Structure: Reports within the Brand Design team. The specific reporting manager (e.g., Design Lead, Design Manager, Head of Design) is not specified, but the role's responsibilities suggest reporting to a design leader who oversees the brand function.

Design Impact: High. As a Senior Brand Designer influencing both product and marketing surfaces, this role has significant impact on how users perceive and interact with the Rocket Money brand and product. Contributions will directly shape the visual identity and user experience for millions of users.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential for growth into a Lead Brand Designer or Design Manager role, managing a team and overseeing larger strategic brand design initiatives.
• Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas like motion design, illustration direction, or design systems, becoming a subject matter expert within the team and company.
• Expansion of responsibilities to include broader strategic brand initiatives, brand guidelines development, or cross-functional leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid office environment. While the company has physical office locations in multiple cities, the role offers flexibility with a recommendation for employees to be in the office 1-2 days per week. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work capabilities.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, CA; Washington, D.C.; New York City, N.Y.; Detroit, MI. Candidates applying from these locations are expected to adhere to the hybrid work recommendation.

Design Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model facilitates in-person collaboration and creative sessions on recommended office days, fostering team connection and spontaneous idea exchange.
• Likely provides access to necessary design tools, hardware, and collaborative software to support both in-office and remote work setups.
• The office environment, when utilized, could offer dedicated spaces for design critiques, brainstorming, and cross-functional meetings.

Work Schedule: Flexible to accommodate both in-office and remote work days, while ensuring availability for team meetings and collaborative sessions, particularly on recommended office days. The unlimited PTO policy offers additional flexibility for managing personal time.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call with a recruiter to discuss your background, interest in the role, and alignment with basic requirements. Prepare to briefly articulate your experience in brand and product design and highlight relevant portfolio pieces.
• Portfolio review with members of the design team, likely including the hiring manager and other senior designers. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects in detail, focusing on your process, design decisions, and impact, particularly on mobile and product surfaces.
• Design challenge or take-home assignment. This may involve a prompt related to evolving the brand within a product context or solving a specific visual design problem. Allocate sufficient time and focus on demonstrating your process, problem-solving skills, and visual execution.
• Interviews with cross-functional partners (Product Manager, Engineering Lead, Marketing counterpart) to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to integrate design work with other disciplines.
• Final interview(s) with design leadership to discuss your career goals, leadership potential (including mentorship), and overall fit with the team culture and strategic vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your visual design skills across various digital platforms, especially mobile.
• Structure case studies to tell a compelling story about your design process, from understanding the problem to delivering a solution. Highlight your contributions clearly.
• Emphasize projects where you applied or evolved brand guidelines within a product UI.
• Be prepared to discuss the rationale behind your design decisions and how they align with user needs and business goals.
• For this role, specifically highlight examples of motion design or illustration if you have that experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Carefully read and understand the design challenge prompt. Ask clarifying questions if needed.
• Allocate time for research, ideation, design execution, and documentation of your process.
• Focus on demonstrating your ability to think critically and solve the problem, not just deliver a polished final output.
• Be prepared to present your solution and explain your process and decisions during a follow-up interview.

ATS Keywords: Visual Design, Brand Design, Product Design, UI/UX, Mobile Design, Figma, Design Systems, Typography, Layout, Motion Design, Illustration, Collaboration, Cross-functional Teams, Information Design, User-Centered Design, Fintech, Personal Finance, Brand Identity, Digital Product, User Interface, User Experience, Onboarding, Lifecycle Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Design Guidelines, Mentorship, Communication Skills, Problem Solving, Case Study, Portfolio, Iteration, Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing, Stakeholder Management.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Required proficiency. This is the primary tool for UI/UX design and collaboration, likely used for creating high-fidelity designs, interactive prototypes, and working within the company's design system. Expect to work extensively in shared Figma files.
• Likely utilizes other visual design software as needed for specific tasks like illustration or photo editing, potentially including Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) or similar tools.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Figma: Used for sharing design files, collaborating with other designers, and providing specifications for developer handoff.
• Likely uses project management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking tasks and communicating with cross-functional teams.
• May use documentation platforms (e.g., Confluence, Notion) for design system documentation and project briefs.

Research & Testing:

• While the role is focused on brand and visual design, collaboration with Product Design suggests potential exposure to or utilization of tools for user research (e.g., user interviews, surveys) and usability testing (e.g., Maze, UserTesting.com) to inform design decisions.
• May interact with analytics platforms to understand the performance of design elements in various campaigns or product flows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Emphasis on creating "user-centered visuals" suggests a value placed on understanding user needs and designing with empathy to create relatable and effective visual communication.
• The need to be "expressive, clear, and consistently on brand" highlights values of brand consistency, clarity in communication, and creative expression within defined guidelines.
• Collaboration with Product Design, Marketing, and Product Management indicates a value placed on teamwork, communication, and working effectively across disciplines to achieve shared goals.
• Mentoring junior designers suggests a culture of growth, knowledge sharing, and investing in team development.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with Product Design, Marketing, and Product Management throughout the design process.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions within the Brand Design team and potentially with the broader design organization.
• Requires strong communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships and influence stakeholders across different functions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Balancing creative evolution of the brand with maintaining consistency across a rapidly evolving product and marketing landscape.
• Integrating brand visuals seamlessly into complex product UI while adhering to UI/UX best practices and technical constraints.
• Working effectively across multiple locations and potentially time zones in a hybrid work environment.
• Translating potentially abstract financial concepts into clear, emotionally intelligent, and visually engaging experiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunities to refine and expand skills in visual design, motion graphics, illustration, and design systems.
• Exposure to the intricacies of Fintech design, gaining expertise in a specialized and growing industry.
• Develop leadership and mentorship skills by guiding junior designers.
• Learn and apply best practices for integrating brand and product design in a fast-paced environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to walk through a project from your portfolio where you successfully applied or evolved a brand identity within a digital product or marketing campaign. Focus on your process, challenges faced, and outcomes.
• Discuss your approach to collaborating with Product Managers, Engineers, and Marketing teams. Provide specific examples of how you've navigated feedback and aligned on design solutions.
• Explain how you approach integrating visual design with UI/UX principles to create both aesthetically pleasing and functional interfaces.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research Rocket Money's brand and product thoroughly. Be prepared to discuss what you admire about their visual identity and how you envision contributing to its evolution.
• Ask questions about the Brand Design team structure, collaboration rituals (like critiques), and how the team measures success.
• Inquire about how design decisions are made and how the design team influences product and marketing strategy.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your experience in brand application on UI/UX surfaces and mobile design.
• For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role, your process (including collaboration), key design decisions, and the impact of your work.
• Highlight your visual design skills (typography, color, layout, motion if applicable) and how they served the overall design goals.
• Be concise and focused, allowing time for questions and discussion.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Ensure your online portfolio is up-to-date, easily accessible, and specifically curated to highlight your senior-level experience in brand and visual design across UI/UX and mobile surfaces. Include detailed case studies.
• Tailor your resume to emphasize your relevant skills, experience (5+ years in brand, product, or visual design), and proficiency in Figma and mobile design. Use relevant ATS keywords.
• Prepare to discuss your design process, collaboration style, and experience mentoring junior designers during interviews. Practice presenting your portfolio projects.
• Research Rocket Money's brand, product, and mission to demonstrate your genuine interest and understanding of the company's context, particularly within the Fintech space.