Design Studio Lead

Job Reference:: 2025-4328
Location:: New York
Category:: Marketing and Communications
Solution:: Other
Role Category:: Hybrid

Your Team Responsibilities

We’re seeking a Head of Design Studio to lead MSCI’s marketing design team — a leader who can shape the visual language of our brand across every touchpoint, from campaigns and events to digital and social.

You’ll oversee a team of multidisciplinary designers and drive the modernization of our design systems, processes and standards, especially the incorporation of AI tools.

The design studio is focused on many various tasks, including brochure and sales collateral, event banners, social media banners, website imagery, data visualization, and partnering with our creative campaign team amplify our campaigns across touchpoints. You will need to balance operational and creative skills to manage a large workload across the team with speed and efficiency, while also leading our brand visual guidelines and partnering on creative campaigns.

You’ll be a change agent — elevating design quality, championing our creative identity, and ensuring design plays a central, respected role in how we communicate with the world.

Your Key Responsibilities

1. Lead and Elevate the Design Studio

Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of 4–6 designers spanning digital, events, social, and brand systems.

Foster a culture of creativity, growth, and accountability within the studio.

Ensure up to 75% of team capacity is protected for critical BAU design needs, while embedding designers into key campaign teams to collaborate with the Creative Director.

Elevate our data visualization – a key growth area for MSCI.

Serve as the managerial home for all designers, responsible for hiring, training, performance, and career development.

2. Shape the Visual Brand

Following the recent launch of our new visual identity system, you will take ownership of its evolution, ensuring MSCI’s brand remains consistent, forward-looking, and reflective of our leadership in the industry. You’ll guide how our visual language shows up across every touchpoint, helping express where the company is today and where we’re headed next.

Partner with the Creative Director to ensure campaign work consistently meets brand and creative standards.

Oversee design systems, templates, and toolkits that empower teams globally while maintaining creative integrity and consistency.

3. Drive Operational Excellence

Champion the integration of AI and automation tools into the design process — driving innovation, speed, and quality across deliverables. You’ll help the team adopt new technologies that amplify creative output, streamline workflows, and free designers to focus on higher-value creative thinking.

Introduce modern processes that streamline workflows, creative briefs, and design prioritization.

Create scalable systems for managing BAU requests and protecting design focus for high-value work.

Develop a self-service ecosystem of branded templates and assets to support repeatable needs across marketing and business units.

4. Partner Across the Creative Organization

Collaborate closely with the Creative Director, Video Production Lead, Content Marketing Lead, as well as the digital team and product marketers to deliver integrated creative assets across channels.

Work with product marketing leads to align design output with strategic priorities and campaign goals.

Provide advocacy and “air cover” for the design team, ensuring they have the space, respect, and resources to do their best work.

5. Lead Design as a Strategic Force

Position design as a consultative, creative partner that drives business impact and brand strength.

Evangelize the power of design within MSCI — helping teams see it not just as executional support, but as a key driver of clarity, storytelling, and differentiation.

Your skills and experience that will help you excel

A seasoned design leader (10+ years of experience) with a track record of leading design teams within an in-house agency or top-tier agency.

Equally comfortable discussing typography and timelines — you blend craft, creativity, and operational discipline.

Adept at managing and mentoring diverse design talent across global markets.

Experienced in modern design operations and workflow tools, especially AI, with the ability to introduce scalable systems and process improvements.

A confident collaborator who thrives in matrixed environments and knows how to partner with creative, content, and marketing leads.

Passionate about brand storytelling, visual systems, and the role of design in shaping perception and driving business results.

About MSCI

What we offer you

Salary range: $143,000 - $186,000 / year plus eligible for annual bonus
Transparent compensation schemes and comprehensive employee benefits, tailored to your location, ensuring your financial security, health, and overall wellbeing.

Flexible working arrangements, advanced technology, and collaborative workspaces.

A culture of high performance and innovation where we experiment with new ideas and take responsibility for achieving results.

A global network of talented colleagues, who inspire, support, and share their expertise to innovate and deliver for our clients.

Global Orientation program to kickstart your journey, followed by access to our Learning@MSCI platform, LinkedIn Learning Pro and tailored learning opportunities for ongoing skills development.

Multi-directional career paths that offer professional growth and development through new challenges, internal mobility and expanded roles.

We actively nurture an environment that builds a sense of inclusion belonging and connection, including eight Employee Resource Groups. All Abilities, Asian Support Network, Black Leadership Network, Climate Action Network, Hola! MSCI, Pride & Allies, Women in Tech, and Women’s Leadership Forum.

At MSCI we are passionate about what we do, and we are inspired by our purpose – to power better investment decisions. You’ll be part of an industry-leading network of creative, curious, and entrepreneurial pioneers. This is a space where you can challenge yourself, set new standards and perform beyond expectations for yourself, our clients, and our industry.

MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data, and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process.

MSCI Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy (including unlawful discrimination on the basis of a legally protected parental leave), veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. MSCI is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please email Disability.Assistance@msci.com and indicate the specifics of the assistance needed. Please note, this e-mail is intended only for individuals who are requesting a reasonable workplace accommodation; it is not intended for other inquiries.

To all recruitment agencies

MSCI does not accept unsolicited CVs/Resumes. Please do not forward CVs/Resumes to any MSCI employee, location, or website. MSCI is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs/Resumes.

Note on recruitment scams

We are aware of recruitment scams where fraudsters impersonating MSCI personnel may try and elicit personal information from job seekers. Read our full note on careers.msci.com

Tina Tan – Marketing and Communications — Tina Tan Marketing and Communications

Benefits

At MSCI, we are committed to providing benefits that empower you to Be Well and Stay Well in all aspects of your life.

Use the following site to learn about the coverage options that support you and your family physically, emotionally, and financially: MSCI | Benefits (benefitsatmsci.com)

Development opportunities

At MSCI career paths are multi-directional, and we believe that new and challenging experiences drive both professional growth and business success.

Everyone here is responsible for leading their own development and we’re here to support and guide you every step of the way. Whether that means deepening your expertise, moving across teams, or stepping into leadership, you’ll have access to internal mobility, learning and skills development, stretch opportunities and mentoring.

Discover more about how you can grow your career at MSCI

New York

7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
United States

Our New York headquarters are in the heart of the financial district, easily accessible via public transport, and close to countless shops, restaurants and green spaces. We’re home to all our key corporate functions, from HR and Finance to Technology and Research. Our cafeteria offers expansive views of the Statue of Liberty, and if you’re looking to recharge, you can head to one of our relax rooms, or take part in one of our yoga classes, happy hours or unique culinary experiences.

MSCI New York Office - bright office with a view on the New York skyline

Recruitment process

Apply online

First, click Apply and upload a CV that shows us the skills and passion you could bring to this role, as well as your contact details so we can reach out to you.
Talk to our recruiter

If you look like a good match, our recruiters will arrange a chat where we’ll ask about your motivations, experience, and background, and where you can ask us anything you want to know about working at MSCI.
Interview with our team

If you like what you hear, and we think you have what we need, then it’s time to interview with your future team, either virtually or in the office. These interviews will give you a clear insight into the team and the day-to-day responsibilities of the role. Read our interview top tips.
Make your decision

If you’re successful, we’ll make you an offer and give you any further information you need to help you make your decision. If the answer is yes, it’s time for some background checks, and then we’ll welcome you on board. Learn more about our onboarding experience.