Staff Motion Designer - 3D

Own motion and 3D craft across Mercury’s biggest launches, brand moments, and UI experiences in an onsite role in New York.

Responsibilities

• Lead motion concepts for major product launches, campaigns, and brand moments, leveraging strong 3D capability for product visualization, environments, objects, and brand worlds
• Build 3D worlds, along with materials and textures, to create a distinct, recognizable look for Mercury’s largest moments
• Drive product storytelling through title design, typography, transitions, diagrams, and UI motion, turning complex products into clear visual narratives
• Define and evolve Mercury’s motion design system, covering typography principles, pacing, transitions, product UI, sound, and interaction, plus reusable behaviors and templates that do not feel templated
• Explore motion for interactive contexts and provide a point of view on how AI tooling can increase speed while maintaining craft quality
• Develop and promote AI-assisted workflows for motion and 3D, including generative pre-vis and storyboarding through texture, world, and asset generation, and share progress with the Brand Studio
• Assess new AI creative tools as they emerge and decide which tools fit the team pipeline versus those that compromise craft
• Collaborate with Design, Writing, Narrative, and Production from concept through delivery, serving as a key cross-functional partner for brand-critical moments
• Personally lead high-level 3D and motion craft while art-directing specialist animators, 3D artists, and studios when additional depth or scale is needed
• Raise Brand Studio motion craft through partnership, critique, and example by doing the work and setting the standard
• Maintain craft and coherence across every moving expression of the brand, from a 30-second launch film to UI micro-interactions

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional experience in motion design, with a portfolio showing mastery across 3D and 2D and conceptual thinking about how motion should move, feel, and unfold over time
• Advanced proficiency in Cinema 4D, Houdini, Blender, or similar 3D tools, including materials, texturing, lighting, and world-building
• Advanced proficiency in After Effects or similar 2D motion tools, including deep command of timing, easing, composition, and finishing detail
• Experience building and documenting motion systems or brand guidelines beyond one-off deliverables
• Ability to switch between high-craft brand moments and faster-moving product/UI and social work without sacrificing quality
• Track record art-directing or mentoring other designers, animators, or outside studios in a craft-first role led by example
• Fluency with AI tooling as part of a creative practice, with a clear understanding of where AI helps and where craft must lead
• Exposure to scripting or procedural workflows (expressions, Houdini VEX, Python) is a strong plus
• Strong communication skills to articulate concepts and creative decisions to internal teams, leadership, and external partners
• Natural leader who thrives in a highly collaborative environment where ideas drive progress

Technologies

• Cinema 4D
• Houdini
• Blender
• After Effects
• Houdini VEX
• Python

Benefits

• Base salary
• Equity (stock options/RSUs)
• Benefits

Total Rewards

• Total rewards include base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits
• Salary and equity ranges are highly competitive within the SaaS and fintech industry and updated regularly using reliable compensation survey data
• New hire offers are based on experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers
• Target new hire base salary ranges:
  • US employees in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area: $189,400 - $236,700 USD
  • US employees outside of New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area: $170,400 - $213,000 USD
  • Canadian employees (any location): $179,000 - $223,700 CAD