Principal UI Designer

Location:

124 East 14th Street, Suite 1100 - New York, New York 10003

Location:

About the Role

As a Principal UI Designer, Consumer, you will be a senior creative leader within the Consumer Design group of the Experience & Design team, responsible for elevating the visual design excellence and brand expression across KeyBank's consumer-facing digital products and services.
 

You will craft sophisticated, accessible, and emotionally resonant visual experiences that connect with millions of consumers daily through our digital banking platforms. Your work will establish the visual language that defines how customers interact with KeyBank across web, mobile, and emerging channels.
 

You will lead initiatives that push the boundaries of visual design while maintaining consistency with our design system, mentor a team of UI designers, and collaborate closely with UX strategists to ensure that every pixel reflects our commitment to clarity, beauty, and customer delight.
 

This role requires a visionary visual designer who can balance creative excellence with systematic thinking, inspire teams through craft leadership, and drive visual innovation while respecting business constraints and technical feasibility.
 

Key Responsibilities

VISUAL STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

• Define and evolve the visual design strategy for consumer digital products, ensuring brand consistency and market differentiation

• Lead the creation of high-fidelity designs, interactive prototypes, and design specifications that set the standard for visual excellence

• Champion accessibility and inclusive design principles, ensuring our visual solutions work for all customers

• Drive innovation in motion design, micro-interactions, and visual storytelling that enhance user engagement

DESIGN SYSTEM & STANDARDS

• Partner with Design System Lead to evolve KeyBank's Design System, ensuring visual components, patterns, and guidelines needed in Consumer experiences are represented
• Contribute to and uphold visual design standards (including typography, color systems, iconography, and illustration principles) across the Consumer design team
• Assist in creating scalable design tokens and component libraries that enable efficient, consistent design across teams
• Partner with engineering to ensure pixel-perfect implementation of design system components

EXECUTION & CRAFT EXCELLENCE

• Lead the visual design of high-priority consumer initiatives from concept through launch

• Create compelling visual narratives through user interface design, data visualization, and information architecture

• Develop responsive design solutions that maintain visual integrity across devices and platforms

• Conduct visual design audits and competitive analyses to identify opportunities for differentiation

• Ensure all visual design work maintains the highest standards of craft, detail, and polish

COLLABORATION & INFLUENCE

• Partner closely with strategists, engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure visual design amplifies business and client impact

• Collaborate with brand, marketing, and content teams to ensure cohesive customer experiences

• Present design concepts and rationale to senior stakeholders, articulating the business value of visual design decisions

• Work with engineering teams to ensure technical feasibility while maintaining design integrity

• Facilitate design critiques and workshops that elevate the visual design discourse across the organization

MENTORSHIP & PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

• Mentor a team of UI designers, fostering excellence in visual craft and professional growth

• Lead the Consumer UI Design team, establishing best practices and advancing the discipline of visual design at KeyBank

• Contribute to the recruitment and development of design talent, building a world-class design organization

• Share knowledge through internal presentations, design documentation, and external thought leadership

QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of experience in UI/visual design, with at least 3 years in senior or lead roles

• Exceptional portfolio demonstrating mastery of visual design, typography, color theory, and composition

• Deep expertise in creating and maintaining design systems at scale

• Proven track record of shipping consumer-facing digital products with measurable impact

• Expert proficiency in Figma, with strong skills in prototyping and design handoff

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other visual design tools

• Strong understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

• Experience working in Agile environments with cross-functional teams

• Outstanding presentation and communication skills with ability to articulate design decisions

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Visual Communication, HCI, or equivalent experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in design or related field

• Experience in financial services or fintech industries

• Expertise in motion design and animation principles

• Experience with data visualization and complex information design

• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and inclusive design practices

• Experience leading geographically distributed design teams

This position is NOT eligible for employment visa sponsorship for non-U.S. citizens.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position is eligible to earn a base salary in the range of $79,000.00 - $146,000.00 annually. Placement within the pay range may differ based upon various factors, including but not limited to skills, experience and geographic location. Compensation for this role also includes eligibility for incentive compensation subject to individual and company performance.

This position is eligible to earn a base salary in the range of $130,000to $150,000 annually depending on location and job-related factors such as level of experience. Compensation for this role also includes eligibility for short-term incentive compensation and deferred incentive compensation subject to individual and company performance.

Please click here for a list of benefits for which this position is eligible.

Job Posting Expiration Date: 12/26/2025 KeyCorp is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to sustaining an inclusive culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, pregnancy, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Qualified individuals with disabilities or disabled veterans who are unable or limited in their ability to apply on this site may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [email protected].