Motion Designer - The Heist
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Summary
Intermediate Motion Designer at The Heist, the motion design and post-production studio within agency Thinkingbox, based in Chicago (Mon–Thu in office). Day to day: designing and animating 2D/3D-leaning brand campaign, product, and experiential content, with a focus on type animation, UI motion, and styleframes using After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Adobe Creative Suite.
Who We Are
Hi! We’re The Heist, the motion design, live action, and post production studio within Thinkingbox, the Brief-to-Built agency.
We bring together directors, designers, animators, editors, and technologists to create work that moves. From brand films to broadcast spots to social campaigns and experiential content, our team blends craft and curiosity to push ideas further. Across our studios, collaboration is real, feedback is open, and culture matters. We take the work seriously. Ourselves, a little less so.
The Opportunity
We are looking for an Intermediate Motion Designer to join our growing team. You are a versatile motion generalist with strong foundations in both 2D and 3D (leaning 2D), however your superpower lies in thoughtful type, composition, and UI-driven storytelling. You bring curiosity, initiative, and craft to everything you touch, and love collaborating with other designers, animators, and creative leads to push ideas further. This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about high-end motion, visual identity systems, and polished UI animation across a range of mediums.
What You'll Be Doing
- Design and animate motion content across 2D and 3D (leaning 2D) workflows for brand campaigns, product stories, and experiential work
- Create elegant type-driven animation, transitions, and UI motion for digital experiences
- Develop design boards, style frames, and motion references that bring concepts to life
- Work closely with creative directors, art directors, and designers to deliver elevated visual systems and storytelling
- Contribute to pitch decks, mood boards, and visual directions for new projects
- Participate in reviews, share feedback with teammates, and help maintain a high craft bar
- Stay curious about emerging motion trends, tools, and techniques
What You'll Bring
- 3 to 5 years of motion design experience in a studio or agency environment
- Strong 2D and 3D (leaning 2D) design and animation skills; you can shift between both comfortably
- Demonstrated strength in type animation, UI motion, and clean composition
- Proficiency in After Effects, Cinema 4D (or similar), and Adobe Creative Suite; familiarity with Figma and Unreal is a bonus
- Confident in building styleframes, motion tests, and visual explorations
- Ability to take creative direction and collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams
- Strong attention to detail and a passion for thoughtful design craft
- A portfolio showcasing a range of motion work including 2D, 3D, UI, and type-led pieces
Bonus Points!
- Experience with Redshift or Octane
- Experience with Houdini or procedural workflows
- Knowledge of accessibility and UX best practices in motion
Additional Info
- Monday - Thursday in office (Fridays are remote optional)
- Flexible time off, including paid vacation and sick days
- Consistent culture and team-building events
- Employee recognition and incentive programs
- Seasonal celebrations and gatherings throughout the year
- Office lunches
- Branded company swag
- Access to industry events, learning opportunities, and non-profit outreaches
- Dog-friendly offices
- Unlimited coffee, drinks, and snacks
- Flex work and travel options
- Comprehensive extended health benefits
- 401k matching
Equal Opportunity
At The Heist, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive. We believe that diversity is our creative strength – it's the range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that fuels our best ideas and most innovative solutions. We welcome and encourage applicants of all races, ethnicities, genders, identities, abilities, ages, sexual orientations, and backgrounds to apply. Your voice matters here.
To Apply
Thank you for your interest in joining our team. Please submit your resume along with links to your online portfolio as part of your application (if applicable). Due to the volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to respond to every submission. However, all applications are kept in our talent database and will be considered for future opportunities.
Skills
As published by lever · 4 questions · 1 written answer
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website
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- Can you please share your salary expectations?
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- Are you legally eligible to work in the country where this role is based?
Written answers (1)
- Do you now, or will you in the future, require sponsorship for employment visa status? optional