Motion Designer
Plaid
Design
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Jan 24, 2026
We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Washington D.C., London and Amsterdam.
We are the Brand Studio team within Plaid’s product organization. We partner across Product, Brand, and Marketing to support Plaid’s mission of building financial tools that make it easier for people and businesses to interact with their finances. We create live action videos, motion systems, animations, and assets that help communicate clarity, trust, and personality—whether someone is interacting with our products, encountering our brand, or engaging with our marketing. We believe video should be purposeful, scalable, and grounded in strong design fundamentals.
As a Motion Designer at Plaid, you will create high-quality motion work across product, brand, and marketing surfaces. You’ll collaborate closely with designers, marketers, and engineers to translate ideas and static designs into clear, engaging motion. You’ll balance craft with production efficiency, contributing motion that feels thoughtful, cohesive, and practical to implement. This role is ideal for someone who is motion-first and enjoys collaboration across teams.
Responsibilities
- Design and produce motion assets across product experiences, brand foundations, marketing campaigns, paid social, and organic channels
- Translate static designs and concepts into intentional, high-quality motion
- Collaborate cross-functionally with designers, marketers, engineers, and copywritersSupport production-heavy workflows, including batching, versioning, and managing high volumes of assets
- Create motion prototypes, animations, and documentation that support handoff and implementation
- Iterate quickly based on feedback, changing requirements, and evolving priorities
- Help raise the quality and consistency of motion across Plaid
Qualifications
- Strong portfolio demonstrating an exceptional eye for design, composition, layout, and motion craft (timing, easing, and curves)
- Ability to independently execute moderately complex motion projects from concept through delivery
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional partners, including designers, marketers, engineers, and copywriters
- Strong production experience, including technical execution, batching, managing volume, and light VFX
- Clear communication of motion intent and design rationale
- Proficiency in After Effects and Figma
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to receive feedback constructively and maintain momentum through iteration
Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!
Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations@plaid.com.
151200 - 208800 USD a year
The target base salary for this position ranges from $151,200/year to $208,800/year in Zone 1. The target base salary will vary based on the job's location.
Our geographic zones are as follows:
Zone 1 - New York City and San Francisco Bay Area
Zone 2 - Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C.
Zone 3 - Austin, Boston, Denver, Houston, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego
Zone 4 - Raleigh-Durham and all other US cities
The base salary range listed for this full-time position excludes commission (if applicable), equity and benefits. The pay range shown on each job posting is the minimum and maximum target for new-hire salaries. Actual pay may be higher or lower depending on factors like skills, experience, and relevant education or training.