Design Lead Jobs in Illinois
Design Lead jobs in Illinois are in steady demand, concentrated in product, digital, and brand design across technology, advertising, financial services, and retail sectors, with openings at every level from junior design lead to senior creative director. Chicago anchors the market, drawing the bulk of hiring, while Schaumburg and Naperville support significant suburban demand from corporate headquarters and consultancies. Employers like McDonald's, Morningstar, and Publicis Groupe maintain deep design functions in Illinois and hire design leads on a recurring basis. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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What a Day Looks Like
You start your morning reviewing feedback from overnight production runs. A forming die is nearing end-of-life, and a new fixture concept you modeled last week is ready for peer review. By midday, you’re whiteboarding with production, quality, and fellow engineers to fine-tune a cost‑effective modification that will extend tool life and lift first‑pass yield. In the afternoon, you release updated CAD, finalize the BOM, and guide operators through the change control process before walking the floor to support a pilot launch. Along the way, junior engineers look to you for mentoring and practical coaching.
Your Impact
- Own the end-to-end design of precision tooling for manufacturing equipment, aligning with specifications, throughput goals, and industry standards.
- Research and introduce upgrades that boost quality, reliability, and efficiency across production lines.
- Partner with production, engineering, and QA to surface design constraints and resolve complex build and run issues.
- Champion inventive, cost-savvy tooling concepts that improve performance and extend service life.
- Administer the tool change control process and ensure adherence to internal protocols and relevant regulations.
- Provide expert hands-on troubleshooting during new product introductions and sustained manufacturing.
- Create and maintain detailed CAD models, drawings, and complete BOMs to support fabrication and assembly.
- Model 5S behaviors and maintain an orderly, safe, and audit-ready workspace.
- Uphold all safety, environmental, and quality procedures to mitigate risk and ensure consistent outcomes.
- Contribute to continuous improvement to reduce waste and strengthen process stability.
- Coach and train junior engineers and machine operators in design principles and diagnostic best practices.
- Take on additional related tasks as needed.
What You Bring
- Education: Bachelor’s degree.
- Experience: 4+ years in tooling design within a manufacturing environment.
- Deep expertise in tooling design and engineering fundamentals with a history of successful deployments.
- Demonstrated leadership and mentoring ability across technical teams.
Why MacLean‑Fogg
- 21 days of paid time off total: 10 vacation days plus 11 paid holidays.
- Four medical plan options via Blue Cross Blue Shield with 100% coverage for eligible preventive care.
- Dental and vision coverage.
- 401(k) with up to a 3.5% company match, full vesting after two years, and discretionary profit sharing.
- Health Savings Account contributions from the company up to $1,000 (individual) or $2,000 (family).
- Healthcare and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts.
- Four weeks paid parental leave following birth, adoption, or placement (eligibility rules apply).
- Company-paid life, AD&D, and short-term disability; optional long-term disability.
- Tuition reimbursement for qualifying degrees and continuing education.
- Spring Health Employee Assistance Program with mental health, legal, and financial resources.
- Four free therapy sessions annually for employees and each eligible family member.
- Free 24/7 virtual care through Teladoc.
- Virtual physical therapy via Hinge Health.
- On-demand access to earned wages through PayActiv.
- Wellness incentives, equipment rebates, charitable donation matching, and a new-vehicle rebate program.
- LinkedIn Learning plus MacLean‑Fogg leadership and professional development programs.
- Holiday turkeys and hams to share at home.
Benefits are subject to applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements.
About Us
MacLean‑Fogg is a fourth‑generation, privately held, family‑owned manufacturer with more than a century of history. We produce engineered components serving automotive and industrial customers and operate facilities across the United States. Our long-term ownership model supports sustained investment in people, manufacturing capability, customers, and the communities we call home. Core values guide us—integrity, people first, customer excellence, stewardship, continuous improvement, and lasting relationships.
Equal Employment Opportunity
MacLean-Fogg is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process may contact careers@macleanfogg.com.
See All 24 Design Lead Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Lead JobsDesign Lead Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Design Lead Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Technology & Software
- Banking & Financial Services
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design lead jobs across Illinois.
- Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end design ownership and team leadership experience
- Bachelor's degree in graphic design, interaction design, or a related visual discipline
- Proficiency in Figma, Sketch, or Adobe Creative Suite for design and prototyping work
- Experience managing and mentoring junior designers across project lifecycles
- Ability to present design rationale and influence decisions with cross-functional stakeholders
- Familiarity with agile product development workflows and design systems at scale
Design Lead Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a design lead in Illinois?
Becoming a design lead in Illinois follows a portfolio-driven path rather than a state licensing requirement, as the role carries no Illinois-specific credential or board registration. Most candidates build toward the title by earning a bachelor's degree in graphic design, UX, or a related field, then spending several years as a senior individual contributor at an Illinois employer before stepping into a lead role that includes team oversight and project ownership.
How much do design leads make in Illinois?
Design leads in Illinois earn a median of about $103,550 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $69,200 for the lowest 10% to over $172,050 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire design leads in Illinois?
Employers hiring design leads in Illinois right now include EFK Moen, CDM Smith, and Honeywell, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of corporate headquarters, digital agencies, and fintech companies in and around Chicago means design lead openings appear across a wide range of industries rather than clustering in a single sector.
Which Illinois cities have the most design lead jobs?
Chicago, Rosemont, and Illinois are the Illinois cities with the most design lead openings. Chicago dominates because it is home to the state's largest concentration of technology companies, advertising agencies, and corporate brand teams, while suburban hubs like Schaumburg and Naperville draw openings from major corporate campuses and consultancy offices that maintain dedicated in-house design functions.
Are there remote design lead jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than most fields, since design lead work is fundamentally screen-based and collaborative through digital tools. About 91% of design lead openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how broadly companies have accepted distributed design teams. The most fully remote positions tend to be at product companies and digital agencies, where design workflows are already built around asynchronous review and cloud-based design tools.
How can I get hired as a design lead in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing a senior designer role first and growing into a lead title, rather than applying for design lead positions directly. Large Illinois employers like Walgreens, United Airlines, and Discover Financial run rotational or associate design programs for early-career candidates, and staffing agencies with strong Chicago footprints regularly place contract designers who build the client exposure needed to move into a lead role. A strong portfolio of self-initiated or freelance projects demonstrating systems thinking is the credential that most consistently moves a candidate without formal lead experience past the initial screen.
Where can I find and apply to design lead jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to design lead jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly from the listings.
See All 24 Design Lead Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Lead Jobs