Assistant Art Director CGI Temp - West Elm

Williams-Sonoma•New York, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This Photo–CGI–AI Assistant Art Director role helps drive the look, feel, and execution of our photo-realistic product CGI-AI assets and digital photography both in-studio and for CGI / AI workflows. Proper design and art direction, combined with the right content, drives customer engagement with the brand. Visual content created in this role directly translates business needs into compelling imagery that ultimately drives revenue. This position supports high-volume, Photo-AI-driven image production while also contributing to broader CGI, rendering, and digital photography initiatives. It requires a highly organized, process-oriented, and extremely detail-focused creative leader who thrives in structured workflows, moves quickly without sacrificing accuracy, and works confidently within defined brand and production standards. You will collaborate cross-functionally to translate creative direction into consistent, brand-aligned, photo-realistic imagery across ecommerce and digital channels. This includes structured prompt development, image refinement, interior scene direction, asset organization, quality assurance, and process optimization. The ideal candidate is agile, adaptable, and comfortable evolving workflows while maintaining exceptional quality standards. A strong understanding of architecture, interior design, photography, lighting, composition, decorating, visual branding, and emerging AI-driven creative tools is essential.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Art / Design
2–5+ years working in 3D photorealistic imaging; experience managing CG creative and/or production teams is a plus
Professional experience in photography, CGI design, rendering, or AI-generated imagery with a portfolio emphasizing interior design, home furnishings, and/or architecture
Strong understanding of photo art direction, CGI/rendering, and AI image creation
Experience in photorealistic rendering and digital image creation using CG software (AutoCAD, 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, etc.) and rendering tools (Vray, Octane, Corona, FStormRender) or AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, etc.)
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Keynote, Capture One; Airtable and file management systems knowledge a plus
Experience in model and material preparation for rendering and all pre- and post-rendering tasks
On-set photography and studio experience a plus (production planning, prop sourcing, lighting, post-production workflows)
Experience working with high-volume asset development and management
Demonstrated success developing and refining processes within an organization
Excellent people and project management skills
Strong organizational skills, time management, and ability to multitask and prioritize
Ability to balance creative excellence with business goals and ecommerce objectives
Strong understanding of what inspires customer purchase decisions and required visual information for ecommerce
Macro-to-micro thinking: able to understand big-picture digital strategy while executing daily creative tasks
Strong understanding of architecture, interiors, decorating, materials, lighting, and composition
High taste level, discerning eye, and advanced artistic sensibilities in interior design composition, lighting, texture, and color
Ability to work with urgency in a fast-paced, reactive environment
Process-oriented, solution-driven mindset with strong attention to detail
Agile and adaptable in an evolving content creation landscape
This role requires being onsite in the Dumbo Brooklyn office

Responsibilities

Provide art direction, interior design, and styling of room scenes for photorealistic photo, CGI/rendering, and AI image outputs (architecture; interior/exterior environments; materials; composition; lighting; propping; window scenes; crops; post-production; color temperature; retouching direction; etc.)
Translate art direction into structured AI prompts to produce consistent, on-brand imagery for high-volume single- and multi-SKU needs
Generate, review, refine, version, and QA AI, CGI, and photographic imagery with extreme attention to detail
Ensure assets are presented and shared in final and intended crops
Maintain full ownership and responsibility for assets produced on-set and digitally, contributing to end-to-end planning, execution, and post-production
Coordinate prop and product pairings with Art Direction and Styling teams; edit, make shot direction calls, approve selects, oversee lighting and retouching notes
Provide feedback and direction during collaborative reviews, proofing, and QA processes
Ensure strict adherence to brand standards, style guides, and visual guidelines
Develop and maintain Photo / CGI / AI visual standards for lighting, composition, and room environments by product category
Support high-volume AI image production within structured workflows
Maintain highly organized file structures, naming conventions, tracking documents, and asset libraries
Build and contribute to Photo / CGI / AI libraries (models, materials, scenes, props) and optimize asset reuse strategies
Identify inconsistencies or production challenges and proactively recommend solutions
Refine Photo / CGI / AI pipeline workflows, tools, and processes
Support documentation and continuous improvement of processes as efficiencies and learnings are identified
Manage time effectively to meet high-volume production deadlines
Demonstrate strong attention to detail in final outputs
Collaborate with Creative Operations, Art Direction, Site & Photo Merchant partners, Post-Production, Product Design, and Digital Design teams
Communicate clearly cross-functionally to ensure assets are compelling, on-brand, on-deadline, and efficiently project-managed
Project manage delivery schedules and milestones for creative development, modeling/rendering, image outputs, and production timelines
Collaborate with product designers, photography, post-production, and merchant teams for asset approvals
Attend corporate creative meetings to maintain alignment with business goals and creative direction
Recruit, direct, and/or mentor third-party CGI/AI vendors and artists as needed
Proactively identify talent or resource gaps that may affect quality or delivery
Research and compile inspiration/references for Photo, CGI, Render, and AI creative planning
Research photography, styling, interiors, art/design trends, talent, vendors, and best-in-class partners
Stay current on emerging AI tools, creative technologies, and competitive landscape
Bring cost-effective creative ideas and solutions while supporting asset development and brand growth
Contribute to the development and maintenance of style guides, creative tools, and visual strategy
Demonstrate strong storytelling and narrative capability in visual execution

Benefits

A generous discount on all WSI brands
A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities
Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer
Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits
Tax-free commuter benefits
A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health
In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University
Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities
Resources for self-development
Advisor (Mentor) program
Career development workshops, learning programs, and speaker series