Manager, CGI Art Director - Pottery Barn

Williams-Sonoma•San Francisco, CA

4h•$110,000 - $120,000

About The Position

The Manager, CGI Art Director role helps drive the look, feel, and execution of our photo-realistic product CGI assets in partnership with our digital photography in-studio. Proper design and art direction combined with the right content drives customer engagement with the brand. Visual content created from this role directly translates the brands business needs, ultimately driving revenue for the business.

Requirements

You'll need a strong understanding of photo art direction, CGI / rendering, and the ability to lead a team for product photography needs on our website and digital platforms. You have a passion for design, interiors, art, and fashion with a high taste level, discerning eye, and ability to edit. Key attributes include a love for collaboration, strong communication skills, and a sense of ownership and urgency in delivering quality in all projects. To succeed here, you'll also have a flexible personality to thrive in the fast-paced, reactive environment. Adept and agile in an evolving landscape of content creation.
What inspires a customer to purchase, and what visual information does a consumer need to buy? You understand the intersection of e-commerce, marketing, business, and product design, with a customer-first lens on what is required to sell a product
Macro-to-micro vision – the ability to think big picture and understand goals for the overall Digital and E-commerce experience while contributing to the day-to-day execution of the overall creative direction
Can balance creative with business goals and work cross-functionally while maintaining quality and consistency across photography and renders
Experience with research for inspiration, interior design, finishes, and set design and experience with interior finishes required to execute pre-production needs and on-set creative direction
Bachelor's degree in art/design
3-5+ years working on 3D photorealistic imaging; experience managing a CG creative and production team is a plus; CGI experience required
Previous professional work experience in photography or CGI design or rendering with a portfolio emphasizing interior design, home furnishings, and architecture
Experience in and familiarity with photorealistic rendering using CG software: Autocad, 3DS Max, Maya, and related software rendering tools (Vray, Octane, Corona, FStormRender)
Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite & Keynote, CaptureOne, Airtable, & file management systems knowledge a plus
Ability to understand Pottery Barn photography standards and ideas for how to bring those to life in photorealistic renderings
Portfolio showing advanced artistic sensibilities in interior design composition and furniture, with lighting, texture, color, and styling
Demonstrated success with developing new processes within an organization
Excellent people and management skills to interact with colleagues, cross-functional teams, and third parties
Ability to recruit, direct, and mentor third-party CG vendors and artists and proactively recognize resource/talent gaps that will affect quality and delivery
Attention to detail in final assets
Experience in model and material preparation for rendering, as well as all pre- and post-rendering tasks
Experience on-set and in photo studios a plus – understanding of production & pre-production, shoot planning, prop sourcing & procurement, photography, lighting, and post-production
Strong storytelling/narrative capability
A passion for inspiring others to express their style, helping people find their point of view and tell their story at home, along with excitement about the opportunity to make great things happen for the customer and our brand
Strong organizational skills, time management, communication, interpersonal skills, and ability to multi-task
Ability to prioritize and problem solve, works with a sense of urgency, process and solution-oriented
Demonstrates professionalism, maturity, self-awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence while understanding business goals
Entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, creativity, and sense of purpose
Highly collaborative and flexible with a mantra of giving and helping others, a willingness to dig in, contribute, and lead
Ability to appreciate, inspire, and be inspired by other
Drive for personal challenge and growth

Nice To Haves

Experience working with high-volume asset development and management a plus

Responsibilities

Art Direct with a solid grasp of Pottery Barn’s brand aesthetic. Collaborates with VP and SVP Creative and Photo Art Directions teams, Digital and Photo Merchant partners, Post-Production team, and Product and Digital Design teams to deliver the best photorealistic for our e-commerce & digital channels and support key product initiatives for each season. Collaborate and communicate cross-functionally to ensure concepts, brand vision, and assets are compelling & on brand.
Provide art direction, interior design, and styling of room scenes for photorealistic rendering (architecture and interior plan, materials, composition, lighting, propping, window scenes, post-rendering effects, crops, etc.)
Provide feedback and direction on collaborative reviews, proofing, and quality assurance (QA) with cross-functional teams
Plan delivery schedules and milestones for creative development, modeling, and rendering teams
Collaborate with product designers, photography, post-production, and merchant teams for final asset approvals
Ensure assets are presented and shared in final and intended crops
Develop CG visual standards and room environments for lighting, composition by product category and scene(s)
Build a CGI library (models, materials, scenes, props) and create optimized strategies for CGI asset reuse
Research and evaluate best-in-class partners and asset standards to bring to Pottery Barn
Refine the CGI pipeline workflow, tools, and processes.
Attend corporate, creative meetings – maintain an understanding of business goals & creative direction
Research & compile inspiration/references for render planning
Research photography, styling, interior, art & design trends, talent & vendors
Stay up to date on current best practices, creative references & competitive landscape to maximize creative output & efficiencies
Maintain a complete understanding of style guides, shot lists, shot direction, product assortment, & scheduling
Support in the development & maintenance of style guides, creative tools, & strategy
Bring cost effective creative ideas & solutions to the table while supporting asset development & creative
At times may require art direction with on-set photography. Collaborate & clearly communicate with Stylists, Photographers & Set team ensuring concepts, sets, lighting, styling & execution of assets are on brand & efficiently produced maintaining quality & consistency across all photography

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