Sr. Manager, Creative (Art Director) - Pottery Barn

Williams-Sonoma•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Housed within Pottery Barn’s Creative department, the Photo Direction team translates the brand’s creative vision into compelling photography and videography that inspires our customers to decorate, entertain, and live beautifully in a home that reflects their individual style. Supporting Pottery Barn’s omni-channel business, the team concepts, develops and executes the photographic vision for each season, creating beautiful, distinctive and consistently on-brand imagery across digital, social, print, marketing, advertising and in-store channels. We foster a highly collaborative, creative and positive environment and partner closely across Creative, Product Development, Merchandising, E-Commerce, Video and Social Media. The Art Director, Category Photography is responsible for translating Pottery Barn’s seasonal creative vision into compelling photography and visual content at the product category level. Working within the creative direction established by Creative leadership, you will own the style guide and photographic expression of specific product categories on potterybarn.com. You will develop visual concepts and bring them to life through set design, styling, composition, lighting, camera direction and on-set art direction. You are a highly visual storyteller with a sophisticated eye and a passion for home décor, interiors and photography. You understand how the details of a room, the placement of a product, the quality of light and the framing of an image come together to tell a larger brand story. You will collaborate closely with a combination of both in-house and freelance creatives: photographers, stylists, producers, set builders, digital technicians and cross-functional partners throughout pre-production, photography and post-production to create assets supporting Pottery Barn's website, email, and other marketing channels. You will report to Creative leadership within the Photo Direction team.

Requirements

Undergraduate or graduate degree in a visual or creative discipline such as advertising, interior design, interior architecture, graphic design, fine art or photography.
Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in Art Direction, Associate Art Direction or related creative roles such as Content Creation or Stylist.
Significant photography and/or styling direction experience within retail home furnishings, lifestyle editorial, advertising or another visually sophisticated consumer brand.
Strong experience directing photographers, stylists, producers, digital artists, set builders and other creative partners.
Demonstrated ability to design compelling photographic sets, rooms and environments with a strong home furnishings and interiors point of view.
Proven ability to translate established brand and seasonal concepts into consistent, compelling photographic assets.
Exceptional visual judgment and a highly developed sense of taste, style, proportion, composition and detail.
Strong understanding of lighting, camera angles, composition, styling and the elements required to create successful lifestyle and product photography.
Ability to communicate visual ideas clearly and provide decisive, constructive art direction.
Highly collaborative and comfortable partnering with Merchandising, Product Development, E-Commerce, Video, Social Media and other cross-functional teams.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, exercise initiative and solve problems with flexibility and resourcefulness in a fast-paced creative environment.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple shoots, deliverables and timelines simultaneously.
Proven technological proficiency within a digital-first creative environment, including Adobe Creative Suite.
Knowledge of the home furnishings and décor industry and awareness of current and emerging trends in interiors, design, photography and culture.
Strong eye, exceptional taste and a passion for creating beautiful imagery, combined with hands-on creative skills and a collaborative approach.

Nice To Haves

Ability to lead a team through daily high-output asset creation, while also maintaining brand standards.

Responsibilities

Oversee style guides for specific product categories, reflecting market and competitor studies, decorating ideas, styling inspiration, camera angles, lighting, set concepts, and overall look and feel for asset deliverables.
Own the visual direction and execution for product photography for a defined set of product categories.
Seasonally review product SKUs by category and plan optimal imagery achievement through traditional photography, AI, or retouching.
Manage the list of SKUs by category throughout the seasonal production timeline, ensuring all assets are accounted for, executed, and launched on time.
Propose the image carousel for each product SKU within owned categories, reviewing and refining prior to launch.
Follow up on adjustments with the production team to ensure standards are adhered to.
Review older assets by category and identify opportunities for improvement.
Attend seasonal concept showroom walk-throughs and Product Development meetings to understand creative direction, product stories, and priorities.
Translate approved seasonal and campaign direction into actionable photographic concepts and visual storytelling.
Present creative concepts and briefs by category to Creative leadership for review and approval.
Collaborate with Merchandising during pre-production to ensure alignment between creative vision, product priorities, and representation.
Participate in photo planning with Creative leadership, including discussions around photographer and stylist selection, timing, workflow, and production requirements, determining which assets will be created with AI.
Partner with the AI Creative Manager to ensure efficient asset creation through AI and traditional photography.
Design photographic sets by product category that reflect approved creative direction, tie back to location shoots, and maintain a strong Pottery Barn point of view.
Review set concepts with Creative leadership, incorporate feedback, and communicate approved direction to the set-building team.
Initiate and lead photo pre-production meetings with stylists and producers to communicate the visual concept and creative expectations.
Coordinate product and prop pairings that stay true to seasonal merchandising themes.
Partner with Photo Producers to develop detailed shot lists and ensure daily, weekly, and seasonal asset requirements are delivered on schedule.
Partner with Pagination and Creative teams prior to photography to ensure planned imagery supports digital layouts, storytelling needs, and required asset quantities.
Lead on-set art direction for assigned shoots, guiding lighting, lens choice, camera angle, composition, mood, tone, styling, interior design, and other elements.
Make decisive creative choices on set while maintaining approved creative direction and meeting production schedules.
Establish positive and productive working relationships with photographers, stylists, producers, digital technicians, assistants, merchandise coordinators, set builders, and studio teams.
Partner with Creative leadership and the Social and Video teams to support video content produced in conjunction with still photography.
Collaborate with digital technicians during photography to review imagery in real time and ensure assets meet the creative brief and brand standards.
Review and select imagery for internal stakeholder and executive review, ensuring assets are presented and shared in final and intended crops.
Provide detailed post-production direction on color accuracy, retouching, mood, background selection, cropping, and layout.
Partner with Digital Tech and Production teams to move assets efficiently through post-production and meet agreed-upon timelines.
Identify creative or production challenges and proactively develop solutions in partnership with Creative leadership, Director of Photo Production, and cross-functional teams.
Create detailed daily shot lists.

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