Photo Art Director (Variable-Hour) - Baltimore, MD

Shape the look. Drive the vision. Elevate every frame.

If you have the vision to lead a live set, the instincts to direct talent, and the eye to deliver flawless retail imagery - we want you in our studio.

About Straub Collaborative

Straub Collaborative is a creative production studio specializing in e-commerce photography and visual content. We produce high-quality visual work while fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace environment.

About the Role

As a Photo Art Director, you will lead the creative direction on set - partnering with our Creative Director, clients, and production crews to conceptualize, design, and execute compelling visual solutions across seasonal PDP imagery, digital campaigns, and promotional content.

You will guide on-set talent and crew through fast-paced live photography, making real-time creative selects and running Capture One sessions to elevate every shot while meeting production goals. This role is equal parts high-level artistic vision, client collaboration, and operational discipline - ideal for an experienced creative leader who commands the set with confidence and thrives in a dynamic studio environment.

What You'll Do

Creative Strategy & Vision

• Partner with the Creative Director and retail clients to strategize, design, and direct creative solutions from original brief to delivery.
• Produce art layouts, visual concepts, storyboards, and style guides for photo and video content across visual communications media.
• Analyze market trends in retail, e-commerce, consumer behavior, and competitive landscapes to innovate visual approaches.
• Develop and implement presentation approaches, styles, and storytelling techniques to convey client narratives effectively.

On-Set & Production Leadership

• Lead production teams on set with minimal oversight, maintaining high team motivation and performance standards.
• Direct photography and video capture workflows, ensuring full alignment with established briefs and creative guidelines.
• Oversee multiple productions and pieces of business simultaneously, managing timelines and delegating tasks efficiently.
• Partner with operations staff and cross-departmental leadership to resolve roadblocks and improve production workflows.

Quality Control & Post-Production

• Establish and uphold creative department standards for production quality, productivity, and client service.
• Lead image curation by making final selects and providing detailed post-production and retouching notes.
• Review final imagery and video post-production assets to ensure strict adherence to style guides before delivery.
• Implement continuous quality improvement by evaluating, updating, and redesigning creative processes.

Client Engagement & Account Management

• Lead internal and client-facing presentations, communicating ideas clearly, decisively, and persuasively.
• Cultivate deep client relationships built on trust, industry knowledge, and an understanding of client business objectives.
• Parse client feedback constructively, incorporating valid revisions while professionally guiding creative boundaries.
• Align creative team priorities with business objectives and project budgets to deliver work on time and within scope

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, Video Production, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 8–10 years of experience developing visual concepts and creative strategies in retail/e-commerce, including 5+ years managing creative teams.
• Demonstrated experience directing on-set photography and video productions.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality art direction, commercial imagery, and visual storytelling.
• Deep knowledge of studio lighting, capture technologies, and digital/post-production workflows.
• Proficiency with design and presentation tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Keynote, PowerPoint).
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to perform effectively in fast-paced production environments.

Preferred

• Experience working directly with large retail/apparel client accounts.
• Experience building and maintaining production style guides and brand standards.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing trends and consumer visual engagement.

Physical Requirements

• Repetitive use of hands and fingers (i.e., keyboarding, data entry, sample tagging).
• Must be able to see and hear to gather and input information and respond to face-to-face and telephone inquiries.
• Ability to walk throughout a warehouse and active studio floor following internal safety guidelines.

Work Environment

• Fast-paced commercial photography and e-commerce studio environment.
• Work performed under active production lighting and shoot conditions.

Additional Requirements

• Candidates local to the Baltimore area are strongly preferred.
• Flexible schedule based on production needs.