Production Artist

Production ArtistLocation: Remote-first with occasional in-person collaboration in Norfolk, VA / Raleigh, NC. We're prioritizing candidates who live within ~90 miles of Norfolk (Hampton Roads and the surrounding region).Sway Creative Labs is looking for a meticulous, systems-minded Production Artist to carry campaign creative from approved concept to every file that ships.This role exists because volume is where campaigns break. A single integrated launch can mean dozens of display sizes, multiple video cutdowns, localized variants, print specs from four different vendors, and a set of social formats that all have to look intentional rather than resized. We want someone who treats that work as craft, builds systems so it scales, and catches the errors before a client does.If you think in components, tokens, and naming conventions, this is your role.This is hands-on, in-the-trenches work, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. It is also work that nobody is standing over. You will be handed a rollout and trusted to bring it back finished and correct. We are looking for someone hungry, self-sufficient, and interested in building a system rather than clearing a queue.What You'll OwnCampaign Production at ScaleBuild out full display advertising sets from approved master designs across all required sizes and platform specsAdapt campaign creative across channels: web, social, email, print, out-of-home, and video end framesProduce localized and market-specific variants while maintaining absolute consistency with the masterVersion, name, and archive files to convention so any team member can find the right asset without askingDesign Systems & TemplatesBuild and maintain reusable Figma component libraries, variables, and design tokens rather than one-off artboardsConvert existing hardcoded artifacts into true component-driven template systemsMaintain brand asset libraries and style documentation across our client rosterPartner with developers on handoff: specs, exports, redlines, and asset packaging that does not require follow-upPrint & Digital PrepProduce print-ready files across formats with full command of bleeds, trim, color spaces, imposition, and vendor specificationsPreflight and QA every file that leaves the building; you are the last set of eyesPrepare and optimize digital assets to spec, including file weight, format, and accessibility requirementsCreative SupportWork from Art Director and Creative Director direction with accuracy and speed, raising questions early rather than guessingContribute to concept development and offer better executions when you see oneProvide accurate time estimates for assignments and consistently meet themAI & Workflow AutomationUse AI-assisted tooling where it genuinely saves time: generative fill and extend, background removal, upscaling, retouching, rotoscoping, transcription and captioning, and batch operationsWrite prompts precisely enough to get usable output instead of something that needs to be redone by handHold the quality line. AI output that is close enough is not close enough; you are the person who decides what shipsBring new tools and techniques back to the team rather than keeping the shortcut to yourselfWhat We're Looking ForCore Qualifications2–4+ years of production design experience, agency setting strongly preferredDeep proficiency in Figma, specifically components, variants, auto-layout, and variables/tokensStrong command of Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesignThorough understanding of print production processes, specifications, and vendor requirementsSolid design fundamentals: typography, color theory, composition, and visual hierarchyExceptional attention to detail and a very low error rate on high-volume, detail-heavy workStrong organizational and file management disciplineHands-on experience with AI-assisted creative tooling and the ability to construct a specific, well-framed prompt. We are less interested in which tools you have used than in whether you instinctively reach for them and can tell good output from output that only looks good at a glanceAbility to handle multiple concurrent assignments and communicate proactively on capacityAdditional AssetsMotion and animation capability in After Effects, including templating and versioning video unitsWorking knowledge of HTML and CSS sufficient to communicate effectively with developersFamiliarity with version control concepts and shared source-of-truth workflowsExperience with retouching, photo compositing, or color correctionBackground on healthcare, tourism, food/beverage, legal, or CPG accountsWhat Success Looks LikeBy the end of your first year, campaign rollouts will stop being a bottleneck. The systems you build will let the next campaign be produced faster than the last one. Art Directors will design knowing you will translate their intent correctly at every size, and producers will stop building QA buffers into schedules for work you touch.Where This GoesProduction artist is a starting point here, not a terminal title. Depending on where your strengths land, the path forward runs toward Designer and Art Director, toward motion and video, or toward owning our design systems and production infrastructure outright. We will tell you honestly which one we think you are built for, and we will give you the work that gets you there.Why Sway Creative LabsSway is an independent agency where craft is noticed. Production artists here are not siloed at the end of the process. You will sit close to the creative team, have visibility into why the work is what it is, and have a real path toward design and art direction if that is where you want to go. We are also actively rebuilding our template and component systems, so you will have the chance to shape how the agency produces work rather than inherit someone else's structure.What We OfferHealth Plan: Three Optima Health Plan options; Sway covers 80% of employee premiums and 50% of dependent premiumsDental Insurance: Sway pays 100% of employee's United Concordia Dental Plan401(k): 1:1 match on the first 3% of pay; 50% match on the following 2%15 Paid Vacation Days, resetting at your start date with up to a 5-day negative balance available17 Paid Holidays, including your birthday, the Monday after the Super Bowl, Juneteenth, and the full week between Christmas Eve and New Year's DayTwo-Hour Windows: Leave windows at the start (9–11am) and end (3–5pm) of the workday for personal appointments, not counted against PTORemote Work Affordance: 100% remote with occasional pre-scheduled in-person meetings and on-set requirementsYear-end performance bonus eligibility; additional bonuses available based on individual and company performanceUpskilling: 100% reimbursement for at least one approved course, workshop, or conference annuallySalary: $50,000 – $62,000