AI Design Intern [Remote]

The Refinery is an award-winning entertainment advertising agency in Los Angeles, CA. We work with all of the major studios producing social, digital, and print creative campaigns for theatrical, television & streamer clients.

We are looking for candidates who embody our core values. Refiners are talented, kind, client-focused, ego-free, and passionate. While we operate virtually, we've built a culture rooted in connection and care, where people genuinely support one another. We work hard to make sure everyone feels like part of the team.

Enough about us, here's what we're looking for:

We are seeking an AI Design Intern who can commit to regular office hours (Monday - Friday PST), with the goal of joining the team full-time at the end of the internship. You are a sharp visual thinker who uses AI tools like a second language and who is equally comfortable pushing pixels in Photoshop. 

You should thrive where tools evolve weekly. If you test every new AI release, experiment daily, and push the creative edge, we want to talk. 

Responsibilities

• You will work directly with our AI Design lead and Art Directors on live projects
• Support hybrid workflows: cloud-based generative AI creation blended with manual post-production (compositing, masking, color grading, cleanup)
• Produce concepts, scrap, layouts, typography, and moodboards using a mix of AI and traditional design tools
• Translate images, text, and thumbnail sketches into polished digital comps; collaborate with sketch artists and art directors to refine visual direction
• Assist with inpainting, outpainting, and asset replacement while preserving lighting, depth of field, and texture integrity
• Leverage AI enhancement and upscaling engines to turn low-resolution generation concepts into high-resolution final assets
• Prototype multiple concept routes and visual treatments and support fast revision turnarounds
• Develop a critical eye for AI tells: deformed anatomy, floating artifacts, texture melting, lighting inconsistencies
• Support scaling of creative into varied aspect ratios and layout distributions without losing the core aesthetic
• Support the team in maintaining structural and compositional consistency across frames and variations

Requirements

• Familiarity with modern AI generation platforms and models (Higgsfield, Nano Banana Pro, Firefly) and iteration at speed
• Working knowledge of Photoshop (including layers, masking, basic compositing, Generative Fill)
• Interest in image enhancement and upscaling (Topaz Labs, Magnific, or similar)
• Design eye: AI is the tool, not the identity
• Fast learner, coachable and calm under tight deadlines
• Kind, collaborative, and open to feedback

Bonus:

• Basic Premiere or After Effects and video generation experience (Seedance, Kling, Omni)
• Blender or similar 3D software experience: basic block-outs, camera and lighting setups, depth maps to guide AI workflows

Portfolio note: we're looking for recent work (last 3 months) ideally made with the tools noted above. If you work with different tools, show us what you've got.

Salary Range

$20.00-$25.00/hr