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.