Visual Editor

Job Description

Job Description

The Job

The Visuals Editor is a core member of Playboy’s art department, working directly with the Art Director to bring the brand vision to life across all channels and platforms — including (but not limited to) the print magazine, Playboy.com, social media, brand partnerships, and experiential activations. This is a hands-on, production-rooted creative role that spans photo shoot planning and logistics, on-set coordination, photography and illustration commissioning, visual research, and support for video and social video assignments.

The ideal candidate is a versatile creative professional with a strong visual eye and the organizational discipline to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, start-up environment. They may come from a production background, a creative agency, an editorial media brand, or an integrated marketing role — and bring a genuine passion for photography, illustration, and visual storytelling across both print and digital, still and motion contexts.

What You’ll Do — Core Responsibilities

The essential job duties below are specific to this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Creative Support & Art Direction

• Assist the Art Director in realizing Playboy’s visual identity across all platforms and channels, including the print magazine, Playboy.com, social media, brand partnerships, and experiential activations.
• Support the development and execution of visual concepts for editorial shoots, branded content, and platform-specific creative initiatives.
• Serve as a day-to-day creative resource within the art department, helping translate the Art Director’s vision into actionable production plans and polished visual deliverables.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of Playboy’s visual standards, brand guidelines, and aesthetic priorities, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.

Photo Shoot Production & Logistics

• Manage pre-production logistics for photo shoots — including location scouting, call sheets, equipment coordination, crew bookings, talent scheduling, and budget tracking.
• Occasionally serve as an on-set liaison between photographers, crews, stylists, hair and makeup artists, and talent, ensuring shoots run smoothly and stay aligned with the creative brief.
• Coordinate post-production logistics, including selects delivery, retouching direction, and final asset handoff to editorial and design teams.
• Track production timelines across multiple concurrent shoots and creative projects, keeping the Art Director informed of progress and any issues.

Photography & Illustration Commissioning

• Commission original or acquired photography for editorial, digital, and brand assignments — briefing photographers, negotiating fees, and managing deliverables from brief through final approval.
• Commission illustration and other design work, briefing illustrators and designers clearly and managing projects through delivery.
• Maintain and grow a diverse roster of photography, illustration, and design talent — actively identifying emerging voices and new creative collaborators aligned with Playboy’s visual aesthetic.
• Build and nurture ongoing relationships with photographers, illustrators, agents, and creative representatives.

Photo Research & Visual Development

• Conduct photo research for editorial features, digital stories, and brand initiatives — sourcing archival, stock, and original imagery as needed.
• Research illustration styles and visual references to support concept development, pitch presentations, and creative briefs.
• Curate and maintain visual reference libraries, mood boards, and asset archives for ongoing and upcoming projects.

Video & Director Relations

• Maintain familiarity with the director and director of photography (DP) landscape relevant to Playboy’s video needs, including YouTube original content, social video, and brand partnership productions.
• Support the Art Director in briefing and coordinating with video directors and DPs for video assignments across platforms.

• Assist with pre-production planning and on-set creative oversight for video shoots as needed, in collaboration with the Video Producer/Editor and Director of Audience Strategy.
• Stay current on emerging video and social video formats, aesthetics, and production trends relevant to the Playboy brand and its audience.

Cross-Platform Visual Execution

• Support visual execution across Playboy.com, social media platforms, brand partnerships, and experiential activations, ensuring consistency of aesthetic and brand standards across all touchpoints.
• Collaborate with social and editorial teams to adapt and package visual assets for platform-specific formats and distribution requirements.
• Assist with creative oversight for branded content and partnership activations as directed by the Art Director.

Key Performance Indicators

• Production Delivery: On-time, on-budget execution of all assigned shoots and visual production projects.
• Commissioning Quality: Quality and on-brief delivery of commissioned photography, illustration, and design work.
• Creative Standard: Consistency and quality of visual output across all platforms, as assessed by the Art Director.
• Operational Efficiency: Organization and reliability of production logistics, vendor coordination, and timeline management.
• Talent Network: Growth and diversity of commissioned talent relationships and creative collaborator roster.

What You’ll Bring — Qualifications and Skills

Skills / Abilities / Competencies

• A strong, developed visual eye — able to identify, evaluate, and champion photography, illustration, and design that reflects the Playboy aesthetic.
• Hands-on production experience, including shoot planning, logistics management, and on-set coordination across a range of formats and contexts.

• Experience commissioning original photography and illustration — from creative briefs and budget through final delivery and approval.
• Proven ability to conduct photo and illustration research, source licensed and archival imagery and develop visual references for creative projects.
• Familiarity with the director and DP landscape for social video and digital video assignments.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment without sacrificing quality or attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills — able to work collaboratively with photographers, crews, talent, and internal creative and editorial teams.
• Comfort working across editorial, brand, and social contexts with equal fluency and creative investment.
• Familiarity with video and social video formats, creative standards, and production considerations is a strong plus.
• Experience in a production house, creative agency, editorial media brand, or integrated marketing environment.

Education & Experience

• 4+ years of experience in visual production, photo editing, creative production, art department support, or a closely related role.