Photo Director

Totei; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

New York City-based office

Job summary

Totei is seeking a Photo Director to own original photography across the magazine, commissioning and art directing shoots, and building a bench of photographers to shape a distinctive visual voice from the start.

The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on production—managing budgets, rights, crews, and directing shoots for web, social, and print, in close collaboration with editors and design. Based in New York City.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in photo editing, direction, or visual editing with commissioning experience.
• Strong production chops: budgets, crews, and logistics for shoots of varying scale.
• Fluency in archival research, licensing, and rights negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Commission and art direct original photography across features, franchises, social, and print.
• Build and maintain a bench of photographers with diverse range and perspectives.
• Produce shoots end to end: crew, locations, permits, travel, call sheets, on-set direction.

Skills

Photo editing

Photo direction

Budget management

Rights negotiation

Editorial judgment

Photographer network

Job description

Totei is dedicated to expanding appreciation for craft in all its forms, inviting readers into a broader and more nuanced understanding of what it means to create. Through vivid written and visual storytelling, we go deep with the people shaping culture- artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, authors, photographers, and more to reveal the inspiration, process, rigor, and curiosity behind their practices. The spirit of exploration and discovery is central to everything we do.

The Role

Totei is seeking a Photo Director to own original photography across the magazine. Photography carries as much of a Totei story as the writing does, and this is a rare opportunity to join an early team and build a distinctive photographic voice from close to the start. You'll commission and art direct shoots, build a bench of photographers, and work story-by-story with editors and design from the assignment stage rather than after the copy is filed. The role is both strategic and hands-on: You'll set the visual bar while also producing shoots, negotiating rights, managing budget, and preparing images for web, social, and print.

Photo Responsibilities:

• Commission and art direct original photography across features, franchises, social, and print projects, from concept through final selects
• Build and maintain a bench of photographers with real range across genres, geographies, and levels of experience
• Produce shoots end to end—including crew, locations, permits, travel, call sheets, schedules, and on-set direction
• Work alongside design, web-dev, and editorial to anticipate a story's visual needs, and ideate/execute photo direction for an immersive UX experience
• Conduct photo research and archival sourcing, and manage licensing, rights, and usage terms
• Edit and sequence images for each story, working with design on how they run across web, social, and print
• Prepare and deliver photography for the first print issue and subsequent issues alongside our design partner
• Oversee the photo budget in collaboration with the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief
• Build and maintain the asset library, metadata, and rights records so images stay findable and reusable

Creative leadership:

• Work closely with the Editor-in-Chief on a cohesive photo and broader visual voice for Totei across platforms
• Oversee direction across all commissioned photo, including collaborations with photographers for photo essays or portfolios and contributing photo editor commissions
• Work alongside design to build a cohesive visual approach across interactive web features and their print counterparts
• Join stories at assignment, shaping the visual storytelling alongside the editorial team
• Set and hold standards for image quality, treatment, and consistency across everyone shooting for us
• Act as steward of the brand with photographers, agents, galleries, estates, and subjects

Qualifications

• 6+ years in photo editing, photo direction, or visual editing, including substantial experience commissioning original work
• A demonstrated commissioning record and an existing network of photographers across disciplines and perspectives
• Strong production chops—budgets, rights, crews, and logistics on shoots of varying scale
• Fluency with archival research, licensing, and rights negotiation
• Excellent editorial judgment and a confident, distinctive point of view on photography and culture
• Comfort producing for web, social, and print, and an understanding of how the same take serves each differently

Preferred qualifications

• Self-starter capable of taking initiative and managing multiple open shoots at once
• Print production experience, including press checks and working with a design partner
• Deep interest in immersive storytelling and arts journalism
• Enthusiasm for the mission and working in a collaborative environment
• Able to operate in a fast-moving environment, with flexibility around projects and deadlines as needed
• The ability to work out of our New York City-based office

Salary Range

$120,000-$145,000 commensurate with experience

Totei is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, national origin, protected veteran status, age, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law.