Photo Retoucher [AQ-25382]

Aquent; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Petco seeks a Senior Photo Editor to ensure quality and brand integrity across all product and lifestyle imagery. You will retouch and enhance high-resolution photographs, collaborate with studio teams, and manage color profiling for multiple media.

You will mentor junior editors and coordinate with outside vendors to maintain Petco’s visual standards. Ideal candidates bring 8+ years of experience, expert Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign knowledge, and advanced color science.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience in photo editing/retouching.
• High school diploma required; degree preferred in photography or graphic design.

Responsibilities

• Retouch and enhance high-resolution product and lifestyle images to Petco brand standards.
• Collaborate with Studio Manager and editors to set retouching and color-correction standards.
• Expert-level retouching in Photoshop to remove defects and enhance visual quality.
• Color-correct images to match product samples and brand guidelines.
• Mentor and train junior editors; oversee work of external vendors.

Skills

Photo editing

Color correction

Team mentorship

Workflow optimization

Adobe Photoshop

Education

High school diploma

Associate or Bachelor’s in photography/graphic design

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

Job description

Position Purpose

The purpose of this position is to ensure quality and integrity for all Petco and outside vendor images by retouching and enhancing all photographs to PETCO’s brand standard, proofing and communicating changes throughout editorial process directly with teams as well as managing color profiling for various mediums. The Senior Photo Editor ensures excellence in each image.

Essential Job Functions

• Incumbent must perform all the following duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Establish and document retouching techniques and color correction standards to match all Petco brand style guidelines and outside vendor specifications.
• Collaborate with Photography Manager to develop best practices for studio and location lighting, focal quality and postproduction workflow integration.
• Expert level retouching in Adobe Photoshop to enhance quality and remove defects on high-resolution digital files per Art Direction or established brand standards.
• Color‑correct all images to match product samples or enhance look to match standards outlined by Petco Studio, Marketing and Merchandising Teams.
• Maximize Studio capabilities by managing outside vendor resources and implementing quality assurance to ensure all images match Petco’s brand guidelines.
• Create realistic seamless composites of photographs and photo‑realistic 3D renderings from flat Adobe Illustrator packaging files for online and print usage.
• Incorporate Artificial Intelligence to increase creative output and task efficiency by creating rapid iterations and image enhancements in less time.
• Add realistic shadows and highlights to enhance photographic look per style guide, working in a Pantone‑certified color accurate editing workflow.
• Create transparent image cutouts, alpha channels for purposes of image compositing, and ensure visual consistency and quality of product images.
• Utilize Adobe Workfront for online proofing and job tracking system, generating and posting proofs, compiling feedback and tracking revision history to ensure accuracy.
• Work directly with the Studio Manager and Key Stakeholders during the proofing process to meet retouching expectations within timelines and deadlines.
• Perform custom requests on demand directly from Art Directors and Designers, bypassing need for additional traffic management, further increasing efficiency.
• Convert and optimize all images to correct resolution, color space and output medium.
• Sr Photo Editor Page 2 of 2
• Maintain digital asset management of all required naming conventions, indexing metadata and file versioning on internal archive server and online file sharing sites.
• Possess excellent organizational skills and a critical eye for detail, ensuring image resolution and color space are optimized for intended output channel.
• Research current photo trends, retouching techniques and AI software enhancements to increase Petco Studio’s capabilities and ensure they are on the cutting edge.
• Mentor and train junior editors to pave the way for a more capable and diverse postproduction department, increasing the Studio’s value to Petco and its partners.

Planning and Problem Solving

• The Senior Photo Editor collaborates with the Producer and/or Studio Manager to plan and prioritize the workload daily.
• This position makes decisions independently on how to approach the color correction or retouching of each individual image.
• This person will also work with others in determining the proper metadata fields when they are not appropriately called out.
• Additionally, they will ensure clarity with the manager on retouching instructions when unclear.

Impact

• The Senior Photo Editor assures that the images of products are an accurate and complementary depiction.
• They will also enhance lifestyle and beauty shots to appear in the best possible light and match brand standards of beautiful and aspirational imagery directly affecting brand perception, sales and engagement.
• Accurate meta-tagging ensures access and usage to the enterprise, and direct communication with cross‑functional teams ensures integrity of Petco’s brand look and voice.

Nature of Supervision

The Senior Photo Editor performs tasks/projects as assigned, independently and without direct supervision, and may have their work reviewed periodically by supervisors.

Supervisory Responsibility

• The Senior Photo Editor will review work of outside vendors and mentor junior Photo Editors.

Education/Experience

• A minimum of 8+ years of relevant experience.
• High school diploma required.
• Preferred associate’s or bachelor’s degree in photography or graphic design, or an additional 2+ years experience.
• Expert knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
• Advanced knowledge in color science and profiles.
• Illustrative skills for composting, lighting and shadow techniques.