Senior Photo Editor: Elite Retouching & Color Mastery

Aquent (United States); San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Petco is seeking a Senior Photo Editor to ensure brand-consistent retouching and image quality across all product photography and online assets. You will define techniques, manage color profiling, and collaborate with editorial teams to meet brand guidelines.

You will mentor junior editors, oversee outside vendors, and push for continuous improvement in postproduction workflows using Adobe Creative Suite and AI-assisted tools. This role is based in San Diego and reports to the Studio Manager.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8+ years of relevant experience.
• High school diploma required; an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in photography or graphic design preferred.
• Expert knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
• Advanced knowledge in color science and profiles.
• Illustrative skills for compositing, lighting and shadow techniques.
• Experience training and mentoring others in retouching techniques.

Responsibilities

• Establish and document retouching techniques and color correction standards.
• Collaborate with Photography Manager to develop best practices for studio and location lighting, focal quality and postproduction workflow.
• Perform expert-level retouching in Photoshop to enhance quality and remove defects.
• Color-correct images to match product samples and brand standards.
• Mentor and train junior editors and supervise outside vendors.

Skills

Retouching techniques

Color correction

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Color science & profiles

Mentoring

Organizational skills

AI-assisted editing

Education

High school diploma

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in photography or graphic design

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Pantone color management

Job description

Petco is seeking a Senior Photo Editor to ensure brand-consistent retouching and image quality across all product photography and online assets. You will define techniques, manage color profiling, and collaborate with editorial teams to meet brand guidelines.

You will mentor junior editors, oversee outside vendors, and push for continuous improvement in postproduction workflows using Adobe Creative Suite and AI-assisted tools. This role is based in San Diego and reports to the Studio Manager.