Photo Retoucher [AQ-25382] — San Diego, CA

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.

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 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.