Freelance Photo Retouching Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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About the Role, Mission or Department Overview
Wirecutter is seeking a photo editor and operations coordinator to keep our Store- and editorial-focused photo pipeline running smoothly. You will ensure that photographers can focus on shooting and craft while our workflows, logistics, and day-to-day editing are handled with care and consistency.
In this role, you'll manage the operational side of our photography with an emphasis on the Store: scheduling, asset flow, file management, and repeatable workflows. You'll also serve as a photo editor for the Store and other editorial projects. You'll act as creative connective tissue across editorial, marketing, commerce, and product, making sure Store photo needs and timelines are aligned across teams and that visuals reflect Wirecutter's standards.
You'll work from our Long Island City studio and collaborate closely with Wirecutter's photo team, editors, designers, audience and marketing partners, and product colleagues.
This role is based in New York City and will require regular in-person work in our studio.
Responsibilities:
Coordinate logistics for Store and editorial shoots:

• Schedule Store and editorial shoots, manage calendars, and ensure photographers have the time and information they need to execute.
• Book freelance stylists, models, and other collaborators as needed, in partnership with creative leadership and operations.
• Manage studio time and resources so Store and editorial priorities are balanced and predictable.

Serve as photo editor for the Wirecutter Store and key editorial packages:

• Partner with editors and designers to select images, shape visual narratives, and maintain quality and consistency across Store PDPs, collections, and editorial features.
• Apply and help uphold Wirecutter's visual standards, making sure Store imagery reflects our reporting, testing, and brand voice.
• Provide clear feedback and guidance to photographers and collaborators on selects, crops, and retouching.

Own day-to-day post-production and asset management:

• Handle basic post-production for Store and editorial imagery, including editing, color, and light retouching.
• Ingest, organize, and file images so assets are tagged, searchable, and easy to reuse across Store, editorial, and off-platform surfaces.
• Manage asset delivery for cross-functional partners, ensuring the right files reach the right teams.

Partner with marketing, commerce, and product on asset needs:

• Work with marketing and commerce teams to understand campaign timelines, asset needs, and how Store visuals will be used across channels Align photo production plans with Store and editorial calendars so key moments have the visuals they need.
• Serve as a clear point of contact for Store-related photo questions.

Help codify and scale repeatable workflows:

• Document cross-team workflows (from brief to shoot to deployment) so non-editorial partners understand how to request, use, and find Store visuals.
• Create and maintain checklists, templates, and process documentation that make Store shoots more predictable and efficient.
• Identify bottlenecks in our photo operations and propose improvements that free up photographers to spend more time on creative work.
• Perform related work as assigned.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
• You will report to the Creative Director, NYT Wirecutter.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3-5 years of experience in photo editing, photo operations, or a related visuals role within an editorial, ecommerce, or media environment.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating shoots, managing photo workflows, or supporting a studio or visuals team.
• Photo-editing skills and an eye for visual storytelling, including experience selecting, sequencing, and refining images to support clear narratives and consistent standards.
• Proficiency with Photoshop, along with familiarity with asset management and file organization best practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Comfort working with multiple stakeholders and balancing competing priorities, with project-management and organizational skills.
• 3+ years of experience collaborating with cross-functional partners, such as editors, designers, marketing, commerce, and product teams. As well as an ability to communicate clearly and diplomatically across those groups.
• Familiarity with studio operations, including scheduling, basic equipment knowledge, and working with photographers and stylists.
• A deep interest in Wirecutter's mission and a commitment to upholding our standards for independence, rigor, and service journalism in all Store and editorial visuals.

This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.
REQ-020369
Additional Compensation and Benefits
For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.
For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.
The annual base pay range for this role is between:
$75,316.80-$85,316.80 USD
Candidate Use of GenAI Tools:
We're excited to learn more about you and your experience. To keep our hiring process as fair and authentic as possible, we ask that you submit your own work and not use GenAI tools to generate substantive content during the application and interview process.
If you're an engineering candidate, we'll let you know what specific GenAI tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.
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