Vice President of Photography & Brand Storytelling - Multiple Teams

About the Team

You will lead the Photography and Production teams at Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, and Dormify.  You will work in our brand headquarters in San Francisco, CA, our photo studios in Richmond, CA and on location for photography. Our teams translate business and product objectives into marketing stories, develop the photographic vision to execute each season, produce photography with artistry and creativity aligned to brand standards, manage the studios with efficiency and productivity, and adhere to creative timelines and budgets.  We are a fast-paced, dynamic, diverse, and highly creative team that works together to deliver outstanding and industry-leading brand assets for use across many forms of media including digital, social, video, and print.

About the Role

The Vice President of Photography & Brand Storytelling, will establish the creative vision and manage execution of all photography for the Pottery Barn children’s brands.  The VP will manage the photo and production teams, including art directors, stylists, photographers, merchandise coordinators, and technicians across multiple lifestyle and digital studios.  You will own the seasonal “pagination” process for each brand while collaborating closely with merchants and marketing teams to deliver business needs in tandem with a fresh, innovative, and brand-right creative vision.  You are responsible for on-time and on-budget delivery of all assets and for developing high-performing teams.

This role sees the big picture and is also responsible for executing the details. You are a sophisticated visual storyteller with a strong point of view on interiors, decorating, photography, styling and culture—and understand where the Pottery Barn children’s brands sit in that intersection as premium brands.

You also understand how to translate product and brand ideas into imagery that creates emotion, communicates a clear point of view and ultimately builds desire for the Pottery Barn children’s brands. You have the ability to create compelling individual images while simultaneously knowing how to create cohesive images that form a campaign.  You understand functional styling for how children and teens live, balancing reality with inspirational spaces.

Responsibilities:

Creative Direction  

• Conceptualize and plan for all seasonal photography needs.
• Guide Art Directors in developing decorating concepts, styling direction, camera approaches, lighting, set design and other visual elements that bring the approved creative direction to life.
• Provide senior-level creative direction during key photography and video shoots, guiding mood, tone, composition, lighting, styling and overall visual execution.
• Hire and oversee photography teams. 
• Prepare and present proposal for seasonal creative execution plans for all content, inclusive of location and set plans and comprehensive shot lists.
• Stay on top of architectural trends in home design in order to position the Pottery Barn children’s brands as an authoritative interior design resource and source of inspiration.
• Inspire and motivate direct reports for career path growth and support the department to allow for the finest creative solutions that time and budget allow.
• Assist in the organization and evolution of creative processes to ensure visual consistencies are met and teams are working efficiently and effectively.
• Develop and oversee product style guides as it relates to photography, content and product messaging.
• Be aware of trends in AI photography and develop teams to use new workstreams to unlock efficiency and scale.
• Partner with fellow WSI brands on best practices and pool resources when possible.
• Lead by example and set a standard of faster-paced, efficient workflows where teams execute with creativity balanced by urgency.

Photo Production

• Responsible for the oversight of the Photo Production Team and its deliverables. 
• Photo bookings, talent recommendations and recruiting new photographers and stylists.
• Negotiate contracts and onboard new photographers and stylists as needed.
• Maintain a range of talent at the low, mid and high end so that we can balance the budget and support large initiatives with seasoned talent and smaller initiatives with up-and-coming talent.
• Ensure photo calendar is mapped out seasonally to best support the creative needs pairing the right content with the right team.
• Track and schedule all photo assets and identify overages as well as appropriately allocate time based on projected volumes and business initiatives.
• Partner with local interior design and architecture firms and build relationships in order to utilize upcoming new home builds for photoshoots.
• Scout new locations that we source ourselves from local interior design firms, from location scouts, neighborhood canvasing and social media leads.
• Maintain a location database with our photo production team so that we have accurate records of locations we have shot in and/or would like to shoot in.
• Work proactively prior to each seasonal photo shoot with merchant team, producers and Merchandise Coordinators to ensure all seasonal props and studios are edited and organized for creative teams.

Budget

• Responsible for building and managing the creative budget and month end forecast process. Stay on budget seasonally and annually; reforecast as needed based on adjustments to photo schedule.
• Work with photo manager and production coordinator in reviewing and approving all creative invoices each season.
• Accurately plan the seasonal photo schedule to support the budget. Provide guidance when we are over scheduled and partner with leadership to align on solutions to resolve either by cutting some shot requests and/or adding more budget.
• Standardize and document processes and procedures on set for both Producers and Merch Coordinators. Bring more professional acumen to the roles of Producers and Merch Coordinators.
• Suggest and troubleshoot schedule changes based on sample ETAs, and any unexpected issues that might arise pre-season and throughout the seasonal photo shoot. 
• Seek new ways to work, unlocking efficiency and budget savings.  Question the status quo.

Seasonal Storytelling, Marketing Messaging, and Pagination

• Translate seasonal product and brand direction into a clear creative vision that establishes the overall mood, storytelling approach, visual language, and photographic point of view.
• Own the seasonal “pagination” process to set photographic vision for all products and marketing campaigns.
• Partner with merch team, product development, e-commerce, and marketing departments to foster a collaborative environment to help deliver and achieve business goals. 
• Maintain a comprehensive awareness of upcoming projects, product launches, and campaigns. 
• Wireframe and map out content stories across print, site, email, social ensuring shot list accurately captures all needs to support the end use and ability to tell the story. Review content once captured to ensure everything was captured. 
• Oversee asset organization and PDFs for shareout cross-functionally. Provide feedback to production team as needed to accurately build the asset PDFs prior to shareout. Present assets to Brand President for approval.  Troubleshoot change requests as needed.

Requirements:

• 15+ years’ progressive creative leadership experience within photography, art direction, styling, editorial, advertising or related visual disciplines. 
• Deep experience within home furnishings, lifestyle, interiors, retail, editorial or a similarly design-driven industry strongly preferred. 
• Undergraduate or graduate degree in a visual or creative discipline such as advertising, interior design, interior architecture, graphic design, fine art or photography. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate an overarching creative vision and translate brand-level concepts into compelling visual storytelling.
• Exceptional visual judgment with a sophisticated understanding of interiors, decorating, styling, composition, photography, color and design.
• Proven ability to lead, inspire and develop Art Directors and multidisciplinary creative teams.
• Experience directing photographers, stylists, producers, digital artists, set builders and other creative partners.
• Strong conceptual thinker who can move fluidly between high-level creative strategy and detailed visual execution.
• Ability to articulate creative ideas clearly and persuasively to creative teams, cross-functional partners and senior executives.
• Highly collaborative, with demonstrated success partnering across Product Development, Merchandising, E-Commerce, Social, Video and other functions.
• Resourceful and solutions-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple creative initiatives and changing priorities while maintaining a consistently high visual standard.
• Strong understanding of the home furnishings and décor landscape with knowledge of current and emerging trends in interiors, photography, design and culture.
• Proven proficiency working within a digital-first creative environment, including familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and contemporary creative workflows.
• Above all, you bring exceptional taste, strong creative instincts and a clear point of view, paired with the leadership skills to inspire others and translate Pottery Barn's children’s brands vision into imagery that feels relevant, beautiful and unmistakably Pottery Barn.
• Current with AI trends, embrace AI as a new medium for efficiency and scale
• Requires use of personal transportation
• Ability to perform work onsite in the San Francisco and Richmond Offices and on location

People First 
Putting People First means investing in overall well-being and opportunities to grow and advance within the organization. Depending on the position and location, here are a few highlights of what benefits may be available: 
 
Benefits 
- A generous discount on all WSI brands 
- A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities 
- Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer 
- Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits 
- Tax-free commuter benefits 
- A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health 
 
Continued Learning 
- In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University 
- Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities 
- Resources for self-development 
- Advisor (Mentor) program 
- Career development workshops, learning programs, and speaker series

Benefits

• A generous discount on all WSI brands
• A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities
• Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer
• Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits
• Tax-free commuter benefits
• A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health

Continued Learning

• In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University
• Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities 
• Resources for self-development
• Advisor (Mentor) program
• Career development workshops, learning programs, and speaker series  

WSI will not now or in the future commence an immigration case or "sponsor" an individual for this position (for example, H-1B or other employment-based immigration).

This role is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, or other applicable state or local laws and ordinances.

The expected starting pay range for this position is $225,000 - $250,000. Applicable pay ranges may differ across markets. Actual pay will be determined based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. In addition to competitive pay, compensation may include a variety of other components like benefits, paid time off, merit, and bonus opportunities.