Senior Retoucher - 12 month fixed term contract

Estee Lauder Companies, UK & Ireland are looking for a talented Senior Retoucher to join their in-house Creative Team, producing video content across the ELC portfolio of brands. The in-house video and photography studio at ELC Studios produces exceptional 360 campaign visuals for the UK market, and on occasion, global lead campaigns. Coming on board at a senior level, you will be leading the ELC Studios Retouching team in establishing priorities and determining resource allocation for efficient and effective delivery of all projects.

Working closely with a team of highly talented Producers, Art Directors, Photographers, Videographers and Post-Production teams to deliver extraordinary creative output of the highest quality. It requires a strong leader having an exceptional image editing skillset, ideally with strong AI production skills. It requires someone with a positive team culture focus including mentoring, supporting, and motivating the Retouching team.

Core Responsibilities

• Managing and mentoring a team of full time and freelance Retouchers to deliver best in class stills image content within deadline and to the highest standard ensuring targets are achieved effectively.
• Responsible for supporting the Art Directors in order to push the creative and delivering on brand quality through a strong understanding of ELC brands.
• Support in elevating Estée Lauder as a digital leader with innovative creative executions.
• Ability to edit and retouch high end photography, including products and models by producing quality driven image manipulation, underpinned by technical expertise of digital photography, lighting, composition, colour and image processing.
• As a Senior Retoucher you will be working across both print and digital formats to create high quality, push boundaries and innovations in order to stay ahead of the curve.
• Concept and create AI imagery for digital and social campaigns across all platforms including digital, mobile, social, out-of-home and in-store to create multi-channel content.
• Collaborate with the Senior Producer & Senior Photographer to define and streamline processes ensuring your team meets deadlines at all times.
• Working closely to support the Senior Photographer in delivering their creative vision.
• Develop and maintain a strong relationship with all stakeholders to ensure the process flow is efficient and productive.
• Ability to edit footage using Adobe Photoshop and knowledge of ChatGPT image, Google Imagen, Midjourney and other AI generator models would be a bonus.
• Research new editing techniques and ways to improve current processes, work closely with Video Team to discuss ideas and support each other.
• Experience in skin retouching and high-end image effects with confidence in skin smoothing, layer masking, cloning, dodging and burning and liquifying and colour correcting between image and physical product.
• Help to develop the style, tone and quality of ELC stills content.
• Responsible for working to specs and brand guidelines and supporting in the creative process ahead of a shoot.
• Maintain the quality control of all final stills assets.
• Manage multiple edits and projects at the same time.

Qualifications

• Previous experience managing a team.
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of all stills image related software’s and systems.
• AI generation experience.
• Experience with all usage and media from Social to in-store.
• Drive for innovation and a luxury mindset.
• Video editing experience would be a bonus but not essential.
• Having a portfolio showcasing previous beauty work would be a bonus.

I,D&E STATEMENT

The Estée Lauder Companies’ collective vision is to be the most inclusive and diverse beauty company in the world, and to be both the employer of choice for diverse talent and the brand of choice for our global consumers. We are a people first company, respecting and caring for our employees, communities, and consumers. With consumers in approximately 150 countries and territories, and 70 languages at the point of sale in the UK & Ireland, it is essential that we continue to have a diverse workforce that understands local relevance and the changing beauty needs of all our global consumers.

Compensation Data

• Hybrid Working (2 days WFH, 3 days office based)
• 25 Days Annual Leave (exc. Bank Holidays)
• 1 day Annual Leave to celebrate your birthday
• Holiday Purchase opportunity
• Bonus Opportunity
• Ability to work Remotely/Abroad up to two weeks per calendar year
• Summer Fridays
• Generous Staff Discount
• Mental Health Wellbeing Initiatives
• Benefits platform with exclusive discounts and offers
• Employee resource groups
• LinkedIn learning