Manager, CGI Art Director - Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen

About the role

The Manager, CGI/AI Art Director role drives the look, feel, and execution of photorealistic product imagery across CGI, AI, and in-studio digital photography. This role translates business needs into compelling visual content that enhances customer engagement and drives revenue. You will lead high-volume Photo-AI-driven image production while contributing to CGI and digital photography initiatives. Success requires a highly organized, process and detail-oriented creative leader who thrives in structured workflows, maintains accuracy at speed, and operates within defined brand production standards. Working cross-functionally, you will translate creative direction into consistent, on-brand photorealistic imagery across ecommerce and digital channels.

Responsibilities

• Provide art direction, interior design, and styling of room scenes for photorealistic photo, CGI/rendering, and AI image outputs (architecture; interior/exterior environments; materials; composition; lighting; propping; window scenes; crops; post-production; color temperature; retouching direction; etc.)
• Translate art direction into structured AI prompts to produce consistent, on-brand imagery for high-volume single- and multi-SKU needs
• Generate, review, refine, version, and QA AI, CGI, and photographic imagery with extreme attention to detail
• Maintain full ownership and responsibility for assets produced on-set and digitally, contributing to end-to-end planning, execution, and post-production
• Cook up and oversee prop and product pairings with Art Direction and Styling teams; edit, make shot direction calls, approve selects, oversee lighting and retouching notes
• Provide feedback and direction during collaborative reviews, proofing, and QA processes
• Ensure strict adherence to brand standards, style guides, and visual guidelines
• Develop and maintain Photo / CGI / AI visual standards for lighting, composition, and room environments by product category
• Ai & Production Workflow Support
• Maintain highly organized file structures, naming conventions, tracking documents, and asset libraries
• Build and contribute to Photo / CGI / AI libraries (models, materials, scenes, props) and optimize asset reuse strategies
• Identify inconsistencies or production challenges and proactively recommend solutions
• Refined Photo / CGI / AI pipeline workflows, tools, and processes
• Manage time effectively to meet high-volume production deadlines
• Demonstrate strong attention to detail in final outputs
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Collaborate with Creative Operations, Art Direction, Site & Photo Merchant partners, Post-Production, Product Design, and Digital Design teams
• Communicate clearly cross-functionally to ensure assets are compelling, on-brand, on-deadline, and efficiently project-managed
• Manage delivery schedules and milestones for creative development, modeling/rendering, image outputs, and production timelines
• Attend corporate creative meetings to maintain alignment with business goals and creative direction
• Recruit, direct, and/or mentor third-party CGI/AI vendors and artists as needed
• Proactively identify talent or resource gaps that may affect quality or delivery
• Research and compile inspiration/references for Photo, CGI, Render, and AI creative planning
• Stay current on emerging AI tools, creative technologies, and competitive landscape
• Bring cost-effective creative ideas and solutions while supporting asset development and brand growth
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of style guides, creative tools, and visual strategy
• Strive for strong storytelling and narrative capability in visual execution

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Art / Design
• 2–5+ years working in 3D photorealistic imaging; experience managing CG creative and/or production teams is a plus
• Professional experience in photography, CGI design, rendering, or AI-generated imagery with a portfolio emphasizing interior design, home furnishings, and/or architecture
• Strong understanding of photo art direction, CGI/rendering, and AI image creation
• Experience in photorealistic rendering and digital image creation using CG software (AutoCAD, 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, etc.) and rendering tools (Vray, Octane, Corona, FStormRender) is a plus or AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, etc.)
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Airtable, and file management systems. Figma knowledge is a plus
• Experience in model and material preparation for rendering and all pre- and post-rendering tasks
• On-set photography and studio experience a plus (production planning, prop sourcing, lighting, post-production workflows)
• Experience working with high-volume asset development and management
• Demonstrated success developing and refining processes within an organization
• Excellent people and project management skills
• Strong organizational skills, time management, and ability to multitask and prioritize
• Ability to balance creative excellence with business goals and ecommerce objectives
• Strong understanding of what inspires customer purchase decisions and required visual information for ecommerce
• Macro-to-micro thinking: able to understand big-picture digital strategy while executing daily creative tasks
• Advanced artistic sensibilities in interior design composition, lighting, texture, and color
• High taste level, discerning eye, and advanced artistic sensibilities in interior design composition, lighting, texture, and color
• Experience working with high-volume asset development and management

Skills

• Strong understanding of architecture, interiors, decorating, materials, lighting, and composition
• Strong storytelling and narrative capability in visual execution
• Entrepreneurial spirit with innovation and creativity
• Professionalism, maturity, emotional intelligence, and empathy
• Emotional intelligence and empathy
• Passion for design, interiors, art, and storytelling
• Drive for personal growth and inspiring others
• Commitment to helping customers express their style and tell their story at home

Benefits

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 $120,000- $130,000. 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.