Senior Lead Retoucher

Position Overview

Ashley Furniture Industries is seeking a highly experienced Senior / Lead Retoucher to serve as the central authority for image finishing, color accuracy, and retouch standards across our global visual ecosystem, spanning photography, CGI, AI-generated imagery, and hybrid workflows.

Ashley produces an extraordinary volume of imagery worldwide. This role owns visual consistency, color accuracy, and finishing quality across all channels by building the systems, processes, and standards that support our production pipeline.

The ideal candidate combines the craft of a world-class retoucher, the systems thinking of a production leader, and the visual judgment of a seasoned art director. Youll partner closely with photography teams, CGI artists, AI innovators, designers, DAM administrators, and production teams to ensure every asset reflects Ashleys brand quality and craftsmanship from capture to final distribution.

This is a highly collaborative role requiring both deep technical expertise and strategic leadership across the creative production pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

Global Visual Standards

• Own global authority for image finishing and color accuracy across all production methods
• Develop and own calibrated color standards for accurate representation of materials, fabrics, woods, and finishes
• Creating and owning a digital color standard library
• Own retouching standards ensuring consistent color, lighting, texture, and realism
• Conduct visual audits to identify inconsistencies and improvement opportunities
• Define finishing standards across all channels and product categories

Process & Workflow

• Design and implement unified global retouch workflows
• Develop documented finishing pipelines for photography, CGI, AI, and hybrid assets
• Partner with DAM teams on metadata, approvals, and version control
• Establish intake/output processes ensuring assets meet standards
• Build scalable systems supporting increased volume without quality loss

Production Alignment

• Collaborate with photography teams on capture techniques that reduce retouch complexity
• Guide lighting, material capture, and calibration techniques
• Partner with CGI and AI teams to align outputs with finishing standards
• Own partnerships with external retouching resources
• Work with creative teams to maintain cohesive visual language
• Identify streamlining opportunities across capture, rendering, and finishing

Quality Control

• Act as visual checkpoint throughout the finishing process
• Review global studio imagery for proper preparation and delivery
• Coach retouch artists and production teams on standards
• Establish quality checkpoints for color consistency and accuracy
• Establish and implement the process for auditing existing images to match color targets
• Partner with leadership to maintain unified visual standards

Technology & Innovation

• Stay current on AI imaging, CGI rendering, and advanced retouch technologies
• Evaluate and implement tools improving speed, automation, and quality
• Integrate AI-assisted retouch and automation where appropriate
• Ensure new technologies enhance productivity while maintaining standards

Required Qualifications

Experience & Background

• 10+ years of professional retouching experience in high-volume commercial production environments
• Proven expertise across photography, CGI, AI-generated imagery, and hybrid visual workflows
• Demonstrated experience developing retouch standards and color management systems for large-scale production
• Experience supporting global teams and distributed creative production environments
• Background in furniture, retail, consumer goods, or high-volume product photography environments preferred

Technical Skills

• Expert in color correction, compositing, material realism, and advanced finishing
• Strong understanding of color calibration, targets, and digital color management
• Expert Adobe Photoshop proficiency and professional retouching workflows
• Experience with RAW workflows, CGI renders, layered files, and AI-generated imagery
• Knowledge of DAM and asset management systems

Core Competencies

• Exceptional visual judgment and attention to detail
• Strong process design and documentation abilities
• Translates visual standards into scalable production systems
• Highly collaborative with cross-disciplinary influence
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills in complex environments

Leadership

• Leads through expertise, influence, and process ownership
• Communicates effectively across global teams and disciplines
• Partners with creative leaders, technologists, and production teams
• Balances strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Passionate about elevating quality while improving efficiency