Image Maker

As Image Maker, the role holder is responsible for raising the standard of imagery across Chelsea Football Club, creating distinctive images for campaigns, merchandise, player portraiture, hospitality, events and matchday storytelling. The position sits within the Chelsea Creative Studio in the Marketing department and reports to the Creative Lead. Photography is a core part of the role, alongside advanced retouching, compositing, AI image generation and visual effects, and the role holder acts as guardian of the club's image guidelines, bringing a refined luxury lifestyle eye to every brief.

• Plan and shoot photography across club campaigns, merchandise, player portraiture, hospitality, fans and events, adapting the approach to controlled shoots, live environments and concepts that combine multiple image-making techniques.
• Create lifestyle imagery that captures the character and appeal of Chelsea's hospitality experiences, merchandise imagery for campaigns, capsule collections, product communications and flat lays, and stylised match and fan imagery including artful work for Club Chelsea communications.
• Use advanced retouching, compositing and image manipulation to transform photography into distinctive finished work, and prepare final assets to a high technical standard for use across print, digital, social and physical environments.
• Generate and develop imagery using AI, applying strong creative judgement to its concept, direction, realism and final execution, and combine photography, AI-generated elements and visual effects where the brief calls for a more ambitious image.
• Experiment with emerging techniques and identify where they can improve the originality, quality or efficiency of the studio's work.
• Own and maintain the club's image guidelines documents, setting clear standards for photography, image manipulation and AI-generated imagery, evolving them as the club's visual approach and image-making tools develop, and helping colleagues and partners apply them consistently.
• Develop visual concepts that respond to the brief and make imaginative use of the full range of image-making techniques, applying Chelsea Creative Studio's Creative Scorecard and aiming consistently for a "Win the Game" standard while identifying opportunities to "Change the Game".
• Take ownership of image-making projects from initial concept through shooting, creation, post-production and delivery, bringing together and directing specialists such as lighting, styling, hair and makeup, assistants, retouchers and other production partners.
• Work confidently with players, talent and other subjects, helping them feel at ease and getting the best from each shoot, and source and manage existing or externally commissioned photography where a brief requires it.
• Communicate visual ideas clearly to stakeholders and collaborate closely with creative, design, marketing and production colleagues to ensure imagery strengthens the wider campaign idea and reflects Chelsea's brand.
• Understand the audience and purpose of each brief, creating imagery that builds desire, tells a clear story and supports campaign or commercial objectives, adapting and optimising imagery for different channels and applying insights from how imagery performs to future work.

• Significant experience creating images across photography, post-production and digital image making, with a portfolio that demonstrates breadth and a distinctive point of view.
• Strong technical and creative photography skills across lighting, composition and directing subjects in both controlled and live environments.
• Advanced practical ability to generate, direct and refine AI imagery, with the judgement to integrate it convincingly into professional creative work.
• Expertise in manipulating and combining images through retouching and compositing to achieve a polished result across a range of styles and formats.
• A refined luxury lifestyle eye and the ability to make familiar subjects feel distinctive, desirable and relevant to the audience.
• Ability to define visual standards, turn them into clear guidance and help colleagues and partners put them into practice.
• Experience planning shoots, directing specialists, presenting ideas and working constructively with stakeholders and creative teams.
• Commitment to embodying the club's BLUE behaviours (Brave, Lead, Unity, Edge) in the approach to work and interaction with others.
• Commitment to adhering to the club's policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Financial Authorisation, Confidentiality and GDPR, and to reporting any misconduct or suspected misconduct to the HR Department.
• Commitment to acting as an ambassador for diversity, equality and inclusion, treating others fairly in line with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and reporting any acts of discrimination through appropriate channels.
• Commitment to creating a safe environment and acting to protect all young people and vulnerable adults in the role holder's care or attending club premises, reporting any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead.
• Successful applicants must complete a DBS Check prior to starting employment, and may also be required to undergo other child protection screening depending on the role.