Director of Photography

Tarte Cosmetics is hiring a Director of Photography based in New York, New York to lead the visual creative output across all brand campaigns and consumer touchpoints. This role sits within the creative marketing department and is responsible for the full photographic pipeline, from concept development and on-model campaign shoots through to final asset delivery and retouching direction. It suits an experienced DP or creative photographer who has built a body of work in beauty, fashion, or lifestyle content production and knows how to move between strategic planning and hands-on set direction.

About the Role

The Director of Photography at Tarte Cosmetics works directly alongside the VP of Creative Marketing and Global Marketing teams to shape the brand’s photographic identity across campaign, editorial, e-commerce, and social content production. On any given week, this person might be directing an on-model shoot in New York, reviewing retouching with post-production, building shot lists for an upcoming product launch, or presenting mood boards for a seasonal campaign. The role spans pre-production through final delivery and touches every major marketing activation the brand runs.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct on-model and campaign photography shoots, overseeing lighting setups, composition, talent direction, and posing to ensure imagery meets brand standards and performs across multiple platforms.
• Partner with Creative, Social, and Global Marketing teams to develop shot lists, mood boards, and casting recommendations that translate campaign strategy into cohesive visual narratives.
• Lead pre-production planning across location scouting, budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation in coordination with production teams.
• Oversee the full post-production workflow, including image review, retouching direction, asset management, and on-time delivery of final photography deliverables.
• Mentor freelance photographers and creative partners, establishing photography standards and best practices that keep content quality consistent across all channels.
• Monitor trends in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content creation to inform the ongoing evolution of the brand’s visual identity.

What You Bring

• Substantial experience as a Director of Photography or lead photographer on beauty, fashion, or lifestyle campaigns, with a portfolio that demonstrates on-model and editorial production.
• Proven ability to direct talent on set and collaborate with creative leadership across complex, multi-format content production schedules.
• Fluency in photo asset management systems and retouching workflows, with the ability to give clear, specific direction to retouchers and post-production teams.
• Experience managing photography budgets and vendor relationships across multiple concurrent campaigns.
• Strong instincts for brand consistency, with the ability to evolve visual identity without losing coherence across global markets.

Why This Role

Tarte Cosmetics operates a high-volume content production slate with global reach, meaning this Director of Photography will work across a genuine range of campaign types, from retail launches to influencer programs to international marketing activations. The role carries real creative authority, with direct input into the brand’s photographic direction rather than execution of someone else’s vision. For a photographer ready to move into a senior leadership position within a brand content environment, this is a substantial step.

Apply now for the Director of Photography role at Tarte Cosmetics and bring your campaign production experience to one of New York’s most active beauty brands.