Estée Lauder Companies Assistant Manager, Content Production

About Estée Lauder Companies

The Estée Lauder Companies is a global leader in prestige beauty, founded in 1946 by Estée and Joseph Lauder and built on an enduring belief in creativity, high-touch service, and entrepreneurial spirit. As an employer, the Group offers talent the scale of an international house with the energy of distinctive brands across skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care. Its culture values innovation, inclusion, learning, and responsible growth, inviting professionals to shape consumer experiences from laboratory to counter, digital platform to boardroom. Employees join a purpose-led organization where heritage, artistry, and scientific excellence meet to define the future of luxury beauty.

Role & Responsibilities

• Produce photo and video shoots for the North America Creative team, including social and lo-fi content, still-life product shoots, e-commerce, and support for large-scale campaigns.
• Manage multiple productions across brands simultaneously; anticipate and mitigate risks and roadblocks, resolving or escalating issues as needed.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, agencies, and freelance production talent, maximizing production value within timelines and budgets.
• Review shoot briefs with brand partners to clarify creative direction, product focus and assortment, budgets, timelines, and other production needs.
• Develop production plans with the Director of Production, art directors, and creative operations, including schedules, budgets, and resource plans; create cost estimates and production timelines for internal teams and external partners.
• Source and coordinate crew, talent, photographers, videographers, stylists, and other vendors; partner with the Director of Production on budget negotiations and consult procurement as needed.
• Align mood boards, creative direction, and shot lists with art directors and internal stakeholders.
• Lead pre-production meetings and coordinate across departments, stakeholders, external talent, and production partners.
• Coordinate product samples with brand teams, ensuring products are ordered, received, and stored ahead of production.
• Secure certificates of insurance (COIs), permits, equipment, and catering as needed.
• Supervise shoots and oversee productions end-to-end.
• Coordinate internal teams, crew, talent, photographers, videographers, stylists, hair and makeup teams, and agencies on set.
• Track shot progress, deliverables, and budget and resource allocation to keep production on schedule.
• Conduct set-readiness checks and quality oversight, troubleshoot issues, and facilitate live problem-solving.
• Keep teams and stakeholders updated during shoot days and manage time, approvals, and on-set logistics.
• Coordinate wrap logistics, invoicing, budget reconciliation, and expense tracking.
• Manage handoffs to editing, retouching, color grading, sound mixing, and motion graphics teams.
• Plan post-production reviews, consolidate feedback, and coordinate revisions through final approval and delivery.
• Partner with the CCH DAM Manager on master asset management, usage-rights tracking, file delivery, archiving, and final asset distribution and rollout.
• Conduct production debriefs, capture lessons learned and team feedback, and report on project closeout and campaign delivery.
• Help maintain the creative photo studio, including equipment, props, product closet, and expendables; refresh as needed and support product sourcing, inventory, and organization for recurring productions.
• Build and maintain a reliable freelance crew network; assess and onboard new vendors as the studio grows.
• Work with the Director to assess and refine internal and external production workflows, proposing improvements to production efficiency and content quality.
• Maintain production process documents, training materials, and resources, and support onboarding of team members and partners to production workflows and best practices.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of photo production experience, ideally in-house or at an agency, managing photo and video productions from concept through delivery.
• Understanding of production processes spanning large-scale campaigns to quick content capture, and experience managing multiple shoots simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to manage timelines, shot lists, and production crews end-to-end.
• Knowledge of current industry-standard rates for talent, services, usage rights, and related costs; strong negotiation and budgeting skills; experience with both large campaign budgets and lean budgets.
• Ability to translate creative vision into efficient, cost-effective production while maintaining brand standards and aesthetics.
• Established network and relationships with photographers, retouchers, stylists, talent agencies, and other production partners.
• Proactive, collaborative, solutions-first approach, with a calm and composed presence on set and a can-do attitude.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders and functions across a large, matrixed organization and building those relationships.
• Knowledge of file formats and resolutions for social, digital, and print.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple projects and priorities, with resilience, adaptability, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Experience with Wrike or similar project management tools is a plus.
• Knowledge of photo, video, and lighting equipment; photo studio management experience is a plus.
• Some domestic travel may be required.

Skills

Experience

At least 3 years of photo production experience.

Compensation

The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 73,150 to USD 109,200 per annum.

Benefits

Eligible employees may receive medical, dental, and vision insurance; wellness and family support programs; life and disability insurance; retirement savings plans; paid leave programs; education-related programs; paid holidays and vacation time. Many benefits are subsidized or fully paid by the company. The role is also eligible for a competitive bonus program, with potential overachievement based on performance and company results.

Culture

The Estée Lauder Companies fosters a collaborative, inclusive workplace where creativity, entrepreneurial thinking, and a passion for prestige beauty are deeply valued. As a global house of distinctive brands, it offers employees an environment that encourages innovation, professional growth, and a shared commitment to excellence and consumer inspiration.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.