Retouch Manager

WHO WE ARE The Production Factory is a global production agency working across stills and film. We produce high-end visual content for fashion, luxury, beauty, lifestyle, and culture's most forward-thinking brands, creatives, and agencies. From concept to final delivery, we handle the full production journey — bringing ideas to life through thoughtful planning, expert production, and industry-leading post-production. Whether on set or in post, our teams work seamlessly to shape imagery and film that feels elevated, considered, and impactful across print, digital, social, and broadcast platforms. Our integrated approach means production and post-production work hand in hand, ensuring creative consistency, technical excellence, and a smooth, collaborative process throughout. We partner closely with photographers, directors, stylists, and creative teams to support ambitious ideas and deliver exceptional results at every stage. We have offices in London, New York, Miami, Mallorca, Manchester and Portugal, meaning we operate on a global platform. This allows us to connect brands with world-class production in the cities that shape culture.  REPORTING  The role will report to the Account Manager ROLE OVERVIEW The e-Comm Retouch Manager will oversee the outsourced retouching and post-production process for a leading UK high-street fashion brand, ensuring all imagery meets the required brand guidelines, technical specifications and delivery deadlines. Working closely with the Photography, Styling and Production teams, the Retouch Manager will be responsible for quality-controlling images captured on set before they are sent to the external retouching vendor, ensuring files are correctly prepared and briefs are clear. They will manage the relationship with the vendor, maintaining efficient workflows, consistent standards and clear communication throughout the post-production process. The role will also be responsible for reviewing and approving retouched images upon delivery, identifying any corrections required and ensuring all final assets are accurate and ready to be uploaded to the client's Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. While the primary focus will be overseeing the external retouching workflow, the successful candidate must also be a proficient hands-on retoucher, comfortable making amendments or retouching images from scratch when required. They will work proactively with the shoot team to improve capture quality and establish best practice, ensuring images are delivered to the vendor in the best possible condition. Please note: due to the nature of our business, this role will be studio-based 5 days per week. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES -     Oversee the end-to-end e-Commerce retouching process, from initial image quality control and file preparation through to final approval and delivery to the client's DAM. -     Manage the relationship with the external retouching vendor, ensuring they are fully briefed on brand guidelines, image specifications, workflows and priorities, and have all necessary assets, reference materials and supporting information required to deliver work accurately and efficiently. -     Quality-control imagery before it is sent for retouching, identifying technical issues, inconsistencies or capture-related problems that could impact the final output. -     Review, approve and provide feedback on retouched imagery, ensuring assets meet brand guidelines, technical requirements and quality standards, and that any amendments are completed accurately within agreed timelines. -     Work closely with the Lead Photographer and wider studio team to establish best practice during image capture, helping to reduce avoidable retouching issues and maintain consistency across all imagery. -     Act as the primary point of contact between the retouching vendor and internal photography, production and post-production teams, ensuring communication remains clear, and issues are resolved quickly. -     Monitor retouching progress against production schedules, managing multiple image batches simultaneously and proactively addressing potential bottlenecks, delays or changing priorities. -     Maintain accurate records of image status, feedback, corrections and approvals, ensuring assets can be tracked throughout the retouching and delivery process. -     Provide hands-on retouching support where required, including amending existing imagery and retouching images from scratch to support client deadlines and production requirements. -     Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the client's visual standards, ensuring consistency across products, categories, campaigns and seasonal collections. -     Identify recurring issues within image capture or post-production workflows and work collaboratively with relevant teams to implement improvements and reduce unnecessary rework. -     Support the ongoing refinement of retouching guidelines, quality-control processes, workflow documentation and vendor ways of working to drive quality, efficiency and continuous improvement. SKILLS -     Proven experience in e-Commerce retouching within a high-volume fashion photography or studio environment. -     Advanced Adobe Photoshop skills, with expertise in colour correction, garment detail, image consistency and commercial retouching standards, including amending existing imagery and retouching from scratch. -     Strong understanding of the e-Commerce photography and post-production workflow, from image capture through to final asset delivery, including familiarity with Capture One Pro and tethered shooting environments. -     Experience managing outsourced retouching partners and quality controlling imagery, with the ability to identify issues, provide clear feedback and maintain brand standards across high volumes of assets. -     Experience working with Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems and image delivery workflows. -     Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple workflows, competing priorities and tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. -     Exceptional attention to detail, with a methodical approach to quality control and maintaining visual consistency. -     Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with photographers, stylists, production teams and external vendors. -     Proactive and solutions-focused, with the ability to identify recurring issues, improve processes and drive workflow efficiencies. -     Commercially aware, self-motivated and adaptable, with an understanding of the balance between image quality, delivery timelines and cost.