Photo Production Manager

Pulse Trading Cards

Location: Remote — United States
Employment Type: Full-time
Travel: Occasional travel for athlete photo shoots and events

Pulse Trading Cards creates sports, entertainment, and licensed trading card products for collectors. As our athlete roster, brand partnerships, and release calendar expand, we're building the team and processes behind our next stage of growth.

We're looking for a Photo Production Manager to own our photography pipeline—from finding the right images to coordinating athlete shoots and delivering approved files to our creative team.

You'll source photography from image companies, agencies, and independent photographers, secure appropriate usage rights, and build a reliable network of photography partners.

When new photography is needed, you'll make it happen: find a local photographer, coordinate with the athlete and their representatives, develop the brief with our creative team, and manage the shoot through final delivery.

You'll also organize opportunities to photograph multiple athletes at one location, particularly around tournaments, showcases, camps, signing events, and other gatherings where players are already present.

This is a hands-on role with ownership of sourcing, scheduling, budgets, outside partners, retouching coordination, and our image library. You'll work closely with our creative, athlete partnerships, and product teams to ensure photography supports every release.

• Translate upcoming releases into clear image needs by athlete, subject, style, and deadline.
• Research and obtain images from photo agencies, image companies, photographer archives, athlete representatives, and other approved sources.
• Partner with the creative team to select images with strong composition, appropriate resolution, and suitability for trading card layouts.
• Identify missing imagery early and determine whether to source existing photography or commission a new shoot.
• Work with our athlete partnerships team, agents, and player representatives to arrange access and availability.
• Find, hire, and coordinate local photographers near athletes, reducing unnecessary travel and making sessions easier to schedule.
• Develop briefs and shot lists with the creative team, including portraits, action poses, expressions, and compositions suited to different card designs.
• Manage locations, schedules, wardrobe requirements, equipment needs, budgets, and deliverables.
• Confirm required agreements and permissions are in place and ensure images are delivered accurately and on time.

• Identify events and gatherings where multiple athletes can be photographed efficiently.
• Coordinate with event organizers and athlete representatives to arrange authorized access, suitable space, and session times.
• Build schedules that accommodate player availability and keep sessions moving.
• Organize photographers, lighting, backdrops, staffing, and file-delivery requirements.
• Establish a consistent process for identifying each athlete's files and checking that required shots are captured before the session ends.

• Develop a dependable network of photographers across key markets and sports.
• Build ongoing relationships with agencies and image companies to expand access to relevant photography.
• Maintain a roster of partners, including locations, specialties, rates, availability, and usage arrangements.
• Negotiate project scope, pricing, turnaround times, and deliverables within approved budgets.

• Obtain and track usage permissions for photography used in our cards and…