Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
The Community You Will Join: Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where anyone can Belong Anywhere. The Creative Photography team supports this mission by creating and curating our brand photography, which serves as the visual expression of our global community. This team plays a crucial role in representing the diverse and inclusive nature of Airbnb through visual storytelling. You will work closely with the Global Director of Photography Creative and various marketing creative teams, ensuring alignment and creativity in every project.
The Difference You Will Make: As the Creative Director, Photo, you will lead the conceptualization and execution of high-quality photography projects that resonate with our audience across various channels, including digital, social, and print. Your primary focus will be on growth marketing initiatives such as CRM, demand generation, active user retention, host onboarding, and upselling experiences and services. Additionally, you will ensure that the photography created serves senior stakeholders and shareholders effectively. Success in this role will be measured by the quality and impact of the photography produced, adherence to brand standards, and the ability to inspire and lead your team effectively. In your first 12 months, you will need to establish a strong creative direction, develop breakthrough photography concepts, and ensure seamless execution of projects that elevate the Airbnb brand across Growth Marketing channels.
A Typical Day:
- Execute photography projects from conceptualization to final delivery, ensuring quality and brand alignment.
- Collaborate with creative teammates and external partners to maintain the highest creative standards.
- Commission photographers and manage relationships with vendors to execute projects effectively.
- Inspire and guide a team of Photo Creative Leads and Art Directors to develop impactful ideas.
- Analyze project outcomes to ensure they meet strategic goals and elevate the overall creative output.
- Foster cross-functional collaboration, balancing stakeholder needs while consistently improving the creative process.
- Focus on creating and organizing a comprehensive photo library system that supports marketing initiatives and enhances project efficiency.
Your Expertise:
- 12+ years of art and creative direction experience in agency or in-house brand settings, particularly with global companies.
- Strong understanding of photo art direction and its role in brand storytelling.
- Proven ability to manage and inspire creative teams, driving them to achieve exceptional results.
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate and defend creative strategies.
- A robust portfolio showcasing impactful communication campaigns that resonate culturally.
- Familiarity with a range of photographic styles and a strong network of photographer talent and vendors.
- Experience in photo editing within an editorial context is preferred.
- Experience with Figma and a demonstrated familiarity with the product design industry is required.
*A CURRENT PORTFOLIO OF WORK IS REQUIRED FOR EACH APPLICANT*
How We'll Take Care of You:
Our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.
Pay Range
$208,000—$261,000 USD
Airbnb Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Airbnb and has not been reviewed or approved by Airbnb.
-
Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay ranges and total compensation components are increasingly disclosed, and country-level pay practices avoid location-based cuts, which feedback suggests improves consistency and perceived fairness.
-
Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive core health coverage for employees, mental health resources, and substantial dependent support are repeatedly highlighted as robust and a standout element of the package.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, a winter shutdown, sabbaticals, and paid volunteer time are described as extensive, with parental leave and phased return options reinforcing time-off flexibility.
Airbnb Insights
Similar Jobs
What We Do
Airbnb is a community based on connection and belonging—a community that was born in 2008 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to 4 million hosts who have welcomed over 800 million guest arrivals to about 100,000 cities in almost every country and region across the globe. Hosts on Airbnb are everyday people who share their worlds to provide guests with the feeling of connection and being at home. At Airbnb, we believe that hosts, guests and the communities where we operate are all stakeholders we have a responsibility to serve, and that by serving them alongside our employees and investors, we will build an enduringly successful company.
Gallery
