Role Description
As part of the YouTube team, you’ll own the visual packaging of every video. You’ll design thumbnails that stop the scroll, communicate the value of each video in a split second, and drive click-through rate (CTR), all while keeping a consistent, recognizable channel identity. This is a fast-paced, high-volume, data-informed role where your work directly moves views, watch time, and channel growth.
Thumbnails are your primary focus, but the role goes wider. You’ll also shape the channel’s broader visual design:
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Community posts
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Banners
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Channel art
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Playlist covers
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Other on-channel and promotional assets
Your day-to-day responsibilities include:
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Design high-impact thumbnails for new videos, shorts, and back-catalog refreshes.
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Turn video ideas into impactful visuals.
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Create multiple concepts per video and work with the YouTube Analyst running A/B tests to find the highest-performing option.
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Use CTR and audience data to iterate and continuously raise click-through performance.
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Maintain and evolve a consistent visual system across the channel: typography, color, layout, and branding.
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Collaborate with content creators, video editors, and the team leads to align thumbnails with video hooks and messaging.
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Manage a steady, high-volume production pipeline and hit publishing deadlines without sacrificing quality.
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Stay on top of YouTube trends, competitor thumbnails, and platform best practices.
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Report on thumbnail performance and identify areas of new opportunity.
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Leverage data to drive actionable decisions that inform and help the channel grow.
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Design the channel’s wider visual assets: community posts, channel banners and art, and promotional graphics.
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Create supporting social and campaign graphics that extend the channel’s look across platforms.
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Keep the full visual system consistent and on-brand across every touchpoint, not just thumbnails.
Qualifications
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Proven experience designing YouTube thumbnails, ideally at volume.
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A strong portfolio demonstrating clear composition and thumbnails that drive performance.
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High level of experience with design tools such as Photoshop, Figma, or Illustrator.
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Sharp eye for typography, color, contrast, and visual hierarchy.
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Strong photo editing and compositing skills (cutouts, retouching, expressive subjects, clean backgrounds).
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Versatility across formats and layouts.
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Solid understanding of what drives clicks: curiosity, clarity, and emotion.
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Comfort working with data and feedback, and iterating quickly.
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High attentiveness to details combined with proactiveness.
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Ability to work independently as well as in a collaborative yet demanding team environment.
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High level of spoken and written communication in English.
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Familiarity with the tech, AI or web-building space would be a plus.
Benefits
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🚀 360 Growth: Limitless learning opportunities, access to platforms like Reforge and Coach Hub, global conferences, physical and digital libraries, feedback culture, and mentoring through TesoXchange.
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🎯 Freedom & responsibility: Work on your terms from modern offices or anywhere in the world with flexibility in managing your schedule.
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💪 Wellness simplified: Health insurance from Day 1, gym memberships, recharge leave, Headspace subscriptions, and regular health checks.
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🎉 Work hard – play hard: Company events like Summerfest & Winterfest, Town Hall, Meet the Client initiatives, team-buildings, and workations.