This assignment posting is for an Agency Worker opportunity with People Inc. The Agency Worker is paid by a staffing agency employer. Agency Workers will receive a W2 from the staffing agency reporting their earnings for tax purposes.

YouTube Channel Manager & Thumbnail Designer

People Inc. is seeking a freelance YouTube Channel Manager & Thumbnail Designer to join its Video Strategy team. This hybrid role is ideal for someone who lives and breathes YouTube and has experience in channel management, community engagement and most importantly the creative writing of titles and descriptions and thumbnail design

Assignment Details:

30 hours a week

Start date: 10/1/2025

End date: 6 months with potential to extend

Hourly Rate: $30-38, dependent on experience

Location: NYC office

Assignment Responsibilities:

Channel Management & Optimization

Manage daily operations for multiple YouTube channels (Videos & Shorts), across verticals like Entertainment, Lifestyle, Food, Fashion, and Beauty.
Optimize and publish all content with a hyper focus on thumbnails, titles, descriptions, tags, metadata, and community engagement.
Reoptimize legacy content using real-time data, YouTube Studio, and proprietary internal tools to improve long-tail performance.
Collaborate with the Development and Optimization teams to launch and scale new series.
Build and maintain title/thumbnail templates tailored to each franchise or genre.
Increase community engagement through comment moderation, posting, and community tab strategies.

Thumbnail Design & Visual Strategy

Concept, design, and iterate visually compelling thumbnails that drive CTR and reflect the tone and aesthetic of each series and brand.
Collaborate closely with creative and optimization stakeholders to test, analyze, and refine thumbnail strategies.
Conduct A/B tests of thumbnails and titles to identify winning combinations for engagement.
Stay on the pulse of YouTube visual trends, digital design best practices, and evolving platform algorithms.

Skills/Experience:

5+ years of experience in managing multiple YouTube channels in the Media & Entertainment space or Multi-Channel Network.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting strategy and results to stakeholders.
Expert-level skills in Adobe Photoshop.
Proven success designing thumbnails that drive measurable performance improvements.
Deep understanding of the YouTube algorithm, YouTube Analytics, and how titles/thumbnails affect visibility and monetization.
Familiarity with tools such as YouTube Studio, vidIQ, Tubular, Airtable, and other optimization platforms.
Passionate about YouTube and constantly exploring evolving trends and new formats.
Incredibly strong communication and presentation skills.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and shifting between independent and team-based projects.

People Inc. is the largest print and digital publisher in America. Nearly 200 million people trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action, and find inspiration. People Inc.'s over 40 iconic brands include PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Verywell, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Allrecipes, REAL SIMPLE, Investopedia, and Southern Living.

Please be aware of fraudulent recruiters offering opportunities at People Inc. If you are in conversations about a job opportunity and wish to confirm its validity, please reach out directly to hrconcerns@people.inc.

YouTube Channel Manager & Thumbnail Designer

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