YouTube Thumbnail Designer for @JohnnyChangLive & @UnlearnedWisdom
Our Mission:
Bring biblical clarity and daily guidance to people seeking God in a chaotic world
Your Role:
As the YouTube Thumbnail Designer, you are the chief visual storyteller responsible for our brand's first impression. You are the single most important factor in a viewer's decision to click, responsible for creating world-class, high-CTR thumbnails that stop the scroll and drive views.
You will work directly with our team to package every video, ensuring the thumbnail and title work together to tell an irresistible story.
You will be responsible for the entire thumbnail design process, from creative conception and A/B testing to analyzing performance. Constant growth in click-through-rate (CTR), creative execution, and quality is what you’ll be measured by.
What You’ll Do:
Own the entire thumbnail design process, from concept to final design, for all long-form YouTube content across both brands.
Lead a rapid-fire A/B testing process, constantly iterating on designs and analyzing performance data to understand why one thumbnail beats another.
Constantly research and analyze YouTube trends, competitor designs, and audience psychology to keep our thumbnails ahead of the curve and optimized for clicks.
What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days):
Objective 1: Re-design our entire thumbnail process and look across Johnny Chang Live and Unlearned Wisdom YouTube channels.
Key Result:
1.) Achieve a 100% on-time delivery rate for all thumbnails, delivering 2-3 high-quality variations per video, after an initial 1-week ramp-up period.
Objective 2: Measurably improve thumbnail + title performance.
Key Results Example:
1.) Contribute to a 15% increase in the average Click-Through Rate (CTR) on new videos by the end of 90 days.
Great Result: 15% increase in CTR.
Exceptional Result: 25% increase in CTR.
We will work on setting the first 3-month goal together
Objective 3: Become a self-sufficient leader of the title & thumbnail process.
Key Result:
1.) Proactively identify and execute 2-3 new design styles or A/B tests (e.g., new text treatment, color palette, or emotional expression) that becomes a new "winning" format for the channel.
Your Core Responsibilities (These should be A-Player outcomes, not just tasks):
End-to-End Thumbnail Design: Own the design of 2-3 high-CTR thumbnail variations for every long-form video, ensuring they are compelling, on-brand, and delivered on time.
A/B Testing & Analysis: Run all thumbnail & title A/B tests using YouTube's built-in feature. Analyze the data and deliver a weekly "CTR Report" to the Head of Content on what's working, what's not, and why.
Creative Packaging Strategy: Go beyond just executing. Actively participate in content brainstorming, advising on how to "package" a video (title + thumbnail) for maximum impact before it's even filmed.
Asset & Template Management: Meticulously organize all project files, source images, text styles, and templates in our systems (ClickUp, Frame.io, DropBox).
Competitor & Trend Research: Constantly monitor the YouTube landscape, screenshotting and analyzing top-performing thumbnails from other creators to bring new ideas to the team.
Collaborative Revisions: Work directly with the team to receive and execute feedback efficiently and with a positive, solutions-oriented attitude.
Who You Are:
You are Mission-Driven: You are genuinely excited to be part of our mission and understand how your designs are the "front door" for our message, helping our community get closer to God.
An Analytical Designer: You are obsessed with why a thumbnail works. You understand the science of CTR, emotional triggers, and composition. You are an analyst who designs, not just an artist.
A True Graphic Design Pro: You are a master of Photoshop. Your skills in composition, lighting, masking, and typography are elite. You have real, trained design fundamentals and use AI as a tool, not a crutch.
A Proactive Problem-Solver: When a design isn't working, you don't just change the font. You dig into the "why," develop a new hypothesis, and test it. You don't wait to be told what to do.
You are Obsessed with Details: You notice the 1-pixel misalignment, the slight color banding, and the exact emotional expression of a face. You believe excellence is found in the small things.
Non-negotiable Requirements (Skills & Experience)
3+ years of professional experience as a YouTube Thumbnail Designer.
Must provide a portfolio of YouTube thumbnails with verifiable proof (screenshots of CTR, A/B test results) of your impact on channel performance.
You must understand the science of a YouTube thumbnail and have proof of your direct impact to CTR/views for YT videos.Must have a deep knowledge of the YouTube platform and what makes viewers click.
Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Photoshop. Real graphic design fundamentals (composition, color theory, typography, masking, lighting) are essential.
Is NOT fully dependent on AI tools
Innate understanding of YouTube analytics,
particularly CTR and how it relates to audience psychology.Must be proficient in the following:
Adobe Photoshop (Expert)
ClickUp (or similar PM tool)
Google Drive & G-Suite
This Role Is NOT For You If:
You have never made YouTube thumbnails before
You have no proof of how your thumbnails have directly impacted CTR & views
You need lots of hand-holding & are bad at time management.
You are not great at communicating across a team
You have never done this role before and think you can accomplish this based on “work ethic” or “similar experience”
You prefer comfort over growth (we all work extremely hard).
Compensation:
Phase 1 -Trial period: We will agree to a “per-thumbnail” cost.
If you work great with the team, we can move to a monthly retainer depending on workload.
There is plenty of room to go up if we give you more work.
How to Apply:
Please follow all the steps on the application page.
Make sure that you include undeniable proof that you have made high-performing YouTube Thumbnails and that you truly understand the analytical science behind thumbnails.
Please show us your A/B testing, titles skills, and direct proof on how you effected the CTR of videos.
Ultimately, we want to see that you've already done this type of job at the highest level.
If your experience is not made clear in your application submission or if you are unable to clearly show your expertise in creating specifically YouTube thumbnails, we will politely pass over your application quickly.
Our Core Values:
Keep God First: We focus on the gospel and how it can impact peoples' lives.
Radical Accountability: We own outcomes, not intentions. You come with solutions, not problems.
Move with Urgency & Discipline: We act quickly on the most impactful tasks for the business. You're not scared to make calculated decisions with incomplete information or before things feel 100% ready
Committed to Systems & Processes: We build systems and processes so excellence doesn't depend on individuals. We build for scale.
Embody Grace For Each Other: Always speak honestly and openly address issues but don't forget at the grace aspect. You may want things done a certain way or people inside the company to be a certain away...but you must remember that all of that comes through grace.