Thumbnail illustrator

Pocket FM is the world’s largest audio-series platform, where powerful stories travel effortlessly across languages, cultures, and continents. From India and the US to Europe and beyond, we are redefining how stories are created, discovered, and experienced across the globe, without screens.

At our core, we are an AI-powered entertainment company with a deeply human-first philosophy. We believe technology should amplify creativity. Our proprietary AI systems work alongside writers, voice artists, and creative teams to help stories scale globally, faster, smarter, and with cultural depth and emotional integrity intact.

Today, Pocket FM is home to a vibrant community of 250+ million listeners, 300,000+ creators, and 100,000+ audio series. With over 140 billion minutes streamed annually, we have emerged as one of the fastest-growing media-tech companies in the world, and we are just getting started. We operate at a massive global scale, but with a startup mindset: curious, fast-moving, and deeply owner-driven. At Pocket FM, teams are encouraged to think boldly, move with intent, and build for long-term impact as we shape the future of audio-first storytelling worldwide.

Your Mission

The Thumbnail Illustrator will be responsible for creating high-impact illustrated thumbnails and key art that drive clicks, listens, and retention across Pocket FM’s platform and marketing channels. This role is ideal for an illustrator with a strong sense of visual storytelling, genre awareness, and performance-driven creative instincts.

The ideal candidate can translate story concepts, characters, and tone into compelling illustrations optimized for mobile-first, small-format viewing. You’ll collaborate closely with creative, marketing, and growth teams, iterate quickly based on data and feedback, and help define the visual identity of Pocket FM’s audio series.

Responsibilities:

• Create eye-catching illustrated thumbnails and key art for audio series across genres including Crime, Thriller, Romance, Drama, and Fantasy.
• Illustrate characters, scenes, and moods that clearly communicate story tone and genre at a glance.
• Translate written story concepts and briefs into compelling visual narratives optimized for mobile and small-screen formats.
• Collaborate with Creative Development, Marketing, and Growth teams to align illustrations with series branding and audience strategy.
• Iterate on artwork based on performance data, A/B test results, and stakeholder feedback.
• Ensure all illustrations adhere to brand guidelines while remaining distinct and competitive within the streaming ecosystem.
• Manage multiple illustration projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Adapt illustrated assets for various formats, platforms, and aspect ratios.
• Support experimentation initiatives, including rapid creative iteration and A/B testing.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in illustration, visual design, or digital art, preferably within entertainment, media, streaming, or mobile-first products.
• Strong portfolio showcasing illustration-driven thumbnails, key art, or character-focused artwork for digital platforms.
• High proficiency in Adobe Photoshop (Illustrator and Procreate a plus).
• Strong understanding of composition, color theory, lighting, anatomy, and visual hierarchy.
• Experience creating artwork for mobile-first environments and small-format assets.
• Ability to take creative direction while also contributing original visual ideas.
• Excellent communication, organization, and time-management skills.
• Comfortable working with tight timelines, fast feedback loops, and high-volume output.

Strong Preference for Candidates Who:

• Have experience illustrating thumbnails or key art for streaming platforms (audio or video), podcasts, YouTube, or serialized digital content.
• Strongly understand genre conventions and visual tropes, especially in Crime, Fantasy, Thriller, Romance, and Drama.
• Are familiar with performance-driven creatives and data-informed iteration.
• Have experience adapting illustrations based on A/B testing results and audience insights.

Please have your portfolio linked on your resume or uploaded in place of one.

You can get more updates, insights and everything behind the scenes at Pocket FM here -

https://xtra.pocketfm.com/