Director of Photography (Hybrid based in San Francisco)

Rippling

Rippling

San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Nov 21, 2025

You will be based in our San Francisco, CA office and will be required to be in office 3x/week.

About Rippling

Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system.

Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer, benefits, and even third-party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365—all within 90 seconds.

Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B+ from the world’s top investors—including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock—and was named one of America's best startup employers by Forbes.

We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @Rippling.com addresses.

About the role

Video is central to Rippling’s next chapter. As we scale our in-house creative capabilities, we’re looking for a Director of Photography (DP) to partner with our Director of Brand Design & Video, senior creative producers, and cross-functional teams to define the signature look and feel of video at Rippling.

From high-end brand campaigns and customer films to product walkthroughs, launch videos, and events, this role will shape the visual language that connects our product to the people who use it. You’ll combine the instincts of a filmmaker with the eye of a designer—building a consistent aesthetic that can flex across formats, budgets, and platforms. This role requires a strong perspective on art direction, cinematography, and lighting, and a willingness to travel and be behind the camera.

This role is ideal for a DP who’s as comfortable lighting and shooting in the field as they are building visual systems, leading crews, and mentoring emerging shooters.

What you will do

  • Partner with the Senior Video Producer / Director to translate creative concepts and storyboards into compelling, on-brand visuals.
  • Lead cinematography across shoots—from lighting design and camera setup to execution on set—balancing scrappy documentary work and larger multi-crew productions.
  • Establish a cohesive visual identity for Rippling’s video library: defining color, lighting, composition, and motion language that scales across content types.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Content, Events, Customer, International, and Corporate Integrated Marketing teams to develop creative work that’s on brief and elevates our brand.
  • Build scalable systems: camera/lens packages, LUTs, lighting diagrams, and production templates that drive consistency and efficiency.
  • Oversee technical production quality and ensure footage is optimized for post-production and multi-platform delivery.
  • Source and lead crew (ACs, gaffers, grips, etc.) and manage relationships with rental houses and production vendors.
  • Stay hands-on: Operate camera and lighting as needed for smaller productions.

What you will need

  • 10+ years of experience producing video content for digital, broadcast, and social media campaigns. Agency-side or production-house experience is preferred.
  • In-depth understanding of the production process from concept to post-production, collaborating with internal teams, agencies, crews, and post-production houses.
  • Expertise across camera systems (ARRI, RED, Sony FX series, etc.) and lighting design for both studio and location environments.
  • Experience across a diverse range of video projects, from scrappy productions to high-caliber initiatives with budgets up to $3M for broadcast.
  • A creative problem-solver who enjoys tackling challenges in a fast-paced environment with shifting goals.
  • Ability to translate complex subject matter into visual stories that connect, inspire, educate, and convert.
  • Portfolio that demonstrates taste, versatility, and craft.

Additional Information

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email accomodations@rippling.com

Rippling highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. For office-based employees (employees who live within a defined radius of a Rippling office), Rippling considers working in the office, at least three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee's role.

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here.

A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation–including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.