YouTube Thumbnail Designer

I am looking for a long-term thumbnail designer for a growing YouTube channel. We publish 5 videos per week and need someone who can keep up consistently.

I am looking for someone who:
Has real YouTube thumbnail experience — not just general graphic design
Can create dramatic, illustrated-style thumbnails — either using AI image generation tools (Midjourney, Ideogram, etc.) or by sourcing and compositing strong illustrated imagery
Comfortable working WITHOUT real photographs — our thumbnails use illustrated, AI-generated, or icon-based designs, not photo-based layouts
Understands what makes people click
Can follow a detailed brief (I provide the title, style guide, and competitor examples for every video)
Has a fast turnaround — 24 hours per thumbnail
Wants to grow with the channel long-term

How it works:
I provide a brief for each video via Trello (title, background color direction, text hierarchy, competitor reference)
You deliver 2 versions per thumbnail (PNG, 1280x720)
I review and approve — usually takes me under a minute

If you have read the middle of this job post, please type your favorite animal at the beginning of your proposal.

I will do a paid trial run first before committing long-term.

Pay: $5 per thumbnail (2 versions), ~5 thumbnails per week
Communication: Trello + WhatsApp

Please include a Google Drive folder with multiple examples of YouTube thumbnails you have created. Templates or mockups will not be considered — actual client work only.

I will share reference examples of the thumbnail style I am targeting during the interview.