Etsy Listing Specialist + Graphic Editor (Background Removal, Mockups, SEO)

Part-time to start, with potential to grow into full-time
Salary: $4–$7 USD/hour (depending on experience and portfolio) — open to negotiation for the right person
Hours: Flexible, approximately 10–20 hours/week to start
Schedule: Your own hours, but must respond to messages within 24 hours on weekdays

About the Role
I run a print-on-demand apparel shop on Etsy in the sports-inspired niche. I'm looking for a reliable, detail-oriented VA to take my approved graphic designs and turn them into polished, SEO-optimized Etsy draft listings using my existing templates. My current freelancer has been great but is too costly long-term, so I'm building a longer-term working relationship with someone I can trust to own this workflow.
We'll start with a paid test batch of about 30 designs. If that goes well, I have 100+ more designs ready to go and ongoing weekly work after that.

What You'll Be Doing (per design)

Download the original graphic from a shared Google Drive folder
Remove the background cleanly in Photoshop (or equivalent) — test on dark backgrounds to make sure edges are clean, no stray pixels or halos
Save the final art as a high-resolution transparent PNG with a clear naming convention
Apply the design to mockup templates I'll provide — centered, straight, proportional, with the correct transparency settings (I'll show you the exact look)
Save all finished files back to organized Google Drive folders following my naming system
Create two Etsy draft listings per design using my existing templates (one multi-product Bella + Canvas listing, one Comfort Colors / Gildan listing) — including:
SEO-optimized title (with my design number at the end)
SEO-optimized description using my established template
All 13 Etsy tags filled with relevant, non-trademarked keywords
Correct variations
Mockup photos uploaded in the correct order


Create matching product listings in Printify with the same naming system
Save everything as drafts — I review and publish


Trademark Awareness (Important)
This is a sports-inspired shop, which means we never use protected team names, league names, official logos, player names, stadium names, mascot names, or trademarked slogans anywhere — not in titles, descriptions, tags, file names, or on the artwork itself. You'll learn the safe wording style by reviewing my live listings. If you're ever unsure, you flag it instead of guessing. This is the single biggest rule.

Required Skills & Experience

Photoshop (or equivalent — GIMP, Photopea, Affinity) with strong background removal skills, including hair, soft edges, and detailed mascot artwork
Hands-on experience creating Etsy listings (titles, tags, variations, shipping profiles) — please tell me which shops/niches you've worked on
Experience with Printify (or Printful) — bonus if you've used Printify's new multi-product listings
Strong Etsy SEO understanding — title structure, tag selection, and what ranks
Comfortable with Google Drive for file organization
Excellent attention to detail — straight, centered, proportional mockups every time
Reliable internet and ability to meet weekly deadlines
Conversational written English

Nice to Have

Experience with print-on-demand apparel specifically
Knowledge of trending Etsy mockup styles for 2026
Canva experience (I have some templates there too)
Familiarity with Bella + Canvas, Comfort Colors, and Gildan product specs


Tools You'll Use
Photoshop (or equivalent), Google Drive, Etsy Seller dashboard, Printify, Canva

How to Apply
To make sure you actually read this post, please structure your application this way:

Start your message with the phrase "Mockup Maven" so I know you read to the end
A short paragraph about your Etsy VA experience — which shops, which niches, how long
A short paragraph about your background removal experience — what software, how you handle tricky edges
Link to a portfolio or 2–3 sample mockups you've created (this is required — applications without samples will be skipped)
Your hourly rate in USD
Your time zone and typical working hours
How many hours per week you're available

Please do not send a generic copy-paste application. I'll respond within a few days to the people who look like a good fit, and we'll do a short paid test (3–5 designs) before committing to the full 30-design batch.
Looking forward to meeting you!