Production Manager

The Production Manager oversees all facets of production, purchasing, and execution of print jobs. This role collaborates with suppliers, internal team members, and external stakeholders to plan, purchase, and execute campaigns that meet quality standards and maintain competitive pricing.

 

Responsibilities

• Serve as liaison among internal stakeholders, agencies, letter shops, and suppliers to facilitate quality, timely delivery of print campaigns

• Work with internal teams to develop production campaign requirements and schedules

• Communicate with vendors/letter shops regarding project timelines and maintain status updates

• Establish and manage communication channels with internal and external clients to support workflow and file delivery

• Maintain accurate vendor price quotation records

• Support cost-efficiency efforts for print projects in conjunction with internal stakeholders and agencies

• Operate within defined operating budgets

• Track and analyze benchmarking information daily

• Identify and present additional production solutions to clients

• Collect, prepare, and organize job requirements; perform specification review and approvals

• Collaborate with outside print vendors on job specifications, scheduling, and logistics

• Organize and archive samples of all collateral materials for reference

• Conduct on-site press checks related to creative and variable data reviews and approvals

• Coordinate with designers on specialty projects

• Utilize knowledge of printing processes, letter shop operations, and vendor capabilities to allocate projects effectively

• Review and approve printer proofs and final data, utilizing data dumps for personalization comparison.

Requirements

• 2-4 years of print production experience

• Experience with print purchasing in client or agency settings

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience

• Familiar with USPS regulations, manages postage reconciliations, and tracks USPS promotional discounts.

• Proven project management and list maintenance skills

• Negotiation experience with suppliers and vendors regarding costs and schedules

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

• Proficiency in MS Office applications, especially Excel

• Initiative to achieve goals and complete assignments

• Knowledge of pre-press processes

• Familiarity with InDesign and Illustrator preferred

• Understanding of different print methods and their appropriate applications

• Previous experience with vendor bidding and negotiations

• Experience conducting press checks

• Strong organizational and communication abilities

• Capacity to prioritize, track, and manage multiple competing tasks

• Attention to detail and strong proofing skills