Print Production Planner

We are looking for an experienced Print Production Planner who can manage complex print projects from initial specifications through production, finishing, mailing, and billing.

This role works closely with our Sales, Estimating, Production, customers, and outside vendors to ensure every project is produced efficiently, accurately, and on schedule.

• Coordinate projects between Sales, customers, vendors, Estimating, and Production.
• Review job specifications and determine the most efficient production methods, equipment, and workflow based on volume, schedule, quality, and cost.
• Partner with Estimating to identify cost-effective production options and with Production to develop effective schedules.
• Manage jobs throughout the complete production workflow, including:
• Customer specifications and purchase orders
• Job planning and scheduling
• Raw material requirements
• Outside purchasing and vendor operations
• Bindery and finishing requirements
• Production layouts and imposition requirements
• Direct mail requirements, when applicable
• Create and plan new print jobs within the company’s Print MIS system.
• Identify potential production issues early and recommend solutions or workflow improvements.
• Monitor projects to ensure they are completed accurately and on time to meet customer commitments.
• Ensure completed jobs are entered into billing promptly and accurately.
• Support special projects and other operational responsibilities as assigned.

Education & Experience

• High school diploma required.
• Technical or trade-school training in printing or graphic communications is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 5 years of print estimating, production planning, customer service, or similar commercial printing experience preferred.
• Experience working within a commercial printing or direct mail environment strongly preferred.

Strong working knowledge of the commercial print production process, including:

• Offset sheetfed printing
• Digital sheetfed printing
• Digital web/roll-fed printing
• Wide-format printing
• Paper, substrates, ink, and color
• Prepress and production layouts
• Bindery and finishing
• Direct mail and lettershop operations
• Outside manufacturing and vendor coordination

Experience managing projects from prepress through press, finishing, and mailing is highly desirable.

• Experience with Print MIS systems preferred.
• EFI Monarch experience is a plus.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and Word.

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Able to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Comfortable making production decisions independently.
• Able to collaborate effectively across Sales, Production, Estimating, Purchasing, and outside vendors.
• Flexible and able to reprioritize quickly as customer and production requirements change.
• Dependable, punctual, and accountable.