What are the responsibilities and job description for the Production Manager position at Appleton Finn?
Press Manager
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Industry: Label Manufacturing / Printing / Packaging
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Press Manager to oversee pressroom operations at a high-volume manufacturing facility in the Minneapolis area. This role is responsible for leading production teams, ensuring safety, quality, efficiency, and on-time delivery while driving operational excellence across flexographic printing operations.
The ideal candidate brings a combination of pressroom leadership, manufacturing discipline, and hands-on printing knowledge, with experience in flexographic and/or label manufacturing environments preferred. This individual will lead teams, improve processes, troubleshoot production challenges, and drive continuous improvement within a fast-paced operation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead day-to-day pressroom operations, ensuring safety, quality, productivity, and schedule attainment.
- Supervise, coach, and develop press operators, leads, and support personnel across shifts.
- Drive performance related to uptime, waste reduction, throughput, efficiency, and on-time delivery.
- Troubleshoot escalated production, print quality, equipment, and process issues.
- Partner with scheduling, maintenance, quality, prepress, finishing, and operations teams to ensure smooth workflow and customer satisfaction.
- Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and operational standards.
- Monitor staffing, labor utilization, scheduling, and performance expectations.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on process optimization, workflow, productivity, and cost reduction.
- Support equipment maintenance planning, preventive maintenance, and operational readiness.
- Maintain a strong floor presence and foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and performance.
Qualifications
- 5 years of leadership experience in printing, packaging, label manufacturing, or related production environments.
- Experience in flexographic printing, label converting, packaging, or commercial print manufacturing strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading production teams in a manufacturing setting.
- Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and process improvement capabilities.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, quality systems, or operational excellence initiatives preferred.
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced production environment.
- Strong communication, coaching, and leadership skills.
Preferred Experience
- Flexographic printing experience
- Label manufacturing or packaging production
- Pressroom supervision or production management
- Experience with high-volume manufacturing and multi-shift operations
- Knowledge of print quality, color management, tooling, substrates, inks, or finishing processes
Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to join a growing manufacturing operation where you will play a key leadership role in driving performance, developing teams, and shaping operational success in a highly visible position.
Salary : $100,000 - $120,000