What are the responsibilities and job description for the Packaging Artwork Coordinator position at HomeTown Food Company?
Position Summary
Hometown Food Company is looking for a Packaging Artwork Coordinator to act as the critical project hub and traffic controller for our 500 SKU product portfolio. This individual is responsible for driving packaging graphics from the initial creative concept through cross-functional internal approvals, final technical prepress validation, and successful printer delivery. By bridging the gap between design agencies, internal teams (Marketing, QA/Regulatory and Operations), and commercial print vendors, this role ensures all product packaging is legally compliant, brand-accurate, and structurally production-ready.
Key Responsibilities
1. Workflow & Lifecycle Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact for external design agencies and internal creative teams to ingest new graphics and packaging concepts.
- Manage the end-to-end routing process for all artwork modifications, ensuring systematic review and formal sign-off from Marketing, QA/Regulatory, and Plant Operations.
- Build, update, and maintain a centralized artwork archive and Digital Asset Management (DAM) system to enforce absolute version control, preventing obsolete graphics from reaching production lines.
2. Print Vendor & Prepress Collaboration
- Interface directly with printers and separator/prepress vendors to ensure creative files strictly align with manufacturing and machine specifications (dielines, color profiles, coatings, and specific print processes like flexography or digital).
- Review digital and physical printer proofs—including color drawdowns and press proofs—for color target compliance, copy legibility, and barcode scannability prior to issuing final print authorization.
- Troubleshoot basic file configuration issues (e.g., layers, fonts, links, trapping) alongside external prepress partners.
- Perform light graphic touch-ups and file corrections (e.g., color adjustments, text updates, minor image edits) on an ad hoc basis to support fast-turn packaging or marketing requests.
3. Timeline Tracking & Commercialization
- Own and maintain the master packaging change calendar, tracking critical milestones against product launch targets and production deadlines.
- Proactively identify potential bottlenecks in the routing process and negotiate timelines across internal departments to mitigate risk to launch windows.
Skills & Qualifications:
- Experience: 3–5 years of dedicated experience in packaging coordination, traffic management, or prepress production, explicitly within the Food & Beverage or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) spaces.
- Technical Print & Packaging Acumen: Demonstrable knowledge of industrial printing processes (flexographic, digital, litho-lamination), corrugated and flexible film structures, dieline interpretation, and standard finishing techniques.
- Regulatory Familiarity: General understanding of FDA packaging guidelines, including placement and formatting requirements for Nutrition Facts Panels (NFPs), ingredient declarations, net weight statements, and allergen warnings.
- Software Proficiency:
- Comfort navigating Adobe Creative Cloud software (principally Illustrator and Acrobat) for asset verification and proofing; hands-on experience utilizing Photoshop for light image retouching (color correction, background cleanup, minor graphic edits) a plus.
- Working knowledge of Canva for quick-turn internal mockups or ad hoc creative requests.
- Experience with Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems and project management/workflow tools strongly preferred.
- PDF markup/annotation tools (MediaBox or similar proofing platforms) for redlines and approval routing.
- Can-Do Attitude: Self-motivated, should be adaptable and willing to learn new processes and tackle new challenges.
- Detail-Oriented & Process-Driven: Focused on operational efficiency & driving business growth.
- Key Competencies: Impeccable attention to detail, highly organized, and possess strong diplomatic communication skills required to manage competing priorities between creative desire and operational/regulatory constraint.
Salary : $60,000 - $80,000