Position Summary:  The pre-press manager is responsible for managing the process between sales and production assuring that customer expectations are met or exceeded and all orders flowing to the production floor are thoroughly vetted.

Essential Job Functions:

This position is required to manage the art and craft of designing graphics and structure for corrugated packaging and displays. This position requires the ability to interact with many departments at NEWW including Graphic Arts, Design, Digital, and Production.

• Responsible for routing items at the quote stage for accurate costing. Communicate with sales and customer service on plant capabilities and suggest alternatives when necessary.
• Manage the design or modification of artwork and structures in consideration of customer intent, structural design, and production capabilities.
• Become familiar with all relevant software, including but not limited to: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Artios, and Onyx.
• Manage the operation and maintenance of NEWW’s digital printers and the sample-cutting table for the creation of mockups.
• Quote digital produced projects through the use of NEWW’s equipment or request quotes from Digital vendors when necessary.
• When required solicit graphic, layout, and design input from production supervisors and machine operators.
• Maintain a superior level of internal communication with all other Supervisors, Managers and Machine Operators.
• Work with the Customer Service Manager to improve standardization of layouts and improved communication with the production floor via the Factory Ticket.
• Review layouts of new items to assure the factory information is accurate, complete in every respect and in agreement with the cad and print card.
• Manage the purchase of cutting dies, printing plates paying particular attention to providing the best combinations of rule and rubber for each specific design.
• Manage the check in procedure for new tooling.  Assure information is accurate and in agreement with requested particulars.
• Manage the purchase of litho printed sheets. Match best paper weights and litho vendors to each specific design.
• Manage the check in procedure for the quality of litho printed sheets.
• Keep obsolete tooling moving out of storage on an on-going basis.
• Manage the inventory of litho printed sheets and keep it in good condition.
• Make recommendations for the continuous improvement of design equipment, software, and procedures to improve productivity, efficiency, and safety.
• Handle additional tasks as directed by the General Manager.

Supervisory Responsibilities

All graphic designers, purge coordinators, digital coordinators and together with the Design Manager the structural designers.

Education and/or Experience

Superior communication skills and an understanding of converting equipment is essential.
A collaborative approach to the position is necessary.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze and interpret requests for artwork, design and communicate with managers and the sales force.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

Technical Skills

Advanced problem solving capability required.

Must have a working knowledge of the following:

• NEWW Quality standards
• Paper and combined board characteristics
• Common packaging designs

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the functions of the job.
Regularly required to: Talk, hear, sit and stand, lift up to 35 lbs. and climb stairs.
Specific vision abilities of this job include close vision, exceptional color vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Leadership Attributes

The individual must possess superior communication skills, time management skills, multi-tasking skills. This individual must maintain a professional appearance and respond in a professional manner to feedback, both positive and negative.

Performance Measurements

Operating standards in areas of quality, cost, safety, customer satisfaction, creativity, personal growth, employee relations, and productivity.

Job Type: Full Time