Ref#: PRO.PRN.PMG1

Department: Print Division

Reporting To: President

Job Summary
As the Manager, Print Solutions you will be responsible for maintaining balance between the cost and profitability of our products. You will report directly to the President but will also interact frequently with the Executive Management in the company. You will develop estimates and pricing for parts, subassemblies and finished products while coordinating print projects from concept through to shipping. You are also responsible for preparing cost analyses and assisting with large scale bids, by reviewing material, labour and overhead costs incurred in the manufacturing process.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities shall include but not be limited to:

Estimating

• Prepare estimates and develop pricing for standard and custom products using a computerized quoting module.
• Review all custom projects for manufacturability before estimating and production as part of the Production Review Team.
• Prepare and present cost analyses and pricing for small and large scale projects.
• Proactively develop spreadsheets and calculating tools to support the estimating process.
• Assign part numbers and prepare Bills of Materials for all estimates.
• Prepare work orders for production.
• Update and maintain raw material and labour costs in the estimating module.
• Develop a working knowledge of industry best suppliers and competitive prices, and stay abreast of pricing changes.
  

Print Coordination

• Review artwork received from the customer to ensure compliance with production specifications.
• Prepare artwork approvals from engineering part drawings for customer signoff.
• Collect artwork, engineering drawings for production layouts.
• Approve Production Layouts.
• Track all print jobs and finalize delivery dates with the printer.
• Resolve all prepress and print related issues with printers.
• Perform quality control checks and approvals on all printed parts.
• Prepare and maintain job dockets and quality control paperwork.
  

Print Buying

• Acts as a liaison between the company and printing services suppliers.
• Prepare print specifications and purchase orders.
• Attend press approvals as required.
• Liaise with printers to obtain special pricing on custom projects.
• Negotiate pricing with printers.
• Collaborate with printers to determine the most economical way to prepare and run jobs.
  

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of the print production process from concept to design. This person should also have experience creating print specifications and experience with press approvals.
• A degree from a recognized institution in Business Administration plus 3 or more years of experience in print production or print procurement.
• Should understand the differences between printing processes (i.e. digital, flexographic, screen, sheet fed and web printing).
• A broad knowledge of many types of prepress, printing, bindery and manufacturing processes.
• Should have experience selecting qualified printers based on their equipment and capabilities.
• Must be highly organized with a strong attention to detail, ability to multitask and be flexible in a very challenging and fast paced work environment.
• Preference will be given to individuals with additional job related training in manufacturing operations and estimating procedures.
• Must possess strong communication skills.
• High level of computer literacy with spreadsheets, word processing and database software and/or business systems (Microsoft Word, Access, Excel; Adobe Illustrator).
• Good analytical and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently and adjust to changing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Familiarity with ERP computer systems an asset.
  

Relation of the position to others in the company

• Will need to interact with sales, customer service, production and engineering, and finance