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Job Description
As posted by the hiring company
Job Overview:
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.
