Associate Production Manager Jobs in Montclair, NJ

Macmillan is hiring a Production Manager to manage the production/manufacturing of approximately 72 conversions a year in varying complexity. This position will manage all aspects of print production for paperback conversions of children's books, including picture books, chapter books, novelty books, and graphic novels, ensuring high quality, cost-effectiveness, and timely delivery by coordinating with internal teams and external domestic and overseas printers and suppliers. This entails preparing preliminary and final cost estimates; issuing production schedules; issuing purchase orders for book components, text printing and binding; trafficking production materials; and managing quality control throughout the process. On an as needed basis, to also work on original titles to allow for level loading across the department.

What You'll Do:

Production Management

• Oversee the entire lifecycle: composition, prepress, printing, binding, and final delivery
• Manage paperback conversions for 1-color and 4-color titles.
• Route (PDFs) for text and covers, managing color and text corrections as needed
• Review digital and physical proofs (color, text, quality) and address issues
• Ensure all products meet safety and testing requirements

Project & Budget Control

• Manage title budgets, cost estimates, purchase orders, and invoices
• Track production schedules and deadlines across all manufacturing stages
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and suggest alternative materials or processes

Vendor & Supplier Relations

• Source and manage relationships with domestic and overseas printers, binderies, and component suppliers under the supervision of the Associate Director
• Negotiate pricing, monitor vendor performance, and ensure quality standards are met under the supervision of the Associate Director

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Managing Editorial, Design, and various teams to solve production challenges
• Provide manufacturing insights and options to internal stakeholders

Reporting & Communication

• Provide regular updates on title progress and production status
• Maintain clear, concise reports for senior management.

What You'll Bring:

• Ability to prioritize
• Must be highly organized and detail minded
• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness in work
• Works collaboratively with others in a professional manner
• Able to adapt to changes, delays and unexpected events
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a rapidly changing, deadline-driven environment.
• Anticipates, identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner
• Working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Working knowledge of Biblio
• Working knowledge of RSuite specifically or experience with Digital Workflow Systems and Digital Asset Management Systems
• Knowledge of the Google platform

This role will have an annual salary of $70,000.

We are currently seeking NYC-based candidates.

This position is classified as remote but is tied to our New York, NY office located at 120 Broadway. Employment is subject to New York State tax withholding under applicable regulations.

Macmillan Publishers is the U.S. trade company that is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned group of media companies headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Holtzbrinck Publishing Group's publishing companies include prominent imprints around the world that publish a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats.

U.S. publishers include Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, The St. Martin's Publishing Group, and Tor Publishing Group. In the UK, Australia, India, and South Africa, companies in the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group publish under the Pan Macmillan name. The German publishing company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Rowohlt, and Droemer Knaur.

Macmillan is proud to be an equal opportunity employer consistently striving to foster a culture where everyone belongs. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities. Qualified applicants are evaluated without regard to race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, physical ability, neurodiversity, genetic information, protected veteran status, family and economic status and background or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We prohibit discrimination of any kind and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.