Remote Freelance Manufacturing Jobs (NOW HIRING)

W. W. Norton & Company is seeking an organized, motivated, and methodical Production Manager to join the Digital Publishing, Production, and Design (DPPD) group. The DPPD team produces Norton's print books, ebooks, and media for several editorial departments, including Norton Lifetime Learning, the publishing group dedicated to empowering adult learners to build skills, advance their careers, and pursue interests beyond traditional degree programs. This position primarily manages print book production for the Norton Professional Books imprint in Norton Lifetime Learning.

Production Managers work cross-functionally to oversee book projects from manuscript to publication. Throughout this process, they coordinate internally to ensure timely delivery of manuscript materials, work with external vendors and freelancers on designs, illustrations, and composition; deliver book interior and cover files to manufacturing; and ensure timely delivery of book shipments to Norton's warehouse for subsequent distribution.

Norton is a highly collaborative company: while assignments are completed independently, success requires daily coordination with editorial, manuscript editing, design, digital production, metadata, and operations. Strong technical acumen, project management skills, and transparent communication-particularly in this remote role-are essential.

This position reports to the Director of Digital Publishing, Production, and Design.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Planning, Communication, and Coordination

• Act as primary point person for Norton Professional Books print and reprint production
• Advise on print production and manufacturing specifications, workflows, and questions at project planning, kickoff, and status meetings
• Consult with Norton Lifetime Learning team to understand project goals and provide estimates, production strategies, trade-offs, and constraints
• Maintain a production report to track status for all your assigned projects
• Create and manage schedules for all production dependencies (book interiors and components) through their phases, ensuring dates are realistic, attainable, and clearly communicated
• Communicate regularly with Norton Lifetime Learning team, vendors, and colleagues across marketing, metadata, operations, warehouse, and digital production, to resolve blockers and ensure timely delivery of project materials and dependencies

Production

• Manage art direction process for interiors and covers, working with art director and, as needed, hiring freelance designers to create text and illustration designs
• Track permissions-clearing for any licensed content used in books or covers
• Hire and manage freelance compositors for text layout and typesetting
• Route page proofs, traffic and archive corrections for text and covers, and manage passes through editorial and composition until files are finalized for printing
• Coordinate with Norton Professional Books leadership and operations to determine print/bind quantities, and work with manufacturing vendors to schedule, purchase paper, print, and ship all books and components on schedule
• Guide reprint decisions in consultation with Norton Professional Books leadership
• Manage reprints for all Norton Professional Books by tracking corrections, and writing and submitting purchase orders; includes management of print-on-demand (POD) titles
• Manage production and art direction for Continuing Education book packets for Norton Lifetime Learning, redesigning disparate chapter layouts into a cohesive, unified package, integrating references and covers, and redacting permissive material
• Ensure timely processing of all invoices for your projects
• Prepare and deliver book files for archiving at the completion of each project

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in print book production management and book manufacturing
• Experience collaborating with remote teams
• Experience maintaining version control for large, dependency-heavy projects
• Strong organization, independence, discipline, and self-motivation
• Excellent written and verbal communication and responsiveness
• Strong time management and prioritization skills
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Demonstrated systems-thinking and a holistic understanding of interconnected processes and improvements
• Employment eligibility to work with W.W. Norton & Company in the US is required.
• While this position is fully remote, occasional travel may be required.
• Must be able to work full business hours.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe InDesign, and Acrobat
• Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop
• Familiarity with project management and collaboration tools like Smartsheet, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint

Compensation and Benefits*

Currently available benefits include:

• Annual compensation for this position is $65,000-70,000. All salaries and salary ranges posted by Norton may vary depending on experience, skills, location, and like considerations.
• Generous paid time off, paid holidays, and summer Friday afternoons beginning in July
• Generous health benefits, including PPO, EPO, and High Deductible (with HSA) medical insurance options, vision insurance, dental insurance, flexible spending accounts for healthcare, dependent care and commuter, gym membership reimbursement, and more. Coverage for spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children is available.
• Profit-Sharing and 401(k) benefit plan with discretionary contribution matching by employer
• Disability and life insurances
• FMLA, parental and other leave
• Employee Assistance Program (for mental health, financial planning, and other needs)
• Company-provided laptop
• Employee discounts on Norton books
• Limited matching of employee donations to select non-profit organizations

*All policies and benefits described are subject to change at any time.