Director, Print Supply Operations

Great Minds•Washington, DC

22d•$177,000 - $197,000•Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Business Operations Officer, the Director, Print Supply Operations owns the end-to-end print strategy and execution for Great Minds. This role is accountable for both the strategic plan and day-to-day operation of the print ecosystem—from RFQs and purchase orders through manufacturing, delivery, and vendor performance management. The Director will ensure that printed instructional materials are produced to the highest quality standards, delivered on time, and sourced cost-effectively, while sustaining a high-performing supplier and paper network capable of supporting demand volatility, large state adoptions, and long-term growth. This role operates with enterprise-wide scope and at the leadership level, serving as the executive owner of print manufacturing, cost, and risk outcomes.

Requirements

7+ years of hands-on experience in print operations within K–12 educational publishing.
Experience leading teams and managers within a complex manufacturing or supply chain environment.
3+ years managing an annual budget of $50M – $100M annually.
Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of the print production process, from RFQs and POs through delivery.
Deep working knowledge of BMI standards and instructional print manufacturing best practices.
Proven experience managing printer, binder, and paper mill relationships.
Willingness and ability to travel to manufacturing sites as needed.
Strong leadership, negotiation, and executive communication skills.
Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and execution levels in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting large state adoptions and BTS-driven demand cycles.
Experience navigating paper market volatility and supply constraints.
Recognized subject-matter expert in K–12 instructional print manufacturing at scale.

Responsibilities

End-to-End Print Strategy and Operations Ownership
Define and own the multi-year print manufacturing strategy aligned to Great Minds’ growth plan, state adoption pipeline, and margin targets.
Own the full print lifecycle, including RFQ development, vendor quoting, cost analysis, purchase order execution, production oversight, and final delivery.
Ensure accurate translation of demand forecasts into print orders, reprint schedules, and production timelines.
Establish and continuously improve operational processes, controls, and documentation governing print execution.
Serve as the escalation point for production issues, schedule risk, quality defects, or delivery failures.
Provide leadership representation at company and vendor meetings for print capacity planning for all major state adoptions, with authority to commit suppliers and capital ahead of demand.
Print Supplier & Paper Strategy
Define and manage the print supplier portfolio, including primary and secondary printers.
Establish and maintain working relationships with paper mills to support pricing strategy, supply continuity, and risk mitigation.
Lead competitive RFPs and strategic sourcing initiatives, including contract negotiation and supplier selection.
Recommend and execute near-shore/off-shore and capacity-reservation strategies to protect revenue during peak cycles.
Develop contingency strategies for paper availability, capacity constraints, and market disruption.
Own enterprise print risk management, including supply continuity, paper exposure, geopolitical risk, and disaster recovery planning.
Quality, Standards, & Manufacturing Oversight
Ensure all printed products meet or exceed Book Manufacturing Institute (BMI) standards and Great Minds’ internal quality requirements.
Maintain deep technical expertise in K–12 instructional print specifications, including trim sizes, binding methods, paper types, durability requirements, and accessibility considerations.
Travel periodically to domestic and international manufacturing sites to audit quality, review processes, and strengthen supplier relationships.
Partner with Quality Assurance and Production teams to address root causes of defects and drive continuous improvement.
Vendor Performance & Relationship Management
Own senior-level relationships with print suppliers and paper partners, holding vendors accountable to cost, quality, and service expectations.
Lead structured QBRs focused on performance metrics, forward capacity, cost trends, and improvement initiatives.
Resolve chronic or systemic vendor issues while maintaining long-term, collaborative partnerships.
Represent Great Minds in executive-level negotiations with strategic suppliers, paper mills, and manufacturing partners.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Financial Alignment
Partner with Demand Planning, Sales, Finance, Product Management, and Warehouse Operations to align print execution with revenue forecasts, margin targets, and fulfillment plans.
Provide clear visibility into print costs, risks, and capacity constraints to support executive decision-making.
Establish and monitor KPIs related to cost, service, quality, supplier reliability, and inventory outcomes.
Own print-related gross margin performance, with direct accountability for cost structure, yield loss, obsolescence risk, reprint economics, and supplier pricing outcomes.
Create and own a portfolio of margin-improvement initiatives as part of continuous improvement efforts, including spec optimization, vendor consolidation, and paper strategy.
Partner with Finance to forecast and explain print cost variance at the executive and leadership levels.
Serve as executive incident lead during print-related business continuity events.