Lead Litho Press Operator

Social Influence•Garner, NC

15d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Litho Press Operator provides hands-on leadership for daily operations and maintenance in the Litho Press department. This role sets the pace for safety, quality, and throughput—coordinating crew assignments, ensuring efficient make-ready and color control, resolving press issues, and supporting continuous improvement. This position partners closely with Scheduling, Prepress, Bindery, and Quality teams to meet customer specifications, delivery commitments, and plant performance goals.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in offset lithography, preferably with Heidelberg sheetfed presses (e.g., Speedmaster) or similar
Strong expertise in make-ready, color management, and troubleshooting multi-color presses (aqueous/UV coating experience is a plus)
Solid understanding of substrates, ink/water balance, coatings, and pressroom chemistry
Ability to read and interpret job tickets, proofs, color standards, and prepress documentation
Proven leadership experience as a lead operator or senior pressman
Basic computer skills and familiarity with press consoles and quality systems
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical tasks including standing, walking, and material handling
Comfortable working in a production environment with noise, chemicals, and required PPE
Willingness to work assigned shifts, overtime, and weekends as needed

Nice To Haves

aqueous/UV coating experience

Responsibilities

Lead start-of-shift huddles covering safety, priorities, quality focus, and crew assignments
Coordinate crew assignments across Heidelberg presses based on workload and skillsets
Troubleshoot press issues including registration, color, sheet handling, marking, scumming, streaking, and roller settings
Manage shift handoffs and ensure accurate documentation in job travelers and press logs
Oversee efficient make-ready processes including plate mounting, blanket/cylinder checks, ink/water balance, and changeovers
Verify imposition, plates, substrates, and ink sets prior to production; escalate issues as needed
Maintain color standards (density, ΔE, gray balance, G7 where applicable) and document results
Ensure proper documentation and traceability including lot tracking, line clearance, and label control
Enforce and support preventative maintenance (PMs) such as roller care, blankets, filters, and lubrication
Confirm readiness of tooling and consumables (plates, blankets, fountain solution, press chemistry, etc.)
Support root cause analysis for downtime, defects, and recurring issues
Operate offset presses as needed
Enforce all safety procedures including LOTO, machine guarding, and chemical handling
Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement
Perform other duties as assigned