Print Procurement Specialist

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher•Tinley Park, IL

3d•$70,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher, Experts in Career and Technical Education (CTE), and an employee-owned company, is seeking a Print Procurement Specialist . This integral role will oversee all print procurement activities to ensure the delivery of high-quality printed products that meet schedule, cost, and inventory requirements. This position will follow a hybrid schedule, working a minimum of one day per week in our Tinley Park, Illinois office. Our compensation is market based and takes into account a variety of factors including the candidate’s skill set, experience level, internal equity, and location. For this position, we anticipate the starting salary falling between $70,000 and $85,000 per year. In addition, the company makes a 10% contribution to the Employee Stock Ownership Plan and a 4% matching contribution to the 401(k).

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in print procurement, book manufacturing, or publishing required.
Proven ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with vendors.
Demonstrated success managing multiple vendors, evaluating capabilities, driving accountability for schedule adherence, cost control, and quality standards.
Strong understanding of offset, digital, and print-on-demand processes, including paper selection, binding, prepress, press printing, and color standards.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally.
Excellent attention to detail, organizational strength, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to analyze unit costs, evaluate inventory strategies, and make data-driven decisions.
Comfortable with continuous improvement, workflow optimization, and leveraging technology to increase efficiency.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with ERP (NetSuite) system preferred.

Responsibilities

Vendor Management and Procurement
Identify, evaluate, and maintain strong relationships with paper merchants and print vendors.
Solicit manufacturing bids for printed products and inventoried items.
Negotiate contracts, pricing, service levels, quality standards, and payment terms.
Print Buying and Scheduling
Generate and process purchase orders for print runs, inventory purchases, and related materials.
Forecast paper and print demand based on production schedules, sales trends, and inventory plans.
Establish and maintain detailed print production schedules with vendors, monitoring progress to ensure on-time delivery.
Cost Management and Quality Control
Develop and analyze cost models to support purchasing decisions, including evaluating print-on-demand vs. inventory printing strategies.
Maintain accurate project budgets throughout project lifecycle and track actual expenses vs. budget for print projects.
Review and approve vendor invoices, including managing print overruns, shortages, and quality discrepancies.
Investigate and negotiate credits or corrective actions for quality issues or delivery problems.
Cross Functional Coordination
Participate in monthly demand planning/”run-out” meetings to anticipate printing needs and align production with inventory targets and customer demand.
Provide detailed print specifications, proof approvals, reprint corrections, and prepress/vendor communication to internal stakeholders.
Serve as primary internal contact for manufacturing updates, schedule changes, and production-related issues.