Print Production Automation Engineer

Mercury Print Productions•Rochester, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Mercury Print Productions is looking for a Print Production Automation Engineer to join our team! Unleash Your Potential with Mercury, where we're not just a printing company — we're a family. With a proud legacy spanning years in the industry, we're dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in educational printing. Our commitment to innovation drives us to continually invest in cutting-edge technology and machinery, giving our employees opportunity to be at the forefront of the field. We're seeking a Print Production Automation Engineer to join our dynamic team. If you're a hardworking, motivated individual with a passion for print, we want to hear from you. Check out the details below and click apply if you are interested in joining the team!

Requirements

7+ years of experience in commercial print production, workflow automation, prepress, production systems, or related print technology environments.
Demonstrated experience implementing process improvements, automation solutions, integrations, or workflow enhancements.
Experience working with cross-functional teams to solve operational challenges through technology.
Experience supporting and improving print production workflows and manufacturing processes.
Strong understanding of commercial print production workflows and manufacturing processes.
Knowledge of job preparation, file processing, imposition concepts, digital printing workflows, and production job lifecycle management.
Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills.
Demonstrated ability to challenge assumptions and identify opportunities for improvement.
Ability to balance innovation with practical operational requirements.
Experience with workflow automation concepts and process design.
Working knowledge of structured data formats such as XML, JSON, and CSV.
Understanding of APIs, system integrations, and automated data exchange.
Ability to analyze and improve information flow between business and production systems.
Ability to read, understand, troubleshoot, and safely modify workflow logic, scripts, automation processes, and system configurations.
Comfortable working with software developers, vendors, and AI-assisted development tools.
Understanding of testing, validation, change management, and deployment practices.
Experience in authoring technical documentation.
Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Strong relationship-building, negotiation, and collaboration skills.
Ability to influence outcomes through expertise, communication, collaboration, and consensus-building rather than formal authority.
Demonstrated ability to support organizational change and technology adoption.
Must be of legal working age and eligible to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of finishing, bindery, mailing, or downstream production processes is desirable.
Experience with one or more of the following is desirable: Kodak Prinergy Rules Based Automation, Enfocus Switch, Enfocus PitStop, Power Automate, Ultimate Impostrip, Fiery, JDF / JMF workflows, PDF-based production workflows, MIS-to-production system integrations, Production automation, workflow orchestration platforms, Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Printing Technology, Graphic Communications, Information Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Engineering Technology, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

Analyze print production and business processes to identify opportunities for improvement, standardization, integration, and automation.
Ability to challenge inefficient processes.
Design, build, implement, and continuously improve technology solutions that enhance operational capabilities and reduce manual effort.
Configure, maintain, and optimize print production technologies, workflow platforms, and system integrations.
Work with operational and technical teams at all levels of the organization to understand business requirements and translate them into practical, sustainable solutions.
Lead process improvement and technology initiatives from concept through implementation, ensuring solutions are documented, maintainable, broadly understood, and adopted for long-term success.
Evaluate existing workflows, procedures, and assumptions to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
Troubleshoot production systems, workflows, and integrations.
Research and evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and methods that support operational objectives and continuous improvement initiatives.
Maintain an active presence on the Shop Floor to understand production challenges, identify improvement opportunities, and ensure technology solutions align with real-world operational requirements.
Observe production processes to identify unnecessary manual touchpoints.
Engage operators and supervisors to understand workflow challenges.
Participate in operational discussions to understand evolving business needs.
Develop a practical understanding of upstream and downstream process impacts before recommending change.
Demonstrate curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to challenge existing assumptions in pursuit of better outcomes.
Identify opportunities for improvement that others may overlook.
Propose practical solutions to long-standing operational challenges.
Continuously seek ways to reduce complexity, eliminate waste, and improve efficiency.
Lead technology initiatives, build trust and credibility across departments while encouraging the successful adoption of new ways of working.
Design and deploy workflow automation and integration solutions.
Implement improvements that reduce manual effort and improve information flow.
Coordinate testing, documentation, training, and rollout activities.
Share knowledge and establish practices that reduce reliance on individual expertise.
Communicate the purpose and benefits of improvement initiatives.
Build consensus among stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives.
Collaborate with teams to support adoption of improved processes and technologies.
Balance innovation with reliability, maintainability, and long-term team success.
Validate and test workflow changes before deployment.
Document automation solutions, workflows, and system configurations.
Understand risks before implementing production changes.
Design solutions that can be maintained, supported, and understood by the broader team.
Continuously work to develop skills / knowledge and complete all training required by the company
Be a team player, communicate clearly and respectfully and maintain a positive attitude
Be dependable, reliable, and consistently perform high quality work meeting company production standards
Create a safe and hazard free work environment; follow safety protocols and report any risks
Perform other duties as needed / assigned
Adhere to all company and department policies and procedures