Production Artist

OLIPOP•Oakland, CA

10h•Remote

About The Position

OLIPOP is seeking a highly detail-oriented Production Artist to support packaging pilots, mechanical execution, file quality control, and final production delivery across its product portfolio. This role is crucial for ensuring packaging designs are production-ready, color-accurate, and flawlessly executed from concept through print production. The Production Artist will collaborate closely with the Senior Production Designer, designers, packaging partners, print vendors, and manufacturing teams to bring packaging to life, including hands-on involvement in pilots and press-adjacent workflows. This is an execution-focused role requiring strong technical expertise, precision, file discipline, and comfort working with complex production files. The primary focus is on translating approved creative into accurate, vendor-ready mechanicals while maintaining OLIPOP’s visual standards across SKUs, formats, substrates, and production partners, rather than concept design.

Requirements

3+ years of experience as a Production Artist in packaging, print, or a closely related production design role.
Deep experience building, updating, and releasing packaging mechanicals.
Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
Strong understanding of print production, substrates, prepress workflows, and press processes.
Experience supporting pilots, press checks, and production runs.
Strong file organization, version control, and quality control skills.
Ability to manage high-volume production updates across multiple SKUs, formats, and packaging versions.
High attention to detail and comfort working quickly and accurately under tight timelines.
Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with designers, vendors, printers, packaging partners, and internal cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

CPG or beverage packaging experience.
Working knowledge of INX Color and print color management.
Proficiency in Figma and 3D Rendering tools
Familiarity with flexo, digital, offset, and/or lithographic printing.
Experience working directly with manufacturers and print vendors
Experience with proofing and approval platforms.
Experience reviewing packaging files for production details such as UPCs, nutrition facts, claims, symbols, and required regulatory or legal elements.
Familiarity with sustainable packaging materials or packaging production considerations.
Light retouching, gradient preparation, or beauty-can/photo production support experience.

Responsibilities

Prepare, finalize, and release packaging mechanicals for print and production.
Support the Senior Production Designer in day-to-day packaging production execution, mechanical updates, proof preparation, and vendor-ready file handoffs.
Support packaging pilots and attend pilot runs or press-adjacent production events as needed (approximately 3–4 times per year; on-site travel required).
Manage dielines, bleeds, trapping, overprint, and print-ready specifications.
Support production updates across multiple SKUs, flavors, formats, and packaging versions while maintaining accuracy and consistency across the portfolio.
Collaborate with vendors and printers to troubleshoot production issues in real time, escalating key issues to the Senior Production Designer as needed.
Use INX Color to support color builds, separations, and print accuracy.
Ensure brand color consistency across substrates, formats, vendors, and production methods.
Review proofs, comps, and samples to ensure fidelity to approved designs.
Support Pantone-to-INX color translation and documentation in alignment with established brand and production standards.
Create accurate 2D packaging renders for internal reviews, sell-ins, and approvals.
Support quick-turn visualization needs for pilots, presentations, and leadership reviews.
Maintain accuracy between approved artwork, production mechanicals, and rendered outputs.
Help maintain render files and production asset libraries.
Maintain day-to-day version control, file hygiene, naming conventions, and release-ready packaging files in alignment with the Senior Production Designer’s workflow standards.
Conduct thorough QA on all mechanicals before release.
Ensure files meet printer and manufacturer specifications for all SKUs, formats, and substrates.
Verify that approved packaging copy, UPCs, nutrition facts, claims, legal/regulatory elements, symbols, and other required production details are accurately reflected in final mechanicals.
Support proof routing, markup tracking, and approval workflows in our proofing and approval systems.
Document production notes, vendor feedback, file changes, and recurring issues to help improve packaging production workflows over time.
Partner with designers to translate creative intent into accurate, production-ready artwork.