Production Manager - eBooks & Backlist

Sourcebooks•Naperville, IL

38d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sourcebooks is seeking a Production Manager of eBooks & Backlist who possesses deep technical expertise, leadership, and a love of books for a fast-moving publishing environment. This role is crucial for ensuring backlist and digital titles are produced with the highest quality, accuracy, and care. The Production Manager will report to the Associate Director of Production and lead a team of Production Specialists responsible for preparing, correcting, quality-checking, and delivering print and digital files. Key responsibilities include overseeing daily workflows, troubleshooting production challenges, collaborating with various departments, and refining processes to support speed, accuracy, and innovation. The goal is to ensure efficient, consistent, and high-quality title production.

Requirements

8+ years of book production experience, including print and digital publishing workflows.
People management experience with a proven ability to coach, mentor, and build strong teams.
Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud, especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Strong typography, layout, and design skills with a sharp eye for file accuracy and production quality.
In-depth knowledge of print specifications, file types, preflight standards, and production methods including offset, digital, and POD.
Experience with eBook production tools and workflows, including XML-based processes and platforms such as Vellum.
Strong technical troubleshooting skills and the ability to resolve complex production challenges.
Excellent organizational, communication, and time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities and deadlines.
A collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset with curiosity, adaptability, and a passion for process improvement.
Must love books!

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and support a team of Production Specialists focused on eBook and backlist production.
Manage day-to-day production workflows, ensuring projects are assigned, prioritized, and completed on schedule.
Oversee file preparation, corrections, preflight, quality review, and final delivery for print and digital formats.
Serve as a technical resource and escalation point for complex file issues, vendor discrepancies, and production blockers.
Collaborate with Editorial, Production Editorial, Design, Marketing, vendors, and other cross-functional teams to meet project goals.
Ensure files meet print, digital, art, image, and vendor specifications while maintaining consistency across projects.
Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve documentation, and increase efficiency through best practices and new technologies.
Support capacity planning, workload balancing, and scheduling decisions by flagging risks and helping the team stay on track.
Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and high-quality execution.