Xerox

Position Overview:

We are looking for a high-energy, relentless Print Buyer to oversee the production, vendor management, and execution of both high-volume commercial prints. This isn't a "sit behind a desk and send emails" role. We need a person who is focused on quality, deadlines, and budgetary precision—someone who takes personal ownership of everything from a 10,000-piece direct mail campaign to a custom-fabricated building wrap. It is expected that you will be on-site at least three days per week, engaging with clients and supervising the project.

You will be part of an international team and must be able to function independently in this hybrid role. You will be the primary bridge between our creative team and our external vendors, ensuring that every deliverable—whether it’s a brochure in a student’s hand or a graphic bolted to a wall—is delivered on time, on budget, and up to standard.

Key Responsibilities:

• Full-Spectrum Sourcing & Quoting: Manage the RFP process for diverse project types. You will solicit competitive quotes for standard commercial print (brochures, viewbooks, stationery) and large-format environmental graphics and custom installations.
• Commercial Print Oversight: Manage the production of traditional marketing collateral. This includes selecting the right paper stocks, supervising offset and digital runs, and ensuring finishing touches (folding, binding, die-cutting) meet brand standards.
• Aggressive Vendor Management: Act as the primary point of contact for a diverse roster of suppliers. You are responsible for holding vendors accountable to their initial quotes, lead times, and quality promises.
• End-to-End Project Oversight: Manage the full lifecycle of production, including material sourcing, reviewing digital and physical proofs, and coordinating complex on-campus installations.
• Proactive Problem Solving: Don’t wait for a delay to happen. You should be on the phone daily, tracking orders, verifying specs, and pre-emptively clearing roadblocks for both mail drops and site installs.
• Quality Control & Press Checks: Conduct on-site inspections for installations and press checks for critical print runs. If a color profile is off or a registration is fuzzy, you’re the one who catches it and demands a fix.
• Financial Integrity: Review and approve final invoices against original quotes. You ensure there are no "hidden fees" and that the project stays strictly within the approved budget.

Required Skills & Traits:

• The "Pitbull" Mentality: You possess a fierce sense of urgency. You aren't afraid to pick up the phone and have tough conversations with suppliers to ensure our projects stay on track and on budget.
• Technical Print Expertise: Deep knowledge of offset and digital printing, ink-to-paper behavior, and finishing techniques, alongside an understanding of large-format substrates (vinyl, acrylic, dibond, etc.).
• Analytical Estimating: Ability to look at a project spec—whether it's a 32-page catalog or a wayfinding system—and know what it should cost. You negotiate from a position of technical knowledge.
• Logistics & Distribution Mastery: Ability to juggle dozens of concurrent projects, from coordinating mail-house deliveries to managing multi-day installation crews.
• Radical Transparency: You keep meticulous records and provide concise updates so stakeholders are never left wondering about a project’s status or spend.

Qualifications:

• Exceptional proficiency in spoken and written English skills.
• 3–5 years of experience in print buying, production management, or signage installation.
• Extensive experience working with commercial printers and mail houses.
• Proven track record of managing external vendors and holding them to high standards.
• Ability to read floor plans, technical elevations, and complex print production specifications.
• Experience navigating the unique logistical challenges of a large-scale campus or corporate environment.