Production Associate

Production Associate – NEW YORK, NY (Union Square Gift) Department: Production Reports to: Director, Manufacturing Summary: Union Square Gift, a gift and stationery division within Hachette Book Group, is seeking a Production Associate to coordinate manufacturing responsibilities for frontlist titles. These primary responsibilities include costing, scheduling, and ordering manufacturing for a diverse line of gift products and books. This role is located in Hachette's New York office on a hybrid basis. The ideal candidate will be motivated to ensure all assigned titles are manufactured to the highest degree of quality and delivered on time in order to make expected warehouse release dates. Candidates need to be capable of working on gift and stationery products in a deadline-driven and team-oriented environment. Candidates must be able to work well with all vendors, editors, designers, production coordinators, inventory coordinators, and sales representatives in local and remote offices to execute successfully the responsibilities listed below with supervision. Responsibilities:

• Effectively and efficiently coordinates all phases of project production and manufacturing dealing with editorial, design, sales, and inventory.
• Monitors production schedules through coordination with outside vendors as well as all relevant in- house departments to ensure on-time delivery.
• Oversees manufacturing of product from predominantly oversees vendors for an assigned set of titles.
• Works with Manager to monitor and maintain desired schedules, cost, and quality. Evaluate and recommend best method for manufacturing, packaging and assembly.
• Coordinates all estimating and printing requests as designated by Inventory to ensure schedule fidelity.
• Attends and participates in regular vendor meetings.
• Analyzes production specifications in order to propose cost-saving measures. Communicates alternative specifications to editorial and design departments.
• Works under minimal supervision, keeping Manager and imprints informed of any service disruption or vendor quality issues. Communicates such issues to the vendor in collaboration with Manager.
• Prepares cost estimates, purchase orders and shipping instructions from Hachette's title management system as required by vendors and Cost Accounting.
• Maintains accurate specification and scheduling information in company databases.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Organized, creative, flexible, and able to prioritize.
• Experience with development and manufacturing of gift and stationery items.
• Thorough, accurate, and articulate verbal and written communication skills.
• Can collaborate well with a diverse team of internal and external stakeholders.
• Can utilize technology where appropriate to improve workflow.
• Proficiency in Excel and analyzing and organizing data.
• Familiar with MS Office skills. Mac skills a plus.
• Comfortable in Adobe Acrobat a plus.
• Strong communication and negotiating skills.
• Seeks continuous improvement and innovates solutions.
• Maintains grace under pressure in a high-energy, fast-paced environment.