Head of Design & Pre Press

Harrison Scott Associates; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging solutions provider is seeking an experienced Design and Pre Press Leader based in the United Kingdom. You will lead a creative team, manage the printing processes, and serve as a technical advisor on projects. The ideal candidate should have over 5 years of experience in packaging design, especially in Flexography, and strong skills in Adobe Creative Cloud. This position offers a vibrant work environment and a comprehensive relocation package.

Benefits

Comprehensive relocation package

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in packaging design and prepress.
• Flexography experience is mandatory.
• Expert understanding of ink behaviour on various substrates.

Responsibilities

• Lead creative team and serve as a technical bridge between client concepts and production.
• Oversee in-house plate-making processes to ensure quality.
• Meet clients to discuss new projects and technical feasibility.

Skills

Leadership

Attention to detail

Packaging design expertise

Technical consulting

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)

Esko

ArtPro or similar

Job description

Are you an experienced Design and Pre Press Leader with a strong background packaging production? We’re offering an exciting opportunity to relocate to a vibrant coastal destination. This is your chance to bring your expertise to a forward-thinking company that values innovation, precision, and growth—while enjoying a rewarding international experience and a comprehensive relocation package.

Role Summary

Our client is a manufacturer of corrugated cartons and labels seeking an experienced Graphic Design Team Lead. The successful candidate will not only lead the creative team but also serve as the technical bridge between client concepts and production reality. This is a technical leadership role requiring mastery of the full packaging lifecycle of printing on various substrates (Flexo/Offset), management of plate-making processes, and direct customer consultation to ensure design feasibility.

The candidate will also lead the design team, manage in-house and external plate manufacturing, and serve as the technical advisor to the Purchasing department for raw material selection.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design & Technical Prepress

• Lead the creation and adaptation of artwork for a wide variety of packaging formats, including corrugated carton, BOPP, PE, REH, Shrink Sleeves, and various adhesives.
• Apply precise trapping, bleed, colour separation, and distortion correction (specifically for shrink sleeves) to ensure print readiness.
• Ensure designs are optimized for specific printing technologies (Flexography)
• Implement and manage Expanded Gamut (7-color process) workflows to reduce spot colour usage and optimize press efficiency

• Expertly manage colour separation and screening based on ink technology:
  • UV Inks: Optimize for high-gloss, non-absorbent materials (Sleeves/Labels).
  • Water-Based Inks: Manage dot gain compensation and absorption for corrugated substrates

• Apply complex distortions (specifically for shrink sleeves) and trapping using industrial-grade software
• Printing Technology: Deep understanding of the chemical and physical differences between UV Curing Inks (for film/sleeves) and Water-Based Inks (for corrugated/absorbent substrates), including dot gain management and screening technologies

2. Plate Manufacturing Management

• Oversee the in-house plate-making process, ensuring equipment is maintained and plates meet high-quality standards.
• Manage relationships with external plate suppliers for specialized or overflow requirements, ensuring quality control and timely delivery.
• Minimise waste and setup times by ensuring plates are manufactured correctly the first time.

3. Customer Consultation & Project Management

• Meet with clients (B2B) to discuss new projects, understanding their branding needs while guiding them on technical feasibility.
• Analyse client artwork to determine compatibility with equipment capacity and constraints.
• Propose design modifications to customers to maximize print quality and production efficiency (Design for Manufacturing).

4. Team Leadership, Collaboration with Purchasing & Process Improvement

• Build, train, and mentor a team of junior designers and prepress operators.
• Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for file management, proofing, and approval workflows.
• Act as the technical lead in vetting new suppliers. You will assess the quality of inks, plates, and substrates (e.g., testing dyne levels on films) before the company commits to purchasing.
• Build, train, and mentor the design team on industry-standard software and workflows.
• Establish SOPs for file management and proofing to ensure zero-error production

Requirements

• Experience: Minimum 5–7 years of experience in packaging design and prepress (Flexography experience is mandatory).
• Substrate Knowledge: Expert understanding of ink behaviour on Carton, BOPP, PE, REH, and Shrink Sleeves.
• Technical Skills: Mastery of Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and packaging software (e.g., Esko, ArtPro, or similar).
• Plate Making: Hands-on experience with photopolymer plate processing (Cyrel or similar).
• Soft Skills: Strong leadership, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate technical constraints to non-technical clients.