Director of Creative Production

BrownTrout Publishers; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A publishing company in California is seeking a Director of Creative Production to lead and mentor the Creative Services department. This role requires overseeing the end-to-end production process for over 800 calendar products annually, ensuring high standards of quality and consistency. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree and 8-10+ years of experience in creative production, preferably in print publishing. Strong leadership and project management skills are essential for success in this fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience in creative production, print publishing, or related industry.
• 3–5+ years of experience leading creative teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Expert knowledge of print processes and production workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Creative Services department and manage production timelines.
• Oversee product development from concept through delivery.
• Ensure high product quality and maintain vendor relationships.

Skills

Creative leadership

Project management

Communication

Team management

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Publishing

Tools

Adobe Suite

Canto DAM system

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

At BrownTrout, we create calendars that are as inspiring as they are functional—products people live with every day. We’re looking for a detail-driven Director of Creative Production who can bring together strong leadership, high creative standards and production excellence to deliver compelling products that meet business goals while maintaining exceptional quality and consistency.

Role

As Director of Creative Production, you’ll lead the Creative Services department, while coordinating with other company divisions, in end-to-end development and execution of more than 800 proprietary and licensed calendar products annually. This includes leading and mentoring all Creative Services staff; managing scheduling, planning, product development and production activities; and working within an annual budget while producing and delivering on time to meet clients’ demands.

Responsibilities

• Production Oversight: Provide strategic leadership for all creative and production processes to deliver high-quality products on time, on budget, and aligned with business objectives
• Production Oversight: Own and optimize annual production planning, budgets, resource allocation and seasonal workflows, including vendor coordination and risk mitigation
• Production Oversight: Oversee sales collateral and catalog production, ensuring alignment with Sales team needs
• Production Oversight: Maintain and improve production processes, documentation, and communication across internal teams and external partners
• Production Oversight: Manage relationships with vendors, consultants, and outsource partners, including communication of specifications, timelines, and deliverables

• Product Development: Oversee end-to-end development of proprietary and licensed products, from concept through delivery of press-ready files
• Product Development: Lead seasonal licensed and proprietary product planning, including prospecting, vetting, and stakeholder alignment
• Product Development: Ensure high standards of design, editorial quality, branding consistency, and market viability across all products
• Product Development: Contribute to creative direction and approval of key design elements
• Product Development: Partner with Operations team to define product specifications and ensure accurate execution in templates and final production files

• Quality Control: Ensure product quality by reviewing samples, proofs, and final outputs to meet company standards
• Quality Control: Assist in managing vendor communication to maintain accurate specifications and resolve production issues
• Quality Control: Maintain approval workflows to ensure final signoff from internal and external stakeholders, including licensors and partners
• Quality Control: Oversee data accuracy and reporting across systems
• Quality Control: Recruit, manage, and develop a team of employees, freelancers, and contractors
• Quality Control: Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture focused on support, creativity and continuous improvement
• Quality Control: Lead training, team-building, and professional development initiatives
• Quality Control: Implement cross-training to ensure team flexibility, knowledge sharing, and coverage

Qualifications

Previous Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Publishing, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 8-10+ years of experience in creative production, print publishing, or related industry.
• 3–5+ years of experience leading creative teams, or management role, in publishing, print production, or agency work with a strong track record of managing multiple workstreams in a fast-paced publishing environment.
• Demonstrated previous experience in print design and print production, applying vision and judgment for consistency, and creative innovation in new product ventures.
• Experience working within a global retail, licensing or branded content development.
• A proven and substantial history of meeting demanding production schedules and budgets.
• Experience partnering with multiple stakeholders, including creative, sales and operations teams, as well as executive level decision-makers.
• Prior sourcing of manufacturing vendors domestically and internationally is a plus.

Technical Knowledge

• Expert knowledge of print processes, color management, production workflows, packaging and print manufacturing specifications, paper stock, foil stamp, print finishes etc.
• Working knowledge of Adobe Suite on Mac OS, Canto DAM system, various project management systems, Zoom, Splashtop, Microsoft Office including Excel, Teams, One Drive and Outlook, and database platforms. Knowledge of Filemaker a plus.
• Advanced skills in a Mac production environment and server system, including all related software and systems and ability to troubleshoot basic Mac technical problems. Knowledge of Windows OS a benefit.

Soft Skills

• Excellent communicator and collaborator across creative, technical, and business functions.
• Ability to see the big picture and plot multiple projects simultaneously with high-speed project management.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to guide creative teams through timelines and decision points.
• Able to work closely with executive decision-makers, guiding projects and new product development, to achieve their vision for the product line.
• Thrives in a fast-moving environment and knows how to keep work progressing without sacrificing quality.
• Strong creative judgment with the ability to balance brand quality, business goals, and performance outcomes.
• Strong ownership mindset with a bias for action, clarity, and follow through.
• Passionate about coaching, mentoring, and building a high-performing team.