Print Technology Manager

District Photo Inc.; Beltsville (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Sick and safe leave

Life insurance

Medical

Dental

Vision

Short/long term disability

Job summary

District Photo Inc. seeks a Print Technology Manager to lead printing technologies across multiple sites.

You will serve as the primary liaison between internal teams and external suppliers such as Canon, Ricoh and HP, driving innovative solutions into production and ensuring timely implementation. As a technology leader within the Operations team, you will maximize uptime, improve quality and cost-efficiency, and collaborate with other departments to support continuous improvement and strong

Qualifications

• Experience leading digital print technology operations and teams.
• Strong track record of improving uptime and reducing waste.
• Experience with lean and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proven ability to analyze production data to drive improvements.
• Excellent collaboration with internal teams and external vendors.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure uptime and output targets for presses as defined by contract.
• Maintain throughput per hour and optimize waste management.
• Review maintenance schedules and optimize downtime.
• Serve as primary escalation contact between partners and internal teams.
• Lead performance reviews and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Recommend and implement capex and technology upgrades.

Skills

Digital print technology

Equipment uptime

Process optimization

Lean Manufacturing

Root Cause Analysis

Vendor relationship management

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

At District Photo, our employees are the heart of our company. District Photo is seeking a Print Technology Manager to support our multi-site facilities.

The Print Technology Manager plays a pivotal role within District Photo serving as the primary liaison between internal teams and external suppliers, including Canon, Ricoh, and HP. This role is essential for maintaining strong, dynamic relationships with key partners, ensuring that innovative solutions are consistently identified, reviewed, and integrated into production processes. By fostering open communication channels, the Print Technology Manager enables rapid response to any production disruptions, minimizing downtime and maintaining operational continuity.

As a technology leader within the Operations team, this role is responsible for ensuring stability, maximizing uptime, and optimizing productivity, focusing on output, quality, and cost-efficiency. Regular updates and strategic solutions will be provided across all key printing technologies within District Photo, driving technological advancement and operational excellence.

Success in this role hinges on the ability to cultivate and grow customer relationships, proactively seeking opportunities for continuous engagement and strategic collaboration. The Print Technology Manager is a vital member of the Operations team, championing continuous improvement and working cohesively with all operational departments to achieve shared goals.

Key Responsibilities & Tasks

• Overall uptime of the presses agreed by contract (uptime, downtime and output)
• Maintaining the pre-agreed throughput per hour by the workflow planning team
• Monitoring and optimizing waste management processes to consistently maintain target percentage levels.
• Reviewing and maintaining planned maintenance schedules
• Point of contact for escalation between internal and external partners
• Weekly/Monthly/annual reviews of performance using their applications
• Driving statistics from the data supplied to the set standard
• Maintaining quality standards of output and consumables lifespans
• Supports Operations & Engineering with strategic plans
• Research new and future technologies, making recommendations as appropriate
• Attend daily production meetings and update on any issues which could cause a delivery date to be missed
• Ensure that products meet specification and quality standards
• Ensure efficient use of manpower and machinery, minimize downtime and maximize machine run rates
• Make recommendations and implement for continuous improvement
• Maintain a motivated work force and develop employees to reach their full potential
• Ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with the company's Health & Safety Policies
• Work collaboratively with other Production Management Teams to ensure success across all the production lines
• Provide input and advice on capex decisions
• Responsible for performance management of the direct reports
• Conduct 1-2-1 and return to work interviews for direct reports
• Involvement in external customer visits when required and to make sure that visits run smoothly

401K, paid vacation, paid holidays, sick and safe leave, life insurance, medical, dental, vision, and short/long term disability benefits.

Culture

At DPI, our success is powered by our people and its client’s satisfaction ratings. Our culture allows employees to be engaged, empowered, and rewarded. We are a diverse and inclusive company who seeks to expand our brand by hiring collaborative individuals who think outside of the box. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all of our employees and visitors. Check Us Out

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Print Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field strongly preferred
• 5+ years of experience in digital print technology, manufacturing engineering, equipment reliability, process engineering, or technical operations leadership, including responsibility for equipment uptime, troubleshooting, and process optimization
• 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory role
• Advanced analytical skills with demonstrated experience using production, equipment, and quality data to drive process improvements, improve uptime, and reduce waste
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing, Root Cause Analysis, Failure Analysis, and Continuous Improvement methodologies to improve equipment performance and production efficiency
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience performing root cause analysis and solving complex equipment, process, or production issues.
• Experience working directly with OEMs, equipment manufacturers, or technical service organizations to implement equipment improvements and resolve performance issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading capital equipment projects including equipment selection, installation, commissioning, validation, and performance optimization.
• Experience managing equipment reliability programs, preventive maintenance strategies, and uptime performance metrics.
• Experience with OEE, MTBF, MTTR, statistical process control, or other manufacturing engineering performance metrics.

Performance Metrics

• Achievement of production KPIs: uptime, quality, delivery performance
• Cost savings through process improvement and waste reduction.
• Team performance, training, and retention
• Vendor responsiveness and relationship management

District Photo Inc.

Founded in 1949 by Melvin Cohen as a small black & white photo lab, the business grew during the last half of the 20th century into a large wholesale photofinishing lab serving mid-Atlantic retailers and a national mail order film business. In the late 1990's under Neil Cohen’s leadership, DPI acquired a photo business in the UK and has transitioned from a mid-Atlantic film developing lab to multiple state-of-the-art digital labs shipping millions of photos worldwide every day.

Today, District is one of the largest variable data printing companies in the world as their facilities comprise over a million square feet of manufacturing space with a global reach that sets them apart in the digital printing market. With 7 production fulfillment facilities located in the United States (MD, PA, KY, AZ), England, the Czech Republic & Australia, District Photo is the leader in creating photo-based products as they deliver millions of prints, greeting cards, books, calendars, blankets, mugs, and other gift items yearly.