Production Specialist

J&L Marketing; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 48,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Health, Dental, Vision, and Disability

Company Paid Life Insurance

Vacation, PTO, Sick Time, and Holidays

401k With Company Match

Monthly Rideshare Credits

Professional Development Stipend

Office Gym Membership

Job summary

J&L Marketing in Louisville, KY, seeks a Production Specialist to drive direct mail campaigns from data prep to final production. You will lead data processing, campaign composition, and production file preparation while supporting operations with process improvements and project leadership.

The ideal candidate handles detailed customer data, learns production processes quickly, and leads initiatives within a fast-paced, deadline-driven team.

Qualifications

• Strong attention to detail across data, creative materials, and production files.
• Excel proficiency and comfort handling large customer data files.
• Organizational and time-management skills to manage multiple deadlines.
• Ability to learn technical systems, processes, and production requirements quickly.
• Strong problem-solving ability and independent troubleshooting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; leadership to take ownership.

Responsibilities

• Data Preparation & Campaign Processing: Clean, standardize, and validate data for campaigns.
• Campaign Composing & Production Files: Create personalized campaigns using templates and data; manage production files in InDesign.
• Link assets and maintain multiple campaign versions and proofs; generate final PDFs.
• Verify file setup, bleeds, dimensions, and print requirements; prepare files for printers.
• Project Leadership: Own projects from planning to completion with clear tasks and timelines.
• Coordinate work across team members and monitor progress to meet deadlines.
• Proactively identify obstacles and communicate risks and needs to the Production Manager.
• Operations support: Assist with day-to-day campaign needs and high-volume production flow.
• Track campaign information in internal systems; update statuses and details.
• Assist with system updates, list uploads, and production-related tasks across platforms.
• Perform quality checks to ensure accuracy and compliance; support audits and reporting.
• Support special projects and adapt to changing priorities within Operations.
• Serve as a flexible resource to cover additional responsibilities as needed.

Skills

Attention to detail

Microsoft Excel

Organizational skills

Time management

Learning new systems

Problem solving

Communication skills

Leadership

Teamwork

Adaptability

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Creative Cloud

CRM platforms

Project management software

Job description

Production Specialist

Location: Louisville, KY — Full-Time, In-Office
Department: Operations / Production
Reports To: Production Manager
Salary: $48,000–$60,000 annually, based on experience.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Production Specialist to support the execution of direct mail and marketing campaigns from data preparation through final production. This role will have a strong focus on data processing, campaign composing, quality assurance, and production file preparation, while also supporting key operational responsibilities across the Operations team. This role also provides project leadership, taking ownership of assigned initiatives and working closely with the Production Manager to organize team priorities and develop plans for completing projects.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working with detailed customer data, learning technical production processes, and managing multiple campaigns at different stages of production. This position requires someone with leadership skills who can identify discrepancies, troubleshoot issues, and maintain a high level of accuracy in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. They should also be flexible, team-oriented, and willing to jump and take initiative in wherever needed to support the Operations team and shifting business priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Data Preparation & Campaign Processing

• Clean and standardize data to ensure files are complete, accurate, and properly formatted before composing.
• Identify duplicates, missing information, formatting issues, and other data inconsistencies that could impact campaign execution.
• Manage TXT, CSV, Excel, and other data files used for campaign production and personalization.
• Ensure campaign quantities and final production data align with approved campaign specifications.

Campaign Composing & Production Files

• Compose personalized direct mail and marketing campaigns using established templates, campaign data, and production specifications.
• Prepare variable-data production files using Adobe InDesign and other production tools.
• Link and manage campaign-specific creative assets, logos, images, and other variable elements within production files.
• Build and maintain multiple campaign versions or layers based on audience and data requirements using Adobe InDesign.
• Apply approved proofing edits and confirm all requested changes are accurately reflected in final production files.
• Generate and review final PDFs and other production-ready files.
• Verify file setup, page dimensions, bleeds, folds, variable placement, and other print-production requirements.
• Package and organize production files and supporting assets for printer submission.

Project Leadership & Team Coordination

• Take ownership of assigned projects from planning through completion, coordinating next steps and following through on deadlines and deliverables.
• Partner closely with the Production Manager to organize team priorities and develop project plans with clear tasks, responsibilities, and timelines.
• Help coordinate work across team members, communicate expectations, monitor progress, and follow up to keep projects on schedule.
• Proactively identify obstacles, recommend solutions, and keep the Production Manager informed of progress, risks, and support needed.

Operations & Team Support

• Support the Operations team with day-to-day campaign needs and help maintain production flow during high-volume periods and tight deadlines.
• Work across the Operations team to provide additional support where workload or campaign volume requires it.
• Track and update campaign information, project statuses, and key details within internal systems and project management platforms.
• Assist with campaign setup, system updates, list uploads, and other production-related tasks across internal and third-party platforms.
• Perform routine quality checks and audits to help ensure campaign information remains accurate and consistent across systems.
• Support compliance-related tasks, documentation, and submissions to help ensure campaigns meet applicable requirements.
• Assist with special projects, audits, reporting needs, and other Operations initiatives as assigned.
• Serve as a flexible resource for the Operations team, stepping into additional responsibilities as business needs and priorities change.

Qualifications

Required

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify small discrepancies across data, creative materials, and production files.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and comfort working with large customer data files.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to learn technical systems, processes, and production requirements quickly.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot issues independently.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability of leadership to take ownership of assigned responsibilities and follow work through completion.
• Flexible and team-oriented approach with a willingness to support changing priorities across Operations.
• Ability to lead assigned projects, coordinate team efforts, and turn priorities into clear, actionable plans in partnership with the Production Manager.

Preferred

• Experience with Adobe InDesign and Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Experience with variable-data printing, direct mail composing, or personalized marketing campaigns.
• Advanced Excel experience, including working with large datasets, formulas, filtering, sorting, and data reconciliation.
• Experience with CRM, project management, email marketing, or campaign management platforms.
• Familiarity with postal requirements, marketing compliance, or OEM/brand compliance.
• Experience with data imports, exports, list segmentation, and file conversions.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary
• Health, Dental, Vision, and Disability Insurance
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Vacation, PTO, Sick Time, and Seven Observed Holidays
• Fun and Professional Atmosphere
• 401k With Company Match
• Monthly Rideshare Credits
• Yearly Professional Development Stipend
• Office Gym Membership
  
  

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