The Operations Lead - Ink Room is responsible for providing centralized leadership, process ownership, and daily operational support for the Ink Room. This position serves as the primary owner of Ink Room standards across all shifts and is responsible for improving consistency, accountability, quality control, ink usage tracking, work-off ink utilization, training, and overall support to production. This role functions as both a technical and operational leader, responsible for developing systems, maintaining standards, tracking key metrics, supporting continuous improvement, and assisting with production workload when demand exceeds available Ink Room capacity. This position reports to Director of Operations and is a full-time, salaried position.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Ink Room Leadership & Accountability Provide centralized leadership and direction for Ink Room employees across all shifts. Establish, maintain, and reinforce consistent Ink Room standards and expectations. Serve as the primary operational contact between the Ink Room, Production, Quality, Scheduling, Materials, and Operations. Create consistency between crews by reducing shift-specific habits and reliance on tribal knowledge. Hold Ink Room employees accountable to established procedures, documentation, quality checks, safety expectations, and performance standards. Escalate concerns related to staffing, performance, quality, process breakdowns, or inventory issues to the Director of Operations. Ink Quality Control Maintain a consistent pre-press ink QC process to ensure all inks are verified and documented as being within specification for color accuracy, pH, and viscosity before delivery to press. Work with Quality and Production to address color concerns, ink performance issues, and press-side quality concerns. Support efforts to reduce on-press color match time and improve startup efficiency. Help reduce color variation within runs by ensuring inks are properly prepared and verified before use. Identify recurring ink-related issues and support corrective actions. Ink Usage Tracking and Data Management Develop and maintain a reliable process for tracking ink usage by work order, job, or production run. Use historical usage data to improve ink preparation accuracy and reduce the need for operators to leave the press for additional ink. Compare actual ink usage against expected or theoretical usage to support better costing, quoting, inventory forecasting, and overconsumption analysis. Maintain accurate records related to ink usage, work-off utilization, QC checks, and process performance. Use data to identify trends, improvement opportunities, and areas of waste or inefficiency. Work-Off Ink Management and Waste Reduction Maintain proper work-off programs to reduce excess ink inventory and minimize unnecessary disposal. Utilize, manage, and continuously improve the existing SPEC ink dispenser work-off software to reduce excess inventory, increase work-off ink utilization, and minimize the use of virgin inks. Support reduction of raw ink purchases through better reuse, organization, and inventory visibility. Monitor aging, obsolete, duplicate, or excessive ink inventory. Work with Operations, Quality, and Production to ensure work-off ink is used in a controlled and effective manner. Support waste reduction efforts through improved inventory turns, better tracking, and disciplined process ownership. Training and Development Train new Ink Technicians on Ink Room procedures, quality expectations, safety requirements, documentation, and standard work. Support ongoing training and development of existing Ink Room employees. Reinforce consistent practices across all shifts. Help develop and maintain training materials, checklists, procedures, and work instructions for Ink Room processes. Coach Ink Room employees to improve technical skills, process discipline, communication, and follow-through. Process Improvement and Standard Work Develop, maintain, and improve standard work for key Ink Room processes. Lead continuous improvement efforts related to ink preparation, QC, staging, usage tracking, inventory control, waste reduction, and production support. Support 5S, housekeeping, visual management, and organization within the Ink Room. Identify process gaps and recommend improvements that increase efficiency, quality, consistency, and accountability. Help implement and sustain new systems, metrics, and procedures across all shifts. Production Support Support production by ensuring inks are prepared, verified, staged, and available according to production needs. Assist with production workload when Ink Room demand exceeds available capacity. Provide backup support during high workload periods, staffing shortages, vacations, absenteeism, large color changes, complex jobs, or when multiple presses require support at the same time. Help reduce press interruptions, operator downtime, and delays caused by ink readiness issues. Support faster startups and more stable color performance throughout production runs. Safety and Compliance Promote and enforce safe work practices within the Ink Room. Ensure inks, chemicals, containers, and related materials are handled, labeled, stored, and disposed of properly. Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment. Report unsafe conditions, near misses, or incidents according to company procedure. Ensure Ink Room processes support company expectations for quality, safety, and operational discipline. Required Skills and Qualifications Strong understanding of ink preparation, ink handling, color matching, and press support. Basic understanding of ink quality control requirements, including color accuracy, pH, and viscosity. Ability to create, follow, and maintain documented processes. Ability to lead, train, coach, and hold others accountable. Strong communication, organization, and follow-up skills. Ability to work effectively with Production, Quality, Scheduling, Materials, and Operations. Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy. Ability to prioritize work based on production needs and changing demands. Commitment to safety, quality, teamwork, process discipline, and continuous improvement. 5 years of experience working in an ink room and working with color matching software.
Benefits:
401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Flexible spending account Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance On-the-job training Paid time off Referral program Vision insurance
