Production Designer

Company and Vision

PlanetArt's vision is to be the leading seller of personalized and make-on-demand products worldwide. We provide consumers with unmatched tools and content and an unparalleled end-to-end customer experience that result in high-quality, meaningful finished products and memorable celebrations of life events.

The company's brands include the popular FreePrints and FreePrints Photobooks apps and the industry leading Simplytolmpress card and stationery site, as well as Personal Creations, Cafe Press and ISeeMe ! Visit to learn more about our brands.

We have more than 500 team members across multiple offices, primarily in Calabasas CA, San Diego CA, Woodridge IL, Minneapolis, MN and Pleasanton, CA. We also have team members in two company-owned offices in China, as well as in Europe.

Job Overview

The Production Designer creates and maintains the production artwork and templates that power our automated personalization workflow. Working closely with Merchandising, Creative, Quality Control, and Operations, this role ensures that new product artwork is built accurately and on schedule, and that every new product is fully set up in the production process before it goes live on our customer-facing websites and apps.

This is an individual contributor role with a strong collaborative element. In addition to owning their own production work, the Production Designer serves as a trusted resource for teammates, supports the Production Design leadership team in keeping projects on track, and acts as a quality checkpoint across brands, helping to ensure that what reaches customers is polished, print-ready, and optimized for personalization.

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must be local to or willing to relocate to the (office) area as we operate on a hybrid work model (3 days onsite, 2 remote)

Requirements

What You’ll Do
Template and Product Asset Production

• Take ownership of building new template designs and production artwork in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for products across all brands.
• Create the files needed for each new product and input them into our admin system, maintaining existing files so that the most current information is always on record.
• Test templates to verify that they print and produce in accordance with company standards.
• Collaborate with colleagues across departments to make sure assets are properly received and delivered.

Quality Assurance

• Carefully review content across multiple brands, providing constructive feedback and clear edit requests.
• Make sure each design is fully optimized for customer personalization and final print production.
• Provide the final review and approval of designs before they are made available to customers.
• Use strong problem-solving skills to respond quickly when production artwork issues arise.

Team Support and Collaboration

• Assist fellow team members and offer practical guidance during everyday production.
• Offer one-on-one assistance and help arrange additional training sessions when junior team members need extra support.
• Support the Production Design leadership team with project management, helping to ensure that tasks are executed as expected.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with Product Development teams, Merchandising, Creative, and Operations, and provide excellent service to all internal employees.

Process Improvement

• Assist Production Design managers and the director in optimizing production processes for new and existing products.
• Work with the Quality Assurance and Product Development teams to improve the tools and processes the team relies on.
• Help maintain a safe and clean work environment and perform other artwork-related duties as assigned by management from time to time.

What You Should Have
Skills, Qualifications, and Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or a related field, or equivalent work experience in print production design.
• Hands-on experience with graphic design software, including Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop (both preferred) as well as Acrobat, along with working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Clear and confident communication, both verbally and in writing, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and managerial personnel.
• Comfort giving constructive feedback and supporting the growth of peers.
• The ability to multi-task and consistently re-prioritize as new urgencies arise in a fast-paced environment.
• A self-starter mindset: able to prioritize projects based on business needs, work with minimal supervision, stay well organized, and bring a sense of urgency without sacrificing accuracy or attention to detail.
• Integrity, mutual respect, teamwork, dependability, ownership, and a dedicated commitment to customer service.
• Basic knowledge of XML, along with familiarity with scripts and automated processes in Illustrator or Photoshop, is a plus.
• Project management coursework or experience, new product introduction experience, and prior experience in quality assurance, peer training, or supporting a production design team are also a plus.

What You Can Expect
Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office environment with low to moderate noise levels.
• The position requires regular, continuous use of a computer, regular sitting and standing, and occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds.
• You will interact regularly with team members in person, by phone, on video calls, and through Slack and email.
• The schedule is 8½ hours Monday through Friday, including break.

Benefits

The compensation for this position is $23 per hour.

PlanetArt offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) with matching
• Pet Insurance
• Mental Health Benefits
• Comprehensive Time Off Program, including Vacation, Sick Days, Paid Holidays, and Floating Holidays
• Employee Product Discounts