Associate Production Manager

Overview

 Purpose of the Role:

The Associate Production Manager (APM) coordinates the production, engineering, and on-schedule delivery of assigned projects. The APM helps prepare and communicate reliable information to all departments and to outside vendors about assigned print, digital, and online projects. The APM is responsible for creating and updating detailed project schedules, tracking daily deliverable and reporting on current project status.

Job Responsibilities:

Attends meetings to set processes and clarify scope for each project through correction cycles

Expands overall milestone schedules to create detailed project schedules

Works with MDM manager to ensure that material numbers for each component are set up in SAP (establishing specs and requesting ISBNs)

Schedules and leads weekly status meetings on assigned projects; prepares for meetings by gathering information from vendors and internal staff prior to the meeting time so that the focus is on addressing and resolving delays

May be asked to maintain and update lists of outstanding decisions and unresolved issues, to attend higher-level meetings where these topics are addressed, and to take and distribute minutes of these meetings including lists of decisions and action items

Alerts the Lead Production Manager and Finance to any change in project scope that has potential budget exposure (or savings) or schedule implications

Is aware of progress against milestones for each project and recommends necessary actions to keep projects on schedule; alerts the Senior Production Manager when delivery is in jeopardy

Reviews and understands budgets for assigned projects

Must be professional, clear, direct, and accurate in verbal and written communications; will communicate daily with vendors and members of internal departments as well as with others in Production Management

Makes sure that all members of his or her team knows about any changes to projects that will impact other projects

Reviews invoices to confirm they reflect the assignment

Skills:

2+ years of educational publishing experience

High level of organization; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to prioritize Ability to drive on-time, on-budget, high-quality development efforts Understands fundamentals of publishing process Excellent problem-solving ability Good written and verbal communication skills Sound judgment about escalation of problems Experience developing interactive software for learning preferred Experience in application and web-based development preferred Familiarity with working in an agile development methodology preferred Experience in book and other print production, including specific knowledge of the ElHi market requirements preferred