Custom Projects Manager (Printing)

About the Role: We are a growing custom print and manufacturing company. Every job we do is different—built from scratch, start to finish. We are not looking for someone to follow a checklist. We are looking for someone to own the flow. This is a new role, and it's a critical one. You will be the single point of truth for every active job in our shop—from the moment material is ordered to the moment the finished product ships out the door. You will know what material is coming in, what it costs, how many boxes are going out, and how they're getting there. If you've ever looked at a messy process and thought "I could fix this," this role is for you. What You'll Own Material & Vendor Management Know what material is needed for each job, when it's needed, and where it is at all times Place orders, track lead times, confirm costs, and flag delays before they impact production Maintain vendor relationships and negotiate pricing where possible Track actual material cost vs. quoted cost per job Job Costing & Financial Tracking Build and maintain a cost sheet for every job (materials, labor, shipping, overhead)Compare quoted vs. actual costs and report variances Feed data back to estimating so future quotes get more accurate Production & Timeline Coordination Know the status of every active job at any given moment Coordinate between production, shipping, and ownership on priorities and deadlines Flag bottlenecks, delays, or scope changes immediately Shipping & Logistics Own the shipping process for each job—packaging requirements, carrier selection, documentation, tracking Handle custom or non-standard shipping needs Track shipping costs per job and include them in job costing Data & Reporting Maintain a master tracker for all jobs Report weekly on: active jobs, status, cost-to-date, expected ship dates, and risks Build historical data so we can answer "what did this type of job actually cost us last time?"Single Point of Contact Be the person ownership, sales, and production go to for "where is this job?"Reduce the number of people chasing information and making decisions in silos What This Role Is NOTWe want to be direct about this, because it's the #1 source of mismatch: This is not a "pick product A, box it, ship it" role This is not a traditional PMO-style role with Gantt charts and formal change requests This is not a role where someone hands you a defined process and you follow it This is not a role where you wait to be told what to do next What This Role ISA builder role—you'll help create the tracking systems, not just use themA "make it work" role—every job is different, and you figure out the pathA high-visibility role—you'll interact with ownership, vendors, production, and customersA data role—you're the one who knows the real numbers You're a Fit IfYou're comfortable with ambiguity and can create structure where none exists You're detail-obsessed but not paralyzed—you can track 20 things at once without dropping the ball You're a strong communicator—you can tell ownership "this job is going to be late and here's why" without drama You're numerate—comfortable with cost sheets, margins, and spreadsheets You're self-directed—you don't wait for instructions You treat "custom" as the job, not the exception You're NOT a Fit IfYou need a defined process to feel comfortable You wait to be told what to prioritize You treat "custom" as an annoyance rather than the job You're strong on execution but weak on ownership

Preferred Experience: Experience in custom manufacturing, print, fabrication, or made-to-order environments Familiarity with shipping/logistics for non-standard goods Experience building tracking systems from scratch Exposure to job costing or estimating We hire for aptitude and attitude over specific experience. If you've never worked in print but you've owned complex projects end-to-end, we want to hear from you.

Compensation & Benefits: Profit SharingPTOCompany-paid Health Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Health Savings Account (HSA)Employee Discounts Opportunity to own a critical role in a growing company

Benefits: Dental insurance Employee discount Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Experience: Project management: 3 years (Preferred)Ability to Commute: Cleveland, OH 44104 (Preferred)

Work Location: In person