Aprinta — Print Purchasing & Order Specialist

Location: Remote
Department: Purchasing & Order Operations
Position Type: Full-Time
Reports To: Aprinta Operations

About Aprinta

Aprinta is a growing branded products platform helping businesses manage promotional products, custom apparel, commercial printing, company stores, packaging, kitting and fulfillment.

We are building an operations team that can efficiently manage customer orders from purchase through production and delivery.

We are looking for a Print Purchasing & Order Specialist who can take ownership of commercial printing orders and work directly with our production vendors.

The Position

This is not a basic data-entry or virtual assistant position.

You will be responsible for helping manage Aprinta's commercial print orders from the time an order is approved until the finished product is delivered.

You will work with printers and production partners to obtain pricing, source products, issue purchase orders, coordinate artwork and proofs, track production, solve problems and ensure orders are completed correctly and on time.

The ideal candidate has previous experience in commercial printing, print purchasing, print estimating, print production, procurement or print order management.

Key Responsibilities
Order Management
Review incoming customer orders for completeness and accuracy.
Verify product specifications, quantities, dimensions, materials, finishing requirements, artwork and delivery dates.
Identify missing or conflicting information before production begins.
Assign orders to appropriate production vendors.
Maintain accurate order status throughout the production process.
Track every order from purchase through delivery.
Purchasing & Vendor Management
Request pricing from approved print vendors.
Compare vendor pricing, production capabilities and turnaround times.
Negotiate pricing when appropriate.
Identify the best vendor based on price, quality, capabilities and delivery requirements.
Create and submit purchase orders.
Confirm vendor acknowledgements and pricing.
Maintain accurate vendor pricing information.
Help identify and qualify new production partners.
Develop backup vendors for important product categories.
Print Production

Candidates should understand or be willing to quickly learn common print specifications including:

Paper stocks and weights
Coated and uncoated stocks
Digital printing
Offset printing
Wide-format printing
Signs and banners
Labels and stickers
Packaging
PMS and process color
Bleeds and safe areas
Finishing
Folding
Binding
Lamination
Die cutting
Mailing and fulfillment
Artwork & Proof Management
Submit production-ready artwork to vendors.
Obtain electronic or production proofs.
Compare proofs against the original order.
Verify dimensions, colors, quantities, finishing and other specifications.
Coordinate corrections when required.
Ensure production does not proceed until required approvals are received.
Production & Shipping
Monitor production schedules.
Confirm expected ship dates.
Follow up proactively with vendors.
Identify potential delays before they become customer problems.
Obtain tracking information.
Confirm orders ship to the correct destination.
Escalate urgent production or shipping issues.
Problem Resolution

Take ownership when something goes wrong.

This may include:

Incorrect printing
Damaged products
Quantity shortages
Late production
Incorrect specifications
Shipping problems
Artwork issues
Quality problems

Work with vendors to obtain reprints, credits, refunds or other appropriate resolutions.

Cost & Margin Control
Verify vendor invoices against purchase orders.
Record actual production costs.
Identify pricing discrepancies.
Look for opportunities to reduce purchasing costs.
Help maintain Aprinta's target gross margins.
Continually evaluate whether Aprinta is receiving competitive vendor pricing.
What We're Looking For

Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience working for:

Commercial printers
Printing brokers
Print management companies
Promotional product distributors
Packaging companies
Purchasing departments
Print production departments

You should be:

Extremely organized
Detail-oriented
Comfortable managing multiple orders simultaneously
Strong with spreadsheets and web-based systems
Comfortable communicating with U.S. vendors by email and phone
Able to negotiate professionally
Comfortable working independently
Proactive rather than waiting to be told what to do
Able to identify problems and escalate them quickly
Success in This Role

You will be measured on:

Order accuracy
On-time production and delivery
Purchasing savings
Gross-margin protection
Order turnaround time
Vendor performance
Error rate
Problem resolution
Accuracy of order records
Number of orders requiring management intervention

Our goal is simple:

Once an order is assigned to you, you own it until it is successfully delivered.

How to Apply

Please include:

A summary of your relevant experience.
Any commercial printing experience you have.
The types of printed products you have purchased or managed.
Your experience obtaining and comparing vendor quotes.
Your experience issuing purchase orders.
Your experience reviewing artwork or print proofs.
The software or order-management systems you have used.
Your current availability.
Your expected hourly or monthly compensation.

Please begin your application with the words “PRINT OPERATIONS” so we know you carefully reviewed the position.