COMPANY OVERVIEW

The Kennedy Group, an Inovar Packaging Group, LLC Company, is proud to be one of North America’s premier flexographic and digital printing companies, dedicated to the success of our employees and customers. We invest in the latest equipment and technology, continually seeking the best strategies and solutions to deliver cutting-edge, top-quality products. Our culture is customer-driven, team-oriented, and built on win-win partnerships.

POSITION SUMMARY

We are seeking a Technical Manager with deep expertise in printing and packaging to lead and optimize technical functions critical to pre-production and print execution. This role will be directly responsible for managing a team of 4–10 associates across prepress, platemaking, product engineering, and plate mounting/press prep.
The ideal candidate will be well-versed in flexographic and digital print processes, color management (Expanded Gamut, Digital Modulation), and workflow automation. This is a key leadership role focused on quality, consistency, and innovation within our production process.

QUALIFICATIONS – REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Communications, Packaging Science, Print Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in prepress and print manufacturing environments (pressure-sensitive label or packaging preferred).
• Strong leadership background with prior people management experience in a manufacturing or prepress environment.
• In-depth understanding of flexographic printing, digital workflows, platemaking, and color calibration.
• Familiarity with Esko, GMG, or similar prepress systems.
• Proficient in Lean/CI methodologies and driving cross-functional process improvements.
• Demonstrated ability to drive color consistency and print performance across multiple substrates and press technologies.
• High proficiency in MS Office and ERP systems.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced Degree in Print Science, Packaging, or Engineering.
• Experience with Esko Automation Engine, WebCenter, and other prepress automation tools.
• Knowledge of filmic materials, pressure-sensitive adhesives, and liner constructions.
• Experience with label converting and product engineering in a short-run, fast-turn environment.
• Background in managing cost control and inventory in a technical production support department.

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary technical team in prepress, platemaking, mounting, and print prep functions.
• Oversee day-to-day operations in plate production, ink formulation, Esko workflows, color management, and prepress planning.
• Drive standardization and optimization of print processes across flexographic and digital platforms.
• Champion color consistency through implementation of Extended Gamut, Digital Modulation, and calibration standards.
• Collaborate with production, quality, and engineering teams to ensure seamless execution from art to press.
• Own and drive technical KPIs, quality metrics, and prepress department budgets.
• Lead the evaluation and integration of new tools, software, and methodologies to improve throughput and quality.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, with Lean manufacturing principles applied across technical workflows.
• Support new product development and customer onboarding from a technical and print feasibility standpoint.
• Manage team performance including training, coaching, recognition, and corrective actions as needed.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation and SOPs for all technical processes and systems.
• Travel up to 15% for technical training, vendor visits, and customer support initiatives.