Print Procurement Specialist at Goodheart-Willcox Publisher – Tinley Park, Illinois

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher, Experts in Career and Technical Education (CTE), and an employee-owned company, is seeking a Print Procurement Specialist. This integral role will oversee all print procurement activities to ensure the delivery of high-quality printed products that meet schedule, cost, and inventory requirements. This position will follow a hybrid schedule, working a minimum of one day per week in our Tinley Park, Illinois office.

Our compensation is market based and takes into account a variety of factors including the candidate's skill set, experience level, internal equity, and location. For this position, we anticipate the starting salary falling between $70,000 and $85,000 per year. In addition, the company makes a 10% contribution to the Employee Stock Ownership Plan and a 4% matching contribution to the 401(k).

• Identify, evaluate, and maintain strong relationships with paper merchants and print vendors.

• Solicit manufacturing bids for printed products and inventoried items.

• Negotiate contracts, pricing, service levels, quality standards, and payment terms.

• Generate and process purchase orders for print runs, inventory purchases, and related materials.

• Forecast paper and print demand based on production schedules, sales trends, and inventory plans.

• Establish and maintain detailed print production schedules with vendors, monitoring progress to ensure on-time delivery.

• Develop and analyze cost models to support purchasing decisions, including evaluating print-on-demand vs. inventory printing strategies.

• Maintain accurate project budgets throughout project lifecycle and track actual expenses vs. budget for print projects.

• Review and approve vendor invoices, including managing print overruns, shortages, and quality discrepancies.

• Investigate and negotiate credits or corrective actions for quality issues or delivery problems.

• Participate in monthly demand planning/”run-out” meetings to anticipate printing needs and align production with inventory targets and customer demand.

• Provide detailed print specifications, proof approvals, reprint corrections, and prepress/vendor communication to internal stakeholders.

• Serve as primary internal contact for manufacturing updates, schedule changes, and production-related issues.

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in print procurement, book manufacturing, or publishing required.

• Proven ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with vendors.

• Demonstrated success managing multiple vendors, evaluating capabilities, driving accountability for schedule adherence, cost control, and quality standards.

• Strong understanding of offset, digital, and print-on-demand processes, including paper selection, binding, prepress, press printing, and color standards.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally.

• Excellent attention to detail, organizational strength, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to analyze unit costs, evaluate inventory strategies, and make data-driven decisions.

• Comfortable with continuous improvement, workflow optimization, and leveraging technology to increase efficiency. Proficiency with ERP (NetSuite) system preferred.

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher is an employee-owned company driven by our mission, “We Build Careers.” G-W has spent over a century building a culture that we are proud of and is centered around our Core Values of Do the Right Thing, Can-do Attitude, Roll Up Your Sleeves, Always Improving, and Collaborative Spirit. When you join our team, you will experience an environment of collaboration, empowerment, and respect.

G-W prioritizes the health and well-being of our employees by offering carefully selected benefits and retirement options. Check out some of our generous benefits highlighted below:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan – a retirement plan that is 100% company funded

• 401(k) with a company match

• 3 Medical plan options

• 2 Dental plan options

• Vision plan

• Generous Paid Time Off

• Wellbeing Programs

• Cariloop – a Caregiver Concierge

• Pet Insurance

• Employee Assistance Program

• Social Activities and Events

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, ancestry and marital status, and other protected classes, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

In addition, Goodheart-Willcox Publisher complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination of employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfers, leave of absence, compensation, and training.