Graphic Production Assistant - Topps - New York, NY

The Topps Company was founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, and in its early years produced a popular penny “Topps Gum” from a factory in Brooklyn, NY. After World War II, the company developed Bazooka Bubble Gum, and in 1950, added trading cards to its product line. Baseball cards appeared in 1951 and quickly became a vital part of pop culture, a tradition that continues to this day.

Topps was acquired in October of 2007 by Madison Dearborn Partners, a private equity group, and The Tornante Company, an investment company owned by Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney. Although headquartered in New York City, Topps maintains offices in nine countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India, Brazil and Argentina. The new ownership of the company has made significant infrastructure, business and cultural advancements.

For additional information please visit: www.topps.com

Responsibilities:
Topps, with a brand portfolio including: Major League Baseball, Star Wars, WWE, Champions League, English Premier League, UFC, Garbage Pail Kids, Major League Soccer, Mars Attacks and Mysticons is seeking a Graphic Production Assistant to work in coordination with our prepress manager.

Duties & Responsibilities

Partner with prepress manager, art directors, project management, and external prepress and print vendors to facilitate design, production and manufacturing processes.

Review milestone schedules with project management team, balance content availability and vendor print schedules to prioritize production.

Review print specifications on BOM, ensure that design and production files align with quoted manufacturing specifications, coordinate any necessary changes to specifications with design and manufacturing teams.

Create and publish Electronic Design Release documents (EDRs).

Understand common licensor requirements and review master files to ensure compliance.

Communicate with internal and external marketing, prepress and design resources throughout the production process.

Create and publish vendor-approved, populated imposition layouts for production.

Cross-reference subject lists against BOM to ensure that layouts match quoted subject counts.

Review print technology to drive cost savings through layout efficiencies.

Review, verify, troubleshoot and modify design files for production.

Qualifications:
Skills & Abilities Strong computer skills. Adobe CS (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) and Word, Excel essential. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. Attention to detail and strong organizational skills. Accuracy is a must. Teamwork skills. Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities.

Education & Qualifications Bachelors degree or equivalent in related field preferred. Prepress or graphic production experience or familiarity preferred.