Production Designer

Founded in 1938, The Topps Company, Inc. is a global consumer products company that entertains and delights consumers through a diversified, engaging, multi-platform product portfolio that includes physical and digital collectibles, trading cards, trading card games, sticker and album collections, memorabilia, curated experiential events, gift cards and novelty confections. Topps Physical Sports & Entertainment products include Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, National Hockey League, Formula 1, Star Wars, WWE, Wacky Packages®, Garbage Pail Kids®, Mars Attacks® and more. 

The Graphic Production Designer is responsible for translating design files into Prepress friendly formats for automation and card building for collectible trading cards. 

Duties & Responsibilities

• Create design specification documents (design packets) for internal and external distribution 
• Partner with the Prepress Engineering, art directors, project management, and external prepress/print vendors to facilitate file deliverables
• Coordinate with Creative and Prepress Engineering team to assure all designs are within design specifications
• Review print specifications on form breaks and ensure that design and production files align with designated manufacturing specifications, and update any necessary changes to the appropriate files
• Understand common licensor requirements and review master files to ensure compliance
• Execute manual compositions of designs supplied by the Creative team and their direction. Ex: Photo collages, custom typography, custom backgrounds, etc.

Qualifications

• Strong Prepress and Print knowledge.
• Expert level proficiency in Creative Suite. Adobe CC (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) and Microsoft Excel. Automation skills a plus.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure, meeting tight deadlines across multiple projects
• Organized and attentive to detail. Accuracy is paramount
• Strong teamwork skills
• Bachelors degree or equivalent in related field preferred
• Expert level Prepress and graphic production experience 

The policy of Topps is to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment and all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health choices gender, gender identity or expression, the status of being transgender, gender stereotyping, sexual orientation, status as a victim of domestic violence, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, military or veterans status, citizenship status, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law and to affirmatively seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity.