Production Manager - eBooks & Backlist
Sourcebooks
Naperville, IL
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JOB DETAILS
JOB TYPE
Full-time
SKILLS
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Best Practices, Capacity Management, Cloud Computing, Coaching, Communication Skills, Cross-Functional, Digital Art, Documentation, Establish Priorities, Healthcare, Identify Issues, Insurance, Leadership, Marketing, Mentoring, Multitasking, Organizational Skills, People Management, Prescription Drugs, Process Improvement, Production Management, Quality Metrics, Sales, Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Time Management, Typography, Willing to Travel, XML (EXtensible Markup Language), eBooks
LOCATION
Naperville, IL
POSTED
7 days ago
As Production Manager of eBooks & Backlist, reporting to the Associate Director of Production, you’ll lead a team of Production Specialists responsible for preparing, correcting, quality-checking, and delivering print and digital files. You’ll oversee day-to-day workflows, troubleshoot complex production challenges, collaborate across departments, and help refine scalable processes that support speed, accuracy, and innovation. Your leadership will help ensure that every title is produced efficiently, consistently, and to the highest quality standards.
This is an exempt salaried position with a range of $65,000 - $70,000. We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.
The location for this position can be hybrid or remote in New York or Naperville, Illinois or remote based in any of the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin. This role includes some travel with occasional meetings at the home office in Naperville, IL.
What You’ll Do:
- Lead, mentor, and support a team of Production Specialists focused on eBook and backlist production.
- Manage day-to-day production workflows, ensuring projects are assigned, prioritized, and completed on schedule.
- Oversee file preparation, corrections, preflight, quality review, and final delivery for print and digital formats.
- Serve as a technical resource and escalation point for complex file issues, vendor discrepancies, and production blockers.
- Collaborate with Editorial, Production Editorial, Design, Marketing, vendors, and other cross-functional teams to meet project goals.
- Ensure files meet print, digital, art, image, and vendor specifications while maintaining consistency across projects.
- Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve documentation, and increase efficiency through best practices and new technologies.
- Support capacity planning, workload balancing, and scheduling decisions by flagging risks and helping the team stay on track.
- Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and high-quality execution.
- 8+ years of book production experience, including print and digital publishing workflows.
- People management experience with a proven ability to coach, mentor, and build strong teams.
- Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud, especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
- Strong typography, layout, and design skills with a sharp eye for file accuracy and production quality.
- In-depth knowledge of print specifications, file types, preflight standards, and production methods including offset, digital, and POD.
- Experience with eBook production tools and workflows, including XML-based processes and platforms such as Vellum.
- Strong technical troubleshooting skills and the ability to resolve complex production challenges.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities and deadlines.
- A collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset with curiosity, adaptability, and a passion for process improvement.
- Must love books!
Why Sourcebooks?
Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial publisher driven by our mission to change lives through books. The fifth-largest publisher in the U.S. by print units sold, we bring extraordinary authors to readers in dynamic, data-driven ways, leading to hundreds of national and international bestsellers. Our insight-driven approach has earned us recognition from Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company, a Best Workplace for Innovators, a Most Loved Workplace by Newsweek, a Best Workplace by Inc., and Publishers Weekly’s nod as “the most successful self-made publisher operating in the 21st century.” Story by story, book by book, we have changed more than 300 million lives. Join us as we change 300 million more!
Ready to Apply:
Please submit your resume, salary requirements, and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in this role. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Show us your passion and creativity — we’re looking for someone who’s as enthusiastic about this opportunity as we are!
Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription Drug Insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care, Dependent Care, Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account, 401(k), Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, and generous paid time off.
Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.
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