How to hire a press department manager

How to hire a press department manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step press department manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a press department manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new press department manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the press department manager you need to hire. Certain press department manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A press department manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, press department managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents press department manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Press Department Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Press Department Manager		$22-47
   Operation Supervisor	Operations supervisors manage a specific operations-related team or department. They ensure that all the agreed-upon key performance indicators are being met... Show more	$17-41
   Lead Person	A lead person or lead worker is an employee who provides leadership and instructions to others in a group to complete tasks quickly and effectively. Lead workers plan and organize meetings with supervisors and the management to discuss a particular project's progress and development... Show more	$30-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Performance Reviews
   • Direct Reports
   • Flexo
   • ISO
   • Photoshop
   • Production Schedules
   • Color Correction
   • Press Releases
   • Press Room
   • Press Checks
   • Indesign
   • Platemaking
   • Digital Press

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage national and international POS system installations, including schedules, manpower requirements, and travel itineraries.
   • Train pre-press employees on PDF pre-flight techniques.
   • Conduct geotechnical and geological investigations and mineral resource evaluations for commercial, industrial and governmental clients using the above-mentioned drilling techniques.
   • Paste up artwork and film to make plates for press room.
   • Conduct geotechnical and geological investigations and mineral resource evaluations for commercial, industrial and governmental clients using the above-mentioned drilling techniques.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your press department manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A press department manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, press department managers' average salary in florida is 38% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level press department managers 52% less than senior-level press department managers.
   • Certifications. A press department manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a press department manager's salary.

   Average press department manager salary

   $68,643yearly

   $33.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level press department manager salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a press department manager job description

   A good press department manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a press department manager job description:

   Press department manager job description example

   **Career Opportunity**
   
   The Clinton, IA location is seeking a Pre-Press Manager. This position will be responsible for overseeing the Pre-Press Department and a team of Pre-Press Technicians who are responsible for formatting and proofing text and images into finished plates that can be printed. As Pre-Press Manager you will ensure that jobs are built appropriately and efficiently in preparation for printing to ensure high quality products are produced on time to meet and exceed customer expectations.
   
   **How you will impact WestRock**
   
   · Build a strong relationship with the customer by serving as an advisor to customer for all digital needs, answering questions and resolving issues
   
   · Support continuous improvement initiatives and projects to reduce printing waste, minimize downtime/set-up time, and identify additional opportunities for efficiencies
   
   · Ensure consistent flow of digital art files and their conversion into printing plates for production
   
   · Ensure zero defects to printing and optimal density color measures to minimize downtime and quality issues of pre-press machines
   
   · Effectively communicate customer needs to Pre-Press Technicians and provide recommendations to customer to reduce cost and ensure greater product quality
   
   · Ensure artwork software, printing machines, and equipment (e.g. Kodak machines) are in working order and troubleshoot to resolve any software issues as necessary
   
   · Coordinate production activities with other areas (e.g. procurement, quality assurance) to obtain optimum production and utilization of manpower, machines, and equipment
   
   · Implement strategic planning/scheduling of the pre-press workload for maximum throughput and accuracy
   
   · Manage maintenance and repair budget for the Pre-Press Department and maintain quantities, specifications, and delivery dates of products ordered
   
   · Proactively manage departmental metrics that impact cost (e.g. set-up times, remakes, waste) to monitor printing crew performance against KPIs
   
   · Ensure that all assigned corrective action requests (CARs) are completed within 72 hours of receiving a sample of the defective product
   
   · Provide coaching and mentoring for technicians by identifying training needs for building capability and continued growth
   
   · Ensure all printing technicians are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and following all safety rules
   
   **What you need to succeed**
   
   · High School diploma or G.E.D.
   
   · Bachelor's degree is preferred
   
   · Must have 10 years printing experience with 5+ years supervisory experience
   
   · Familiarity with print production and manufacturing process and equipment
   
   Proven track record of problem-solving
   
   · Ability to plan, prioritize, and manage time spent on accomplishing tasks to increase productivity and efficiency
   
   · Strong written and verbal communication skills
   
   · Demonstrated ability to supervise, lead, and coach others to achieve their goals and objectives
   
   · Working knowledge of artwork software and Microsoft Office
   
   **What we offer**
   
   Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence.
   
   Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities.
   
   An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential.
   
   A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.
   
   \#CB
   
   WestRock Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating and maintaining a diverse workforce: Minorities/Females/ Disabled/Veterans.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find press department managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your press department manager job on Zippia to find and recruit press department manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting press department managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new press department manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect press department manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new press department manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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