Production Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

JANSON, named Inc. 5000 (2026) as one of the fastest growing privately held business, is recognized for delivering excellent service for the military.  Our Experience Design (XD) team turns a client’s mission and culture into physical space: environmental graphics, signage, wall systems, furniture packages, and the fabricated details that hold it all together. Getting that work from an approved design file to a finished, installed environment takes precision, follow-through, and a lot of coordination. That is this job.

The Production Coordinator is the operational backbone of the XD team. You will own the execution layer of our projects: preparing and checking files for production, sourcing materials, managing print and fabrication vendors, tracking budgets and purchase orders, and coordinating shipping, delivery, and installation logistics. You will also serve as the team’s day-to-day administrator, keeping schedules, files, samples, and standards in order so designers can stay focused on design.

This role is for someone who is relentlessly detail-driven, likes bringing order to moving parts, and gets satisfaction from seeing a project land exactly the way it was drawn.

- Prepare, preflight, and release production-ready files to print and fabrication vendors: check dimensions, bleeds, color mode, resolution, fonts, linked assets, and substrate/finish callouts against the design intent and vendor specifications.

- Review vendor proofs, shop drawings, and samples for accuracy; log revisions, route approvals, and confirm sign-off before production begins.

- Build and maintain production specifications and material callouts (substrates, print methods, finishes, mounting, hardware) for each project.

- Track production status across concurrent projects and flag risks to schedule, quality, or budget early.

- Source materials, finishes, furniture, and specialty items; obtain quotes and lead times; recommend options that meet design intent, budget, and schedule.

- Manage day-to-day relationships with print shops, sign fabricators, millworkers, installers, and freight carriers; maintain a vetted vendor list with capabilities, pricing, and performance notes.

- Coordinate RFQs and compare bids; negotiate pricing and terms within approved project budgets.

- Resolve production problems directly with vendors and escalate with a recommended solution when a decision is needed.

- Prepare purchase orders and track them through approval, fulfillment, receipt, and invoicing.

- Maintain project production budgets: track committed and actual spend against estimates, reconcile invoices, and report variances to the project manager and Head of XD.

- Support project estimating with current material and vendor pricing.

- Coordinate shipping, delivery windows, staging, and installation schedules with vendors, installers, general contractors, and client points of contact.

- Prepare installation packages (drawings, placement plans, checklists, access requirements) and coordinate base or facility access for crews.

- Attend site surveys, fabricator visits, and installations as needed; document conditions, verify measurements, and conduct punch-list walkthroughs.

- Maintain the team’s project files, folder structure, naming conventions, and archive standards across SharePoint and design tools.

- Manage the material and sample library; order and organize samples and supplies.

- Coordinate team schedules, meeting logistics, travel, and expense documentation; capture action items and keep trackers current.

- Build and maintain templates, checklists, and process guides that make production work repeatable.

- 2–4 years of experience in production coordination, print production, project coordination, or studio operations, ideally in signage, environmental graphics, exhibits, architecture/interiors, or a creative agency with in-house production.

- Working knowledge of the preflight-to-print process: file preparation, proofing, common print methods, substrates and finishes, and what vendors need in order to produce work correctly the first time.

- Demonstrated experience coordinating outside vendors and tracking budgets, quotes, or purchase orders.

- Exceptional attention to detail and organization; able to run multiple concurrent projects with a clear system and without dropped threads.

- Clear, professional written and verbal communication with vendors, contractors, clients, and teammates.

- Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Excel, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint) and Adobe Acrobat; ability to open, check, and package files in Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop).

- Ability to read architectural plans, elevations, and shop drawings.

- Team-oriented, calm under deadline pressure, and comfortable taking ownership of outcomes.

- Bachelor’s or associate degree in design, project management, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

- Occasional travel (approximately 10–20%) to project sites, fabricators, and client facilities, including U.S. military installations. Some installations require early-morning or evening hours.

- Due to the requirements of our U.S. Department of Defense contracts, this position requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to pass the background screening required for access to military installations.

- A valid driver’s license

- Ability to lift and carry up to 40 lbs. and to stand or walk for extended periods during site visits and installations.

- Hands-on print production, sign fabrication, millwork, or installation experience.

- Formal design training or prior work as a production designer or production artist.

- Familiarity with ADA signage standards, color management and proofing workflows, or large-format and specialty printing.

- Experience with a project management or purchase-order system (Smartsheet, Asana, Monday, Bluebeam, or an ERP).

- Ability to read or mark up CAD/SketchUp/Revit files.

- Prior work with government, military, or general-contractor clients.