Salary:

up to 85k     Shift: 1st Shift- 7am-4pm     Equipment: Bobst folder gluers and die cutters

Job Description

Finishing Manager – First Shift

We are seeking an experienced Finishing Manager to oversee the company’s finishing department on first shift. This individual will be responsible for managing daily production, supporting department workflow, leading employees, maintaining quality standards, and ensuring jobs move through finishing accurately and on schedule.

This is a strong opportunity for a hands-on finishing leader with experience in bindery, commercial finishing, packaging finishing, die cutting, folder gluing, or specialty post-press operations.

Schedule

• First Shift
• Monday through Friday
• Overtime may be required based on production needs

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations within the finishing department
• Lead, support, and direct finishing employees on first shift
• Coordinate job flow through finishing to meet production schedules and customer deadlines
• Review job tickets, specifications, samples, and production requirements before work begins
• Ensure work is completed accurately, efficiently, and to company quality standards
• Monitor production across finishing equipment and help resolve issues that impact workflow
• Support setup, changeovers, troubleshooting, and adjustments when needed
• Work closely with production, scheduling, quality, customer service, and management teams
• Prioritize jobs based on due dates, customer needs, machine availability, and department capacity
• Maintain strong communication between shifts, departments, and leadership
• Train employees on proper procedures, quality expectations, safety standards, and equipment best practices
• Monitor employee performance, attendance, productivity, and overall department accountability
• Help identify areas for improvement in workflow, waste reduction, quality, efficiency, and downtime
• Ensure finished products meet customer specifications before moving to the next step or shipping
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment
• Enforce company safety policies and proper machine operation standards
• Assist with staffing needs, cross-training, and department coverage
• Support continuous improvement efforts within the finishing department

Equipment / Department Knowledge

The ideal candidate should have strong knowledge of finishing and bindery operations, which may include:

• Die cutting
• Folder gluing
• Folding
• Cutting
• Saddle stitching
• Side stitching
• Wire-O binding
• Coil binding
• Collating
• Drilling
• Shrink wrapping
• Wafer sealing
• Window patching
• UV coating
• Film lamination
• Tipping and inserting
• Packaging finishing
• Commercial bindery
• Specialty finishing

Qualifications

• Previous leadership experience in finishing, bindery, packaging, or post-press production required
• Strong understanding of finishing workflows, job tickets, production schedules, and quality requirements
• Experience leading teams in a fast-paced manufacturing or print production environment
• Hands-on knowledge of finishing equipment, setup, troubleshooting, and quality checks
• Ability to prioritize multiple jobs and keep production moving efficiently
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to train, coach, and hold employees accountable
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality
• Comfortable working with production schedules, deadlines, and changing priorities
• Mechanical aptitude and ability to support equipment-related troubleshooting preferred
• Experience with packaging, folding cartons, die cutting, folder gluing, or specialty finishing preferred

Preferred Experience

• Commercial print finishing
• Trade bindery
• Folding carton packaging
• Die cutting
• Folder gluing
• Bindery management
• Production supervision
• Quality control
• Scheduling or workflow coordination
• Continuous improvement
• Safety and employee training

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a steady, hands-on leader who understands finishing production and can keep people, jobs, and machines moving efficiently. This person should be comfortable overseeing employees, solving production issues, maintaining quality, and making sure finished work is completed accurately and on time.

A strong candidate will bring experience in bindery or finishing leadership and understand the importance of setup, job changeovers, quality checks, troubleshooting, communication, and production flow through the final stages of the job.

Company Information

We are a full-service print finishing company located in Clifton, New Jersey. The company specializes in high-end finishing work, including foil stamping, embossing, die cutting, folding and gluing, window patching, UV coating, film lamination, bindery, and specialty finishing.

This is a strong opportunity for someone who wants to lead a finishing department within a company that has a broad range of equipment, strong production capabilities, and a focus on quality finishing work.