Print Production Coordinator – Apparel Decoration

The Role

UNRL is looking for an experienced Print Production Coordinator to own the flow of decorated apparel projects from approved artwork through final production.

We're specifically looking for someone who understands how a screen print, embroidery or heat-transfer shop actually works. You should be comfortable taking a designer's artwork and translating it into clear, production-ready specifications, then managing that job through production until finished goods meet UNRL's standards for quality, cost and delivery.

This role is similar to a production coordinator inside a screen print or embroidery shop, with one major difference: rather than assigning jobs to specific machines or operators, you'll assign them to the right third-party decoration partner within UNRL's approved production network.

You'll sit at the intersection of our Creative, Sales, Operations and outside decoration partners and own the production queue from handoff to completion.

What You'll Own

Production Artwork & Job Setup

• Receive approved artwork from UNRL graphic designers and prepare it for production.
  
• Size artwork accurately based on garment, placement and decoration specifications.
  
• Assign Pantone, thread, ink and material colors.
  
• Make basic production-related artwork adjustments in Adobe Illustrator.
  
• Identify potential production issues before a job is released.
  
• Determine appropriate decoration specifications for screen print, embroidery, heat transfer, patches and other applications.
  
• Build clear production files and instructions that give decorators everything they need to execute the job correctly.
  
• Review proofs, sew-outs, strike-offs and samples when required before releasing production.
  

Production Queue Management

• Own a board of active decoration projects from artwork handoff through completion.
  
• Prioritize jobs based on customer deadlines, production requirements and partner capacity.
  
• Assign each project to the best approved decoration partner based on decoration capability, quality, capacity, turn time, cost and geographic/logistical considerations.
  
• Issue production requests and make sure decorators have complete artwork, quantities, specifications and deadlines.
  
• Track every open project and proactively resolve anything putting delivery at risk.
  
• Coordinate changes, reworks and rush projects when needed.
  
• Keep internal teams informed of project status without requiring them to chase production updates.
  

Quality & Cost Control

• Hold outside decoration partners accountable to UNRL quality standards.
  
• Review finished decoration for placement, sizing, color, registration, stitch quality and overall execution.
  
• Identify recurring production issues and work with partners to eliminate them.
  
• Validate decorator pricing against established rates and project requirements.
  
• Watch for unnecessary setup charges, run charges, freight or other production costs.
  
• Help maintain costing standards by decoration type and production partner.
  
• Track partner performance across quality, cost, accuracy and on-time delivery.
  

Decoration Partner Management

• Develop strong day-to-day relationships with UNRL's approved decoration partners.
  
• Understand the strengths, weaknesses, capacity and capabilities of each partner.
  
• Route work intelligently rather than simply sending jobs to the first available decorator.
  
• Help identify opportunities to add, replace or develop decoration partners within the network.
  
• Create clear production standards and processes that allow UNRL to scale decorated-apparel volume without sacrificing quality.
  

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate has worked inside a screen printing, embroidery, promotional products or custom apparel decoration business and understands how jobs move from artwork through production.

• 3+ years of experience in screen printing, embroidery, apparel decoration or a closely related production environment.
  
• Strong understanding of the production workflow for screen print and embroidery.
  
• Working knowledge of heat transfers, DTF, patches and other apparel-decoration methods.
  
• Experience preparing or reviewing production artwork.
  
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator for basic artwork manipulation, resizing and color adjustments.
  
• Strong understanding of artwork sizing, placement and color specifications.
  
• Familiarity with Pantone colors, embroidery thread colors and common decoration materials.
  
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail.
  
• Ability to manage a large number of active jobs simultaneously.
  
• Strong sense of urgency and ability to identify problems before they become missed deadlines.
  
• Comfortable communicating directly with outside production partners and holding them accountable.
  

Strongly Preferred

• Previous experience as a Production Coordinator, Production Artist, Prepress Coordinator, Art Coordinator or Production Manager within a screen print or embroidery shop.
  
• Experience with production-management platforms such as Printavo, ShopWorks or similar systems.
  
• Experience reviewing embroidery sew-outs and screen-print strike-offs.
  
• Understanding of embroidery digitizing, stitch limitations and color sequencing.
  
• Understanding of screen-print separations, ink systems and production limitations.
  
• Experience managing production costs, vendor pricing or job profitability.
  

You'll Be Great at This Role If You...

You know the difference between artwork that looks good on a computer screen and artwork that will actually produce well on a garment.

You're naturally organized. You like having a clear view of every open job, what's due next, what's stuck and who owns the next step.

You don't wait for problems to surface. If a decorator is falling behind, artwork isn't production-ready or a cost looks wrong, you catch it and solve it.

Most importantly, you care about the finished product. A job isn't complete because the decorator says it's complete. It's complete when the product meets UNRL's standard.

Why This Role Matters

As UNRL grows, our ability to deliver high-quality decorated apparel depends on building a production network that operates like an extension of our own company.

This person will be responsible for making that network work — getting the right artwork to the right decorator at the right cost, delivering it on time and making sure every finished product feels like UNRL.