Print & Packaging Operations Manager

About HoskBrew

------------------

Hoskbrew is a growing, creative brand focused on delivering engaging products and experiences to a passionate customer base. We blend innovation, craftsmanship, and quality to build meaningful connections within gaming and enthusiast communities.

As a company specializing in high-end restoration and modification of legacy gaming hardware, we are dedicated to preserving the authenticity, visual identity, and craftsmanship of iconic products while elevating them through precision restoration and premium production standards.

Our team values creativity, technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We are building a workplace where talented professionals can develop specialized expertise, contribute strategically, and grow alongside the business.

Why Join Hoskbrew?

----------------------

At Hoskbrew, we believe strong teams are built through support, stability, and opportunity. We offer a well-rounded employment experience designed to help you succeed both professionally and personally.Comprehensive Benefits Include:* Medical insurance

• Dental and vision coverage
• Group life and AD&D insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match and vesting schedule
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Access to voluntary supplemental benefits including AFLAC, additional life insurance, and ambulance coverage
• Ongoing professional development and career growth opportunities
• Collaborative, creative, and highly specialized work environment

At Hoskbrew, you’ll join a company that values craftsmanship, precision, and innovation while investing in your long-term success and professional growth.

About the Role

------------------

This is the person who owns everything we print (labels, manuals, boxes, and game case inserts) and makes sure each one matches the original exactly. We reproduce printed materials for classic video game systems, and we produce new labels, manuals, and boxes for homebrew developers who bring their games to us. For years an outside specialist handled this work.

That contractor has closed, and the local print shops we’ve tried don’t hold the standard we need. “Close enough” is not our standard. A reproduction label must match the original’s color, finish, feel, graphic sharpness, and dimensions.

A reproduction manual must match the original’s paper weight, texture, and color. A reproduction box must match the original’s board, print, and construction. You’ll be the person who makes that happen, whether the work is printed in-house or sent to a vendor, and you own the result either way.

A vendor’s mistake that reaches our customers is your miss. It’s also a varied role. Depending on what the team needs, you may be designing custom inserts for our universal game cases, building out our in-house print shop, or stepping in wherever there’s a gap.

If you like the idea of a job where you understand the whole business rather than one narrow slice of it, you’ll like this one.What You’ll Do

------------------

• Take an original label, box, or manual and derive its full specification: dimensions, die lines, stock and weight, coating and finish, texture, and color values
• Build and maintain a specification library for every item, organized by system and title, so each reproduction is consistent run after run
• Measure and manage color with a spectrophotometer and color-managed workflow, matching the original under normal viewing rather than on screen
• Restore and rebuild artwork from scans so graphics print sharp, with no artifacts or soft edges
• Work with homebrew developers to produce labels, manuals, and boxes for their new games, making sure each item fits the target system’s original format and feels authentic to that era
• Keep homebrew projects on schedule across a running queue of client orders
• Find, qualify, and manage outside printers, label converters, box makers, and paper suppliers for work we don’t do in-house
• Give vendors complete specs, approve proofs and first articles before full runs, and reject work that doesn’t match spec
• Run and grow our in-house printing and finishing capability, recommending which equipment to buy and which work to outsource, with the cost case for each
• Set up quality checks so every job is checked against its spec before it ships
• Lead design of covers and inserts for our universal game cases (snap-shell cases with interchangeable foam inserts) as we build a custom line for every game on every system we support
• Support other design and print projects as they come up, and pitch in beyond print when the business needs it

What We’re Looking For

--------------------------

• Exceptional attention to detail with paper, color, and print. This is the single most important trait for this role. You notice a slightly-off shade, a wrong paper weight, or a label that’s a millimeter short, and it bothers you.
• Hands-on print production experience, typically 5+ years in prepress, print production, labels, or packaging.
• Color management skill. You understand ICC profiles, spot and process color, and how ink, substrate, and finish change the result. You’ve used a spectrophotometer to match a physical sample.
• Substrate and finishing knowledge. Paper and board stocks, weights, coatings (gloss, matte, satin), laminates, label materials, and die cutting.
• Ability to reverse-engineer a spec from a physical sample, including measuring, documenting dimensions, and building die lines.
• Strong skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, including preparing print-ready files.
• Vendor sourcing and management experience. You can find the right printer for an unusual job and hold them to the spec.
• A self-starter. You go find answers and solve problems without waiting to be told.
• A team-first attitude. Nobody here works on their own island. When the team needs help with something outside your usual duties, the answer needs to be “yes.”
• Passion for video games, especially classic and retro systems.

Preferred

-------------

• G7 Expert or G7 Professional certification, or other formal color-management training
• A degree in graphic communications, print media, or packaging science
• Experience in folding carton, label converting, or packaging design, including structural design with tools such as ArtiosCAD or Esko
• Experience running digital presses, wide-format printers, or finishing equipment such as cutters and laminators
• Experience setting up or expanding an in-house print shop, including equipment selection
• Background in game collecting, restoration, or the retro gaming community

Work Environment & Schedule

--------------------------------

• Fully on-site at Hoskbrew LLC in Gillette, Wyoming; relocation to Gillette is required for this role
• Primarily production and office-based work environment, including hands-on time with print and finishing equipment
• Full-time, exempt schedule, typically Monday through Friday
• Standard schedule: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with flexibility based on production timelines and project needs
• Collaborative, creative, and fast-paced environment focused on craftsmanship and precision

Equal Opportunity Employer

------------------------------

Hoskbrew is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.

Reasonable accommodations are available upon request throughout the hiring process.