Production and Editorial Quality Manager

Starnes Media is a Birmingham-based media company serving hyperlocal communities with award-winning journalism and innovative marketing solutions. They are seeking a Production & Editorial Quality Manager to oversee the entire production workflow across multiple publications, ensuring high editorial standards and timely delivery. This role involves managing the production pipeline, copy editing, and leading the transition to AI-assisted design systems.

Responsibilities:

• Own the press output. Every page across all six publications: tracked, on schedule, and meeting quality standards. Nothing goes to press without passing the production checklist. If something is missing, late, or wrong, you catch it before it leaves the building
• Own the cover pipeline. Every publication’s cover is planned, shot, designed, and approved 30 days before print. If the editorial hasn’t assigned a story or sales hasn't filled ads, you escalate immediately. Not the day pages go to press
• Own copy editing. All copy runs through the editing system first, then through your human review before publication. You manage this workflow end-to-end. If content comes in late or below standard, you push it back and hold the team accountable to the timeline
• Manage the editorial-to-design production workflow. Content flows from editors to design on schedule. Bottlenecks are flagged immediately. You enforce the 90/60/30 planning cycle on the production side. If content isn’t where it needs to be at 60 days, you’re raising the alarm, not waiting
• Build and maintain page layout templates for every standard page type. Templates that accept content drops and reduce production time dramatically
• Work in ad design as needed. Overflow production, backup coverage, or as volume increases with new client packages
• Report weekly: pages completed, cover status across all publications, production bottlenecks, and workflow health
• Lead the transition to agentic design, working with our technical team to build workflows where content flows into templates automatically, with you as the quality and approval layer

Requirements:

• Strong experience in publication design, page layout, and print production
• A sharp eye for editorial quality, including grammar, AP style, consistency, and visual standards
• The ability to manage a production calendar across multiple publications simultaneously
• Comfort with, or strong willingness to learn, AI tools for design and copy editing
• A project management mindset: you track everything, flag problems early, and don't let deadlines slip
• The confidence to hold other team members accountable to production schedules and content deadlines
• The ability to build and maintain systems, not just follow them
• Pride in producing work that meets a high standard every single time
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail
• Proactive. You flag problems before they become crises, not after
• Comfortable holding others accountable to deadlines and standards
• Willing to embrace AI tools and new production methods
• Takes ownership of outcomes, not just tasks
• High standards for visual and editorial quality
• Speaks up in planning meetings when something is missing or behind