Design and Production Associate

NEWSWELL Chicago — the new home of four iconic Chicago area publications — is looking for a detail-driven Ad Design and Print Production Associate to help bring our journalism, advertising, and marketing materials to life across print and digital platforms.

The Ad Design and Print Production Associate will oversee design and production aspects of our printed publications, marketing materials, and digital advertising content — bridging the gap between creative design teams and external print vendors. This role requires a blend of creative understanding, technical print production knowledge, strong project management and communication skills.

The NEWSWELL Chicago network includes the Austin Weekly News, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, Forest Park Review and the Riverside–Brookfield Landmark. These four publications have deep roots and big energy, covering some of the most creative, culturally rich, future‑shaping neighborhoods on Chicago’s West Side and near‑west suburbs.

In February 2026, NEWSWELL acquired the assets of Growing Community Media, the longtime publisher of these four storied Chicago-area newspapers, to ensure these vital outlets have the stability, resources and vision they need to thrive for generations.

NEWSWELL helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community, providing strategic guidance, innovative solutions and wraparound operations so journalists can focus on what matters most: serving their communities. Through partnerships with Arizona State University — named the nation’s most innovative university for 11 years in a row — NEWSWELL brings cutting-edge ideas, research and tools to reinvent local news and strengthen democracy.

The pay rate for this role is between $20-$25/hour.

What you’ll do

• Production oversight: Manage daily production workflows, including scheduling, resource allocation, and quality control from concept through final delivery.

• Ad design/oversight: Work with sales staff, creating ad campaigns, approving client-submitted files for size, font, and color accuracy. Work with classified department, adjusting weekly files, creating and sharing ad proofs for client approval. Work with sales staff on digital ads. Create and manage sales/marketing campaigns, supporting weekly special sections, quarterly community guides, and periodic audience outreach events.

• Pre-press and technical support: Review and pre-flight final production files, approve weekly page proofs for color accuracy, and ensure files meet printer specifications.

• Design and file preparation: Work closely with fellow designers to ensure design elements (fonts, colors, layouts) are technically sound for print.

• Scheduling: Work with sales and editorial departments to create, monitor, and enforce production schedules.

• Troubleshooting: Identify and resolve technical bottlenecks in the production process such as color/printer file conflicts or client files that do not match our specs.

• Miscellaneous: Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with the scope and responsibilities of the role.

What you'll need

• Technical print knowledge: Strong understanding of offset, digital, and large-format printing, including paper types, ink, color theory, and finishing techniques.

• Typography: Strong sense of typography and its design uses.

• Software proficiency: Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) and Microsoft Office365. Expert knowledge and understanding of Mailchimp templates and WordPress interface. Experience with FTP interfaces.

• Project management: Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.

• Communication and problem solving: Excellent interpersonal skills to act as a liaison between sales and creative teams, marketing, and vendors.

Relevant qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, printing technology, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 3-5+ years of experience in print production, advertising agency, or high-volume creative services environment.

Preferred education and experience

• Hands-on experience preparing files for newspaper or magazine production, including inserts, special sections, and advertising layouts.

• Experience collaborating with sales, editorial, and marketing teams in a fast-paced production environment.

Preferred skills and abilities

• Ability to adapt quickly to changing deadlines and priorities.

• High attention to detail with a strong commitment to accuracy and consistency.

• Interest in local journalism, community storytelling, and public‑service media.

• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and support cross‑departmental and special projects as assigned.

Submission Requirements

Please put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume (one to two pages).

• A cover letter that highlights your strengths and explains why you make a strong candidate for the position.

• Links to three to five online samples of your work with one- to two-sentence descriptions for each link. The descriptions should contain details about what you did and how you did it.

• Please assemble these materials into a single document and upload them in a PDF format.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) plan with matching employer contribution

• 22 days of vacation time

• 11 holidays, including your birthday

• Parental leave

• Significant tuition reductions

• Professional development is highly valued at ASU Enterprise Partners, where employees are encouraged to look across the organization and nurture new areas of interest

• $30 bi-weekly cell phone reimbursement

NEWSWELL is an Equal Opportunity Employer