Printing and Reprographics Specialist #360

Operates, manages, and troubleshoots high-volume offset printing presses, ensuring conformity to established standards and applicable specifications while establishing priorities. Operates and troubleshoots industrial bindery equipment, paper drills, and corner rounding equipment, foil stamping, and embossing presses; cleans and maintains equipment. Operates and troubleshoots mailing equipment such as sorters, addressing equipment, and inkjet printers; records accurate data for billing; performs preventative maintenance on mailing equipment. Utilizes a Print Management Information System (MIS) to track and report inventories and supplies, and production resources to ensure deadlines are met on work requests. Operates shredders to provide secure document disposal and recycling of Senate documents. Organizes incoming constituent mail for Members so that mail can be scanned to digital formats. Other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• For conditions of employment and citizenship requirements, please visit the job announcement on the United States Senate Career Page at https://sen.gov/YO0NL.

Qualifications

Required Work Experience

• One to three years of experience in print production, bindery operations, and mailing practices.

Required Special Skills/ Knowledge

• Familiarity with, or ability to learn, departmental rules, regulations, procedures, and functions, including policies and regulations set by the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Committee on Ethics or similar policies.
• Knowledge of equipment, computers, and relevant software/web applications, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Knowledge of modern printing and reprographics principles and practices.
• Knowledge of paper, inks, and other supplies used in printing production.
• Ability to meet established quality control standards.
• Ability to produce, inspect, and coordinate work in an efficient manner.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers, and customers.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• As part of our hiring process, we may conduct a skills assessment to better understand an applicant’s proficiency in key areas relevant to the role. 

Desired Skills

• Operates and Troubleshoots: Ability to learn operational features of printing and bindery equipment such as offset presses, plate-making equipment, inkjet presses, digital printers, foil stamping machines, programmable paper cutters, folders, shrink wrappers, and round cornering; performs preventative maintenance on printing and bindery equipment.
• Operates and Troubleshoots: Ability to learn operational features of mailing equipment such as mail sorters, letter inserters, and inkjet addressing equipment; performs preventative maintenance on mailing equipment.
• Wide Format Printing Experience: Demonstrated expertise in handling and operating wide-format flatbed and roll printers.
• Large Format Finishing Equipment: Demonstrates expertise in large-format finishing equipment such as stitchers and flatbed cutters.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite: Ability to effectively use Microsoft Office applications for document preparation and formatting.
• Experience with Adobe Acrobat: Familiarity with industry-standard software for creating and editing print-ready files.
• Knowledge of Imposition Tools: Experience working with imposition tools like Quite Imposing to optimize printing layouts.
• RIPs Utilization: Understanding of how to utilize RIPs (Raster Image Processors) to efficiently process, gang jobs, and adjust color.
• Quality Control: Ability to follow established quality control procedures and maintain set requirements for producing unfailing products.
• Outgoing Mail Process: Process outgoing mail, ensuring items are correctly labeled and sorted for USPS dispatch.
• USPS Practices: Understanding of the rules, regulations, and practices of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ensure compliance.

Working Conditions

• Work requires frequent physical effort such as walking, sitting, bending, standing, and safely lifting objects up to 50 pounds.
• Working in confined spaces (bending and crawling).
• Hazards include moving machinery, exposure to chemicals (such as inks and solvents), paper dust, and excessive noise.
• Work requires operation of powered industrial forklifts, pallet jacks, scissor lifts, etc.
• Work requires employee to wear uniforms.
• Essential Services are functions and activities that are critical to the continuous operation, security, and support of the United States Senate. These services must remain operational without interruption to ensure the Senate can conduct official business. Positions supporting essential services require employees to be available and prepared to work including during inclement weather, holidays, weekends, late nights and overnight hours. Due to the nature of Senate operations, essential services, including network operations and infrastructure, cannot be suspended while the Senate is in session, and maintenance activities may be required outside of normal business hours. 
• Excepted Services refer to functions and activities that are authorized to continue during a lapse of appropriations because they are necessary to the performance of the Senate’s constitutional functions, address emergency circumstances that imminently threaten the safety of human life or the protection of property or directly support essential services of the United States Senate. Employees in excepted positions are generally required to work and remain operational during a lapse of appropriations, to ensure continuity of critical Senate functions. These positions may involve working non-standard schedules, including nights, weekends, holidays, and extended hours, to maintain uninterrupted service and operational readiness.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated by a panel on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Highly qualified candidates may be interviewed and a reference check conducted.

• Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.

Subject to background/security investigation.

Next steps