Adobe InDesign Expert
2 нед. назад
BrazilLATAMMiddleRemote
indesignextendscriptuxpjsonrails
Build and maintain InDesign automation scripts and collaborate with engineering to modernize print publication workflows.
Обязанности
- We're looking for an Adobe InDesign Expert to join The N2 Company's engineering team and help modernize how their print publications get built. N2 produces roughly 900 print publications a month — averaging about 40 pages each, around 33 million pages a month — out of their own Dallas print shop. Today, an InDesign scripting pipeline (run in partnership with an external vendor) takes structured content and slams it into a rough first-draft layout, which a human designer then finishes by hand.
- You'll dig into that existing pipeline, debug and stabilize the scripts causing intermittent layout errors, and build new automation to push the first draft closer to print-ready — reducing the manual design work and the team's reliance on outside scripting help.
- This role starts InDesign-heavy. As you ramp up, you'll grow into real backend ticket work alongside N2's Rails engineering team — no specific framework required on day one, just genuine coding aptitude and the motivation to grow into it.
- Build and maintain InDesign automation using ExtendScript and/or UXP (.idjs) to generate print-ready layouts from structured content (IDML, data-merge, JSON).
- Debug and stabilize existing production scripts — including root-causing intermittent text-sizing and layout errors in the current publication pipeline.
- Work with InDesign Server / headless rendering to run automation at production scale, not just through the desktop InDesign client.
- Collaborate with N2's design and engineering teams to reduce manual layout work and shrink reliance on outside scripting vendors.
- As you ramp up, pick up real backend tickets alongside N2's engineering team, growing your skills in a modern backend stack.
- Communicate clearly and proactively in a fully remote, US-based team environment.
Требования
- Strong, hands-on Adobe InDesign scripting experience — ExtendScript and/or UXP (.idjs).
- Genuine coding aptitude and motivation to grow into backend development (Ruby, Python, Java, or similar — no specific framework required on day one).
- Comfortable with Git and PR-based code review today — not starting from zero on version control.
- Demonstrated ability to debug and troubleshoot someone else's automation, not just build new scripts from scratch.
- Able to work independently and ramp into unfamiliar proprietary APIs/DOMs with limited documentation.
- Advanced to fluent English (C1–C2), written and spoken — client is US-based and communication is evaluated closely.
- Central Time zone overlap.
Будет плюсом
- InDesign Server / headless production experience — SOAP job queues, automated rendering pipelines, running scripts at real print-shop scale rather than through the desktop client. This is the biggest differentiator we're screening for.
- Real automation/production experience at meaningful scale (IDML generation, data-merge) — not manual layout/design-only work.
- Print production background (CMYK, bleed, PDF/X, preflight).
- Self-taught or career-changer path into code — bootcamp, side projects, non-traditional background is a strong positive signal here.
- Familiarity with background job queues (Sidekiq, SOLID Queue, or similar) for async rendering work.
Условия
- Remote position, LATAM-based candidates.
- Time zone: Central Time overlap required.
- Salary: Competitive, based on experience — share your expectations when you apply.
- Type: Full-time, long-term.
- Start date: Early-to-mid September 2026.
Другое
- Pure graphic/DTP designer with no interest in or aptitude for backend coding — this role is meant to grow into engineering, not stay print-only.
- No InDesign automation/scripting experience at all (manual layout only).
- No coding aptitude or experience with any backend language — some backend exposure is required, even though no specific framework is.
- Cannot demonstrate independent problem-solving into unfamiliar or proprietary systems.
- Scale: ~900 publications/month, ~40 pages average, ~33M pages/month printed out of N2's Dallas print shop.
- Current pipeline: a "build pub script" assembles articles and ads into a rough first-draft layout; human designers finish the formatting by hand.
- Known pain point: "article template" scripts intermittently throw text-sizing/layout errors that haven't been root-caused yet — a concrete, real problem you'd be stepping into.
- Vendor relationship: N2 currently works with an external InDesign scripting vendor and will keep them in the loop initially — the goal is to reduce reliance on their (expensive) hours over time, not replace them day one.
- Growth-path stack: Ruby on Rails, React, Kafka, Docker, ElasticSearch (N2's existing engineering stack) — what you'll grow into as you pick up backend tickets.
- AI vision: long-term goal is combining scripting with AI so the first-draft layout comes out close to final, greatly reducing manual design work.
- The N2 Company is a franchise-driven print and digital publisher behind Stroll, Real Producers, BeLocal, and Greet magazines, generating roughly $150M in annual revenue. N2 runs a custom Ruby on Rails production platform and its own Dallas print shop, and is actively modernizing its engineering practices and reducing reliance on outsourced vendors.