Digital Print Operator (HP Indigo)

Digital Print Operator (HP Indigo)

Run our HP Indigo press from day one (one press, one shift, growing fast), run the cutting and folding line that sits next to it, train a second person as backup, and pitch in on the warehouse when the press is idle. This is our first in-house print hire: the person sets the standard, so we want a real Indigo operator, not a trainee.

What the role actually is

• Lush Lobster sells personalised greeting cards online (every card is a one-off, printed to order the same day and posted direct to the recipient) plus a growing gift range. Today our printing is outsourced to a trade printer on HP Indigo presses; from January we bring it in-house in Milton Keynes.
• One HP Indigo 7000-series press (new or certified pre-owned, to be confirmed), one Duplo-class cutter/creaser/folder, envelope addressing, and a packing bench. Volumes start in the low thousands of cards a day and climb through 2027; December is the peak and Saturday working will be needed around it.
• Reports to the founder (Alex). Works alongside the warehouse team already on site (gift pick-pack and dispatch).

What you will do

• Operate the Indigo day to day: start-up and daily calibration, loading board and envelopes, running the print queue from PrintOS / Site Flow, colour checks, PIP, blanket and consumable changes, basic fault-finding with HP Print Care and remote support.
• Run the finishing line: cut, crease and fold cards; keep makeready short across card sizes; address envelopes; keep waste under 4%.
• Own quality: every card matches what the customer designed; reprints caught before they post; same-day cut-off met.
• Keep the press healthy: maintenance routines, consumables stock, climate and cleanliness in the print room, and the log HP service needs.
• Train a second operator for cover (holiday, sickness, second shift at peak) and write the simple runbook.
• When the press is idle, help the warehouse: pick-pack gifts, goods-in, stock counts, Royal Mail collections.

Who we are looking for

Must have

• Hands-on HP Indigo experience (5000, 7000 or 10000/12000 series; 7000-series ideal), running the press independently, not just assisting.
• Comfortable with daily calibration, colour management and consumable changes; can read a job ticket and a RIP queue.
• Experience of short-run or variable-data work (every job different) rather than long runs.
• Reliable, practical and tidy; happy to work Saturdays around Christmas and to muck in on the warehouse floor.
• Lives within commuting distance of Milton Keynes; right to work in the UK.

Nice to have

• Duplo, Morgana or Horizon finishing kit; envelope addressing / inserting lines.
• PrintOS, Site Flow or similar web-to-print workflow; greeting-card or photo-product production.
• Has trained or supervised someone before; forklift or goods-in experience.

Terms

• Salary £30,000–£34,000 depending on Indigo experience, plus overtime at peak. UK Indigo operator ads run £25–30k typical, £28–35k in Herts, up to £42k for senior
• Bonus: Performance bonus
• Hours: 40 hours, Monday to Friday, 8-hour shift; Saturday rota in November–December (paid overtime or time in lieu)
• Start January 2027; ideally two weeks before the press is commissioned so they attend the HP install and Level 1 training
• Location: On site, Unit 19 Tanners Drive, Milton Keynes

Pay: £28,000.00-£35,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Free parking
• On-site parking

Experience:

• HP Indigo: 1 year (required)

Work Location: In person