Indesign Automation Developer

Requirements (Must-Haves)

• 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.

Projects

We're looking for an InDesign Automation Developer to help modernize how their print publications get built. To help produce 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, 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 Rails engineering team — no specific framework required on day one, just genuine coding aptitude and the motivation to grow into it.

Job functions

• 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, working independently into a large, proprietary automation pipeline.
• Work with InDesign Server / headless rendering to run automation at production scale, not just through the desktop InDesign client.
• Collaborate with 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 engineering team, growing your skills in a modern backend stack.
• Communicate clearly and proactively in a fully remote, US-based team

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.