Position Title :

Area Manufacturing Excellence Leader

Pay Rate : Category / Shift :

Category / Shift : Salaried Full-Time

Salaried Full-Time

Physical Location :

Franklin Mill, Virginia

The Job You Will Perform :

• Primarily responsible for development and implementation of deliberate improvements focused on capital and non-capital cost reduction, waste reduction, process efficiency and variability reduction projects as well as continuous improvements within these functional areas.
• Coordinate use of ME toolbox as needed to address mill issues including Six Sigma, Kaizen, Capital Cost Reduction project management and other ME tools.
• Assist in the facilitation of Strategy Deployment and Realizable Gap (R-Gap) processes including periodic reviews.
• Be knowledgeable of the 9 Cost Reduction Global Manufacturing System (GMS) elements and possess the facilitative and organizational skills to lead one or more of these elements.
• Conduct training as needed to ensure both team leaders and team members are knowledgeable on ME processes and methods.
• Coordinate technical efforts of departments through participation in regular project review meetings.
• Support business units with strategic evaluations and / or performance tracking, as well as budgeting / business analysis.
• Conduct all functions within a work systems based framework to ensure sustainability.
• Support operating business units as needed as a technical resource or in an operations management capacity. Act as liaison between operating areas within the mill.

Champion resolution of complex operating issues as needed.

• Be knowledgeable and participate in Maintenance / Reliability work systems such as Manufacturing Work Systems (MWS), Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), Basic Care (BC) development and Precision Maintenance (IEPM).
• The ME resource will be required to provide support for project management and / or outage management during annual outages.
• Demonstrate leadership in the area of safety and support broad based participation in the mill’s safety initiatives.
• Actively drive self-development.
• Champion training efforts in the operating areas related to new cost reduction capital and non-capital projects.
• Lead White Belt training modules and mentor yellow belt candidates and green belt candidates as they work through certification.
• Foster peer relationships within the ME team to ensure overall ME team skill set is constantly growing, particularly where more experienced team members can positively support development of less experienced team members.
• Manage REACH engineers, and interns / co-ops on the ME team as necessary.

The Skills You Will Bring :

• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Electrical Engineering
• A minimum of 5-10 years of manufacturing management or process experience in a heavy industrial environment (prior paper or chemical industry experience preferred).
• Candidate will possess Green Belt certification level or higher and be able to certify to IP’s Green Belt level within 1 year of service
• Prior experience as a First Line Leader, Operations Maintenance Coordinator, and Area Process Manager preferred
• Possess good skills in written and oral communication, problem solving, time management, conflict resolution and task group facilitation.
• Possess strong computer knowledge and skills that include experience with spreadsheets, word processing, and Minitab.
• Simca experience preferred
• Ability to excel with minimal supervision in a team environment.

The Benefits You Will Enjoy :

International Paper offers a benefits package that includes health, welfare and retirement plans including Medical, Dental, Life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Short-term and Long-term Disability, 401(k), Company-funded retirement contributions, Paid Time Off, Education & Development (including Tuition Reimbursement), Student Loan Repayment Assistance, and Voluntary Benefits including insurance for home, auto, vision and pets.

The Career You Will Build :

• Opportunity to make a difference in business results
• The ability to learn and grow
• Build a career with a great organization

The Impact You Will Make :

We continue to build a better future for people, the planet, and our company! IP has been a good steward of sustainable practices across communities around the world for more than 120 years.

Join our team and you’ll see why our team members say they’re Proud to be IP .

The Culture You Will Experience :

International Paper promotes employee well-being by providing safe, caring and inclusive workplaces. We have team members all around the world with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

These are our strengths. We are committed to creating a culture where all individuals are respected, valued, engaged and have an opportunity to do their best work every day.

We invite you to bring your uniqueness, creativity, talents, experiences, and safety mindset to be a part of our increasingly inclusive and diverse culture.

International Paper (NYSE : IP) is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness.

Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe.

Net sales for 2022 were $ billion. Additional information can be found by visiting

Last updated : 2024-05-22