What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mill Communications Leader position at International Paper?
Position Title
JOB DESCRIPTION
Mill Communications Leader
Pay Rate
$89,000-$118,600
Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.
Variable pay may provide additional opportunities for financial awards. This job is eligible to participate in IP’s short –term incentive plan.
Category/Shift
Salaried Full-Time
Physical Location:
238 Mays Bridge Road SW
Rome, GA 30165
The Mill Communications Leader serves as a strategic communications partner to mill leadership, team members, and key external stakeholders. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive communications strategy that supports safety, engagement, manufacturing and business priorities at the Rome Mill. The position plays a critical role in driving deliberate, continuous, and sustainable improvement by ensuring clear, consistent, and aligned messaging within the mill, across the Containerboard business, and throughout the local community.
Supports a workforce of approximately 600 team members.
Role is primarily located onsite at the Rome Mill with minimal travel.
The Job You Will Perform
Strategic Communications & Leadership Support
The Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring:
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
Leadership training, promotional opportunities
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 125 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. The Company You Will Join:
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. With company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than 30 countries. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Net sales for 2024 were $18.6 billion. In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.
International Paper is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. International Paper complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact reasonable.accommodations@ipaper.com or (877) 973-3919.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Mill Communications Leader
Pay Rate
$89,000-$118,600
Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.
Variable pay may provide additional opportunities for financial awards. This job is eligible to participate in IP’s short –term incentive plan.
Category/Shift
Salaried Full-Time
Physical Location:
238 Mays Bridge Road SW
Rome, GA 30165
The Mill Communications Leader serves as a strategic communications partner to mill leadership, team members, and key external stakeholders. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive communications strategy that supports safety, engagement, manufacturing and business priorities at the Rome Mill. The position plays a critical role in driving deliberate, continuous, and sustainable improvement by ensuring clear, consistent, and aligned messaging within the mill, across the Containerboard business, and throughout the local community.
Supports a workforce of approximately 600 team members.
Role is primarily located onsite at the Rome Mill with minimal travel.
The Job You Will Perform
Strategic Communications & Leadership Support
- Serve as a trusted advisor to mill leadership, providing strategic and tactical communications counsel.
- Develop and maintain an integrated mill communications plan aligned with facility, business, and corporate objectives.
- Translate enterprise and business strategies into clear, relevant, and actionable communications for mill audiences.
- Support change management initiatives through deliberate messaging and engagement strategies.
- Create, curate, and distribute communications that drive alignment, reinforce priorities, and enhance employee engagement.
- Own and continuously improve employee communication channels (e.g., newsletters, digital displays, message boards, town halls, meetings).
- Establish feedback loops and listening mechanisms to assess effectiveness and improve communication quality.
- Partner with mill leadership to foster a culture of transparency, trust, and two-way communication.
- Align with business and corporate communications to support crisis readiness and response.
- Ensure facility crisis communication protocols are established, maintained, and understood.
- Coordinate and support media interactions, including drafting press releases and responses to inquiries.
- Facilitate media and crisis communications training for leaders as needed.
- Develop and execute a community engagement strategy that strengthens relationships, builds goodwill, and mitigates risk.
- Serve as the IP Foundation Ambassador, managing the end-to-end grant nomination and award process.
- Partner with Government Relations to coordinate local official or community le
- Align site-level outreach with enterprise community engagement priorities.
- Work cross-functionally with HR, Safety, Operations, Government Relations, and Corporate Communications.
- Support facility, regional, or business-led projects, campaigns, and initiatives as assigned.
- Create, collect and disseminate messaging that drives deliberate improvement, facilitates alignment to realize results and supports employee engagement Develop, manage, enhance and sustain effective employee communication channels and feedback systems, such as a newsletter, message boards, mill-wide meetings, etc.
- Develop systems for the ongoing collection of leadership and employee feedback to gauge effectiveness of communication channels, systems, material and alignment
- Collaborate with mill leadership to create an environment that supports and encourages open employee feedback
- Align with business and corporate communications to coordinate crisis communications and ensure crisis communication processes and protocols are in place
- Work with corporate and business communications to respond to media inquiries and write news releases as needed
- Communicating effectively within a diverse workforce (hourly/salaried; union/non-union).
- Building trust and credibility in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
- Balancing mill priorities with business and enterprise messaging.
- Staying agile while managing multiple, often time-sensitive priorities.
- Advancing communication methods through digital tools, AI, and new channels.
- Being on-call to support crisis or critical issues as needed.
The Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring:
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
- 5–7 years of experience in communications, employee engagement, or public relations.
- Demonstrated strength in employee communications and community relations.
- Exceptional writing, editing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Proven ability to influence and build relationships at all levels of the organization.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities independently.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and presentation design tools.
- Must be able to wear all required safety equipment (PPE).
- Must be able to perform required duties in a mill/manufacturing setting.
- Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or labor-intensive environments.
- Familiarity with digital communication platforms, AI-enabled tools, and web-based content.
- Graphic design or desktop publishing experience.
- Internship or early-career experience in communications or media.
- Leadership Competencies
- Interpersonal Savvy
- Listening
- Managerial Courage
- Action Oriented
- Planning & Priority Setting
- Time Management
- Dealing with Ambiguity
- Functional & Technical Competencies
- Strategic Message Development
- Channel Strategy & Optimization
- Speaking & Presentation Development
- Change & Crisis Communications
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
Leadership training, promotional opportunities
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 125 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. The Company You Will Join:
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. With company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than 30 countries. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Net sales for 2024 were $18.6 billion. In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.
International Paper is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. International Paper complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact reasonable.accommodations@ipaper.com or (877) 973-3919.
Salary : $89,000 - $118,600