Engineer Principal Pulp

Clearwater Paper Corporation

44d•Onsite

About The Position

The Principal Engineer serves as the senior technical authority for pulp mill operations, providing leadership and subject matter expertise across all pulp production systems including chip and sawdust fiberline, recaust, bleaching, ClO2 generation, and process support systems. This role partners closely with mill leadership, operations, maintenance, and reliability teams to establish and execute a comprehensive technical strategy focused on safety, process stability, cost optimization, asset reliability, and product quality. The Principal Engineer leads the development and deployment of long-term reliability and process improvement initiatives, integrating process engineering support, quality systems, predictive maintenance, and operating discipline to improve mill productivity and reduce variability. As a key technical leader within the mill, this role drives both short- and long-term operational improvements, supports outage planning and execution, resolves complex process challenges, and ensures alignment between engineering standards and day-to-day mill performance. In addition, the Principal Engineer plays a critical role in developing technical capability within the organization by mentoring engineers and operations leaders, strengthening troubleshooting rigor, and embedding data-driven decision-making across pulp mill operations. This position ensures that capital investments, environmental compliance efforts, and safety initiatives are technically sound and fully integrated into sustainable operating practices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline required; advanced technical or business degree preferred.
Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in pulp mill operations and process engineering, with demonstrated expertise in fiberline operations, bleaching systems, process chemistry, and recovery integration.
Strong working knowledge of kraft pulping chemistry, fiberline operations, bleaching processes, process control strategies, and reliability principles within an integrated pulp manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated expertise in structured problem-solving methodologies (Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, statistical analysis) and ability to translate data into actionable operational improvements.
Proven experience leading process optimization, asset reliability initiatives, and structured problem-solving efforts within an integrated pulp manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated accountability for operational performance metrics including production, yield, chemical usage, energy efficiency, and cost management.
Experience supporting outage planning and execution, capital integration within operating systems, and implementation of technical improvements in a continuous manufacturing setting.
Experience collaborating across operations, maintenance, environmental, and commercial functions within the pulp and paper industry.
Proficient in interpreting and leveraging process control systems (DCS), historian data, and business intelligence tools to drive performance optimization and informed decision-making.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, continuous manufacturing environment while balancing field engagement with strategic technical planning.
Skilled at communicating complex technical information clearly and effectively to operators, engineers, maintenance teams, and senior leadership.
Demonstrated commitment to developing others through coaching, technical mentoring, and knowledge transfer within engineering and operations teams.
Strong collaboration skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders including operations, maintenance, environmental, procurement, and commercial teams.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and data visualization tools; comfortable working within automated manufacturing and reporting systems.
High speed manufacturing environment, sustained

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior technical authority for pulp mill operations, leading structured problem-solving efforts to identify and eliminate process variability, reliability losses, safety risks, and cost drivers using FMEA, Root Cause Analysis, VAVE, and data-driven methodologies.
Lead the development and execution of pulp mill asset reliability and process safety strategies, integrating risk-based maintenance practices, capital prioritization, and operational discipline to protect production continuity and environmental compliance.
Identify, evaluate, and advance process optimization and debottlenecking initiatives across fiberline, bleaching, and supporting systems; develop and execute multi-year technical roadmaps aligned with mill performance objectives.
Act as the primary technical liaison to external engineering partners, OEMs, and service providers, ensuring solutions are technically sound, operationally practical, and delivered safely, on schedule, and within approved budgets.
Champion a culture of continuous improvement within pulp mill operations by regularly evaluating and refining maintenance strategies, critical spare parts programs, and vendor performance to enhance asset reliability and reduce total cost of ownership.
Drive performance improvements through the development of engineering standards, process optimization initiatives, and equipment design enhancements, with emphasis on fiber yield, chemical efficiency, energy reduction, and environmental performance.
Strengthen process control and quality systems by standardizing operating procedures, technical documentation, and troubleshooting protocols to ensure consistent pulp quality and predictable mill performance.
Collaborate with commercial and product teams to provide technical insight into asset capabilities, process limitations, and innovation opportunities aligned with market and customer requirements.
Capture and institutionalize best practices across pulp mill systems to ensure long-term sustainment of improvements and consistent application of technical standards.
Partner with procurement and manufacturing leadership to evaluate and manage chemical programs and technical service agreements, ensuring measurable operational value, performance accountability, and cost competitiveness.
Develop and sustain engineering and operational capability by mentoring technical staff, strengthening structured troubleshooting practices, and promoting data-driven decision-making across pulp mill operations.
Lead the development and sustainment of qualification standards and technical competency frameworks for critical pulp production assets, ensuring depth of process understanding and effective knowledge transfer.
Build long-term technical bench strength by formalizing best practice sharing, lessons learned, and continuous learning mechanisms within the pulp mill organization.