Maintenance Foreman

Smurfit Westrock•Demopolis, AL

About The Position

The Maintenance Foreman leads and drives maintenance objectives for the entire mill during an assigned shift. The role applies precision and preventive maintenance practices and follows company standards and policies to improve safety, equipment reliability, production, and operational uptime. The foreman works with maintenance leadership and craft employees, including electricians, millwrights, pipe fitters/welders, and maintenance trainees, as well as operations teams, engineers, and other maintenance professionals. The position also supports employee development, a strong safety culture, and continuous improvement across mill operations. The schedule is a 12-hour rotating shift. The position is based at the Demopolis Pulp Mill in Demopolis, Alabama. Employment is full-time.

Requirements

At least 5 years of maintenance experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated leadership experience and ability to supervise, coach, and develop employees.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify, evaluate, and implement effective solutions.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for group and one-on-one settings.
Fundamental understanding of maintenance and operational processes in a paper mill or similar manufacturing facility.
Working knowledge of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), including work order management, maintenance planning, and cost tracking.
Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks and competing responsibilities.
Ability to manage time effectively and drive work to completion.
Self-motivated and proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
Ability to use and understand manuals, drawings, and other resources to address equipment needs within proper tolerances and specifications.

Nice To Haves

Experience with JD Edwards.
Technical, associate, or bachelor's degree in maintenance, engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Experience leading or supervising maintenance employees in a unionized manufacturing environment.
Experience with reliability-centered maintenance practices, including root cause failure analysis, precision maintenance, preventive maintenance, and predictive maintenance programs.
Experience with XFRACUS.
Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation systems commonly found in paper mill operations.
Experience coordinating maintenance activities with operations, engineering, and reliability teams.
Knowledge of Microsoft Suite products, including Outlook, CoPilot, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
Knowledge of and familiarity with Autodesk AutoCAD.

Responsibilities

Uphold safety policies, review lockout/tagout procedures, verify zero energy before work begins, address high-risk situations, conduct and document safety meetings, ensure direct reports perform safety engagements, and coordinate maintenance safety initiatives.
Lead mill housekeeping efforts and audit assigned areas for compliance with mill standards.
Supervise and direct hourly mechanical and electrical maintenance employees to ensure work is performed safely, efficiently, on time, and in accordance with precision and preventive maintenance standards.
Coordinate communication between operations and maintenance crews regarding lockout coordination, work priorities, timelines, and work-completion notifications.
Serve in emergency response leadership roles, including Incident Commander and Fire Marshal support.
Plan, schedule, and execute preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance with Operations and Maintenance teams.
Troubleshoot equipment and participate in reliability improvement programs, including root cause failure analyses, laser alignment, balancing, lubrication, and other precision maintenance practices.
Prioritize and manage maintenance resources during planned and unplanned downtime, including break-ins, system outages, and major shutdowns.
Communicate upset conditions, break-ins, and changing maintenance priorities to Maintenance Leadership.
Monitor and report crew performance, manpower utilization, reliability concerns, and maintenance findings.
Participate in daily and shift-turnover meetings with operations and maintenance crews.
Manage workforce administration, including crew staffing, scheduling, performance oversight, and supervisory reporting, to support department objectives and employee development.