Mill Communications Leader

International Paper • Rome, GA

2d • $89,000 - $118,600 • Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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 leader visits.
• 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

Benefits

• 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
• Leadership training, promotional opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees