Paper Machine Process Manager (Assistant Superintendent)

NORPAC (North Pacific Paper Company)•Longview, WA

5d•$120,000 - $145,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Paper Machine Process Manager is a key member of the Paper Mill leadership team and supports the Paper Machine Superintendent in delivering safe, reliable, high-quality, and cost-effective operations. The role provides visible field leadership, technical and operating direction, people development, and disciplined execution across assigned paper machine operations. The Process Manager leads through International Paper values and operating expectations, strengthens Safe Align and SIF-prevention behaviors, builds operator and Team Leader capability, and coordinates cross-functional resources to achieve mill objectives. This is a safety-sensitive position.

Requirements

Demonstrated commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, integrity, respect, and accountable leadership.
Strong paper machine or comparable continuous-process manufacturing knowledge, including the ability to diagnose process and equipment interactions.
Proven leadership, coaching, communication, conflict-resolution, and team problem-solving capability.
Ability to interpret operating, quality, reliability, and cost data and convert findings into practical actions.
Ability to collaborate effectively at all organizational levels and across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Reliability, P&C, Safety, Environmental, Quality, HR, and Logistics.
Working proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, Project, and PowerPoint, plus applicable mill systems and technical applications.
Ability to support non-routine operating events, outages, and business needs outside normal hours when required.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of paper mill or comparable continuous-process manufacturing experience.
Prior supervisory, process leadership, or operations leadership experience.
Experience with paper machine startups, shutdowns, grade changes, troubleshooting, reliability improvement, and structured problem solving.
Bachelor's degree in engineering, pulp and paper science, operations, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate visible safety leadership where the work occurs; reinforce speak-up and stop-work expectations; verify critical controls for SIF exposures; ensure environmental requirements, permits, and operating boundaries are understood and followed; and support learning and corrective-action closure following incidents, near misses, and operating events.
Support safe startups, shutdowns, grade changes, troubleshooting, and recovery from abnormal conditions. Establish priorities, clarify ownership, maintain effective shift handoffs, and ensure operating decisions balance safety, quality, production, reliability, and cost.
Own assigned process performance and operating discipline. Monitor key process and quality indicators, identify emerging risks, coordinate timely response, and lead structured problem solving to reduce variability, waste, breaks, defects, and repeat losses.
Partner with Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, Process Control, and Operations to improve equipment performance. Reinforce Basic Care, reliable work processes, defect elimination, work identification, root-cause learning, and sustained corrective actions.
Coach Team Leaders, Crew Coordinators, operators, and emerging leaders. Support qualification progress, succession readiness, cross-training, feedback, accountability, and fair, consistent application of company expectations and policies.
Coordinate scope development, operational readiness, risk reviews, staffing, lockout and critical-control planning, startup readiness, and execution of paper machine shutdown plans. Support post-outage review and capture lessons learned.
Translate mill priorities into practical action plans. Use data, standard work, Reliable Methods, daily management, and structured problem solving to improve safety, quality, reliability, productivity, and cost performance.
Maintain strong working relationships across Paper Machines, Fiberline, Maintenance, P&C, Reliability, Engineering, Environmental, Safety, Quality, Logistics, and Human Resources. Escalate risk promptly and communicate decisions, priorities, and results clearly across shifts and departments.
Assist the Superintendent and Team Leaders with staffing, scheduling, timecard review, vacation and floater coordination, training coverage, workforce planning, and consistent administration of company policies and people processes.