Process Lead

Cascades • Eau Claire, WI

16h • $75,000 - $88,000

About The Position

At Cascades, Sustainable Development means Respecting the True Nature of our 10,000 talents. We put you first: Career pathways that support your goals! Excellent Benefits Package offering health & life insurance options & paid time off! Financial Benefits include 401(k) Retirement Plan, Profit Sharing & Stock Options! Well-Being Benefits include EAP options and Healthy Lifestyle Benefits! Base Salary Range for Process Lead: $75,000 - $88,000 + Profit Sharing You will own the process performance of the Deink operation end‑to‑end and lead continuous improvement (CI) to deliver safe, stable, capable processes that hit daily targets and unlock step‑change results. The Process Lead is a go‑to problem solver for pulp quality, fiber yield, chemical usage, energy/water efficiency, and throughput across pulping, screening, cleaning, flotation, washing, dewatering, bleaching/brightening, stock prep, and whitewater recovery systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, Engineering, Chemistry or other related degree or a vocational certificate/diploma.
• A combination of education and lean manufacturing experience will be considered.
• 3+ years’ experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Paper manufacturing experience is highly desirable.
• PLEASE NOTE: Relocation is not offered for this position.
• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the US.
• Sponsorship is not offered for this position now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Paper manufacturing experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Daily Process Ownership & Stability Monitor DCS/PI/SPC dashboards; take immediate action to keep the process in control and on target for yield, brightness, dirt/stickies, ash, freeness/consistency, moisture, and rejects.
• Run daily tier meetings for process KPIs; translate gaps into actions and assign owners; close actions within agreed SLA.
• Maintain and continuously improve standard work (SOPs), control plans and centerlines for each unit operation.
• Lead problem solving on fiber losses, rework, off‑spec pulp, downtime, chemical over‑consumption, and water/energy waste.
• Facilitate CI initiatives (e.g., start‑up/shutdown loss, grade change SMED, stickies control, flotation air rate optimization, washer efficiency).
• Build and maintain Process and control plans; implement error‑proofing and visual management.
• Own centerlining and capability for critical parameters (e.g., pulper consistency/temperature, flotation air/chemical dosing, washer dilution, thickener feed/torque, bleaching chemistry).
• Develop SPC charts and predictive dashboards (e.g., brightness vs. peroxide dosage, yield vs. stickies load).
• Partner with Reliability Lead to correlate process variation with equipment condition (screens, pumps, washers, valves, instrumentation).
• Meet or exceed internal specs for brightness (ISO), cleanliness/dirts, stickies class, ash/contaminants, and pulp strength indices feeding downstream machines.
• Drive corrective actions for customer complaints and internal holds; conduct root cause analysis (5‑Why, Fishbone) and sustain fixes.
• Champion EHS first: risk assessments, safe work policy adherence for process changes, and chemical handling standards.
• Reduce chemical/energy footprint; partner with water/DAF operations on whitewater loops and effluent stability.
• Ensure compliance with permits and internal policies; keep process documentation audit‑ready.
• Create and maintain “Run‑to‑Target” playbooks: startup, rate changes, grade changes, upset recovery, and shutdowns.
• Train operators and frontline leaders on why‑why logic, critical settings, and visual standards; verify via Gemba and certification.
• Work as a trio with Asset Owner (people) and Reliability Lead (equipment): Define standard processes and tools to ensure that processes are executed properly within our Deink operation.
• Focus on opportunities for reduction of waste, improvements in process efficiency and other continuous improvement projects.
• Define / execute on standards for Breakdown Elimination (BDE) minor issues execution (6W2H) and major issues execution (root-cause analysis).
• Support operators in identifying and solving problems that cause defects or process inefficiencies.
• Initiate waste reduction initiatives by identifying root cause through data analysis and cross functional execution.
• Determine planned maintenance needs and prioritize work orders / schedule the process for conducting planned maintenance.
• Ensure constant communication with the maintenance department to establish area priorities through Continuous Improvement.
• Communicate any procedural issues with suppliers.

Benefits

• Excellent Benefits Package offering health & life insurance options & paid time off!
• Financial Benefits include 401(k) Retirement Plan, Profit Sharing & Stock Options!
• Well-Being Benefits include EAP options and Healthy Lifestyle Benefits!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level