Paper Machine Coordinator

Position Profile

Location: Midwest United States

Position Title: Paper Machine Coordinator

The Opportunity:
This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership opportunity at the heart of a large, unionized manufacturing operation undergoing meaningful product and operational transformation. The Paper Machine Coordinator serves as the number two leader on a paper machine and plays a critical role in translating business plans into safe, reliable, and efficient day-to-day operations. With two openings driven by retirement and internal promotion to Area Manager, this role offers a rare chance to step into a leadership position with immediate impact and long-term growth potential.

The Coordinator will lead large operating teams of approximately 20–25 hourly employees and will be directly involved in improving safety, quality, runnability, and cost performance. These openings span multiple machines and grades, including a #3 machine producing label, specialty, or linerboard grades and an E4 machine supporting graphic and/or packaging products as the mill continues its transition toward linerboard and packaging. This role is ideal for a strong paper machine superintendent or supervisor ready to operate at a higher level in a complex, changing environment.

The Company:
The company is a global paper and packaging manufacturer recognized for sustainability, operational excellence, and a values-driven culture. In North America, the organization is in the midst of a significant transformation, investing heavily in its U.S. mill assets to shift from traditional graphic papers toward packaging, specialty, and board grades.

The mill is a cornerstone operation with a large workforce and multiple paper machines producing graphic, specialty label, and emerging packaging grades. Backed by a clear multi-year strategy, disciplined capital investment, and strong leadership alignment, the company offers stability, growth, and the opportunity to be part of a long-term industrial transition. The culture emphasizes accountability, care for people, safety, and respectful labor relations across multiple unions.

The Boss:
The Paper Machine Coordinator reports directly to the Paper Machine System Area Manager and works closely with maintenance, technical, quality, and reliability partners across the mill.

The Position:
The Paper Machine Coordinator is responsible for driving continuous improvement, safe operations, and production excellence across assigned paper machine systems. Acting as a key operational leader, the Coordinator provides technical expertise, daily direction, and people leadership to ensure production, quality, and cost objectives are achieved. The role requires strong collaboration with union leadership and cross-functional partners, particularly in an environment with multiple unions and ongoing operational change.

Essential Functions (Other duties may be assigned):

• Plan, direct, and maintain safe, efficient paper machine operations that meet production, quality, and cost targets.
• Provide visible leadership in safety excellence and reinforce a strong safety culture.
• Convert the business plan into clear daily operating plans and execution priorities.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on people, process, and technology.
• Provide technical leadership and troubleshooting support for runnability, quality, and equipment issues.
• Coordinate maintenance and repairs, establish priorities, and support outage and shutdown planning.
• Participate in capital project planning, budgeting, and execution.
• Develop, motivate, and lead teams of 20–25 hourly employees in a unionized environment.
• Collaborate with other departments to optimize overall system and mill performance.

Qualifications:

• Strong leadership capability with the ability to influence, coach, and develop others.
• Proven ability to manage in a unionized manufacturing environment; union experience is very helpful.
• Solid decision-making skills using data and operational insight.
• Ability to communicate effectively across hourly, salaried, and leadership teams.
• Comfort operating in a dynamic environment undergoing product and process transitions.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Pulp and Paper Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field; or
• Equivalent combination of education and five or more years of paper machine operations experience.
• Experience in label, release liner, graphic, packaging, or linerboard grades is preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership experience at the supervisor or superintendent level.

Competencies:

• Safety Leadership
• Drives Results
• Communicates Effectively
• Builds Effective Teams
• Problem Solving and Technical Insight
• Manages Complexity and Change
• Business and Financial Acumen

Work Environment:
This role is based in a large, integrated paper mill environment with continuous operations. The position requires regular presence on the production floor, interaction with operating crews, and coordination across multiple departments. The environment is unionized, fast-paced, and evolving as the mill transitions product mix and capabilities.

Compensation:
The company offers a competitive total rewards package that aligns with the responsibilities and leadership expectations of the role, including base pay, incentive opportunities, and comprehensive benefits, within a stable and growth-oriented organization.