Fibers E&I First Line Leader

Pay Rate:

$118,600 - $148,300 (PL12) - commensurate with experience

Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.

Category/Shift:

Salaried Full-Time Exempt

Physical Location:

Columbus Cellulose Fibers

IP – Columbus Mill

4335 Carson Road

Columbus MS  39701

This position is located at the Columbus, MS Global Cellulose Fibers mill.  As one of the largest softwood pulp producers in the world, this location produces bleached softwood pulp for use in paper and specialty products such as absorbent personal care products, pharmaceuticals and photographic-based papers.  This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for providing direction to area multi-craft technicians and other team members as necessary.  The successful candidate will provide leadership to drive out repetitive maintenance problems, reduce maintenance cost and improve equipment reliability.  The position reports to the Area Maintenance Manager, Pulp.

The Job You Will Perform:

• Be a role model and champion for an injury-free work place and promote safety and excellence in all areas of influence
• Responsible for gaining commitment and motivating employees toward a common goal in a non-union team environment
• Responsible for leading process safety improvements through personal commitment and other safety programs
• Enables the E&I crew to work safely and efficiently through training, monitoring and continuous coaching and mentoring
• Utilize and apply knowledge underlying the construction and use of control instrumentation, construction and use of low voltage and medium voltage AC motors starters, and the construction and use of programmable logic controllers, analog and digital system fault diagnostic techniques and procedures
• Manage daily area maintenance decisions, to include staffing, work prioritization and spending
• Ensure effective communication between the E&I maintenance team and other mill teams
• Responsible for work execution within department and the overall effectiveness of the notification and work order system
• Responsible for effective participation with the MWS team, and creates daily/weekly schedule and executes priority of work
• Manage all work for area of responsibility including contract work, ensure proper staffing, communicate job progress and ensure proper follow until successful completion
• Lead problem solving, troubleshoot issues, and initiate the acquisition of additional resources as appropriate
• Responsible for conducting performance reviews and effective one to ones with team members
• Lead the mill’s Growth and Development System for the area to ensure proper skill development for individual and team
• Effectively and efficiently manages crew work hours through Work Brain.
• Promotes 5S initiatives, reliability efforts, precision maintenance practices and standards, and root cause analysis
   

The Skills You Will Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent electrical and instrumentation work experience in a manufacturing environment
• Prefer a minimum of five (5) years leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience in the pulp and paper industry is preferred
• Experience leading troubleshooting and maintenance activities in a manufacturing environment
• Detailed knowledge of industrial safety procedures and regulations
• Ability to lead in a high-performance team environment and get work done through others
• Ability to collaborate with peers and work well work others
• Strong computer skills including proficiency with SAP and all Microsoft Office applications
• Good decision-making, judgement and outstanding interpersonal skills are required
• High degree of organizational skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skill
• Ability to interpret maintenance manuals, functional specifications and engineering drawings
• Working knowledge of equipment, trades skills, work execution, and reporting
• This position requires working extended hours often and with short notice, a strong sense of ownership and urgency, motivation and innovation, clearly visible leadership skills
• Proficient in Work Brain and time entry.
   

Key Competencies:

• Problem Solving
• Dealing with Ambiguity
• Motivating Others
• Drive for Results
• Customer Focus
• Building Effective Teams
• Managerial Courage
• Managing and Measuring
• Conflict Management
   

The Benefits You Will Enjoy:

International Paper offers a benefits package that includes health, welfare and retirement plans including Medical, Dental, Life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Short-term Disability, 401(k) and/or Pension (where applicable), Paid Time Off, Education & Development (including Tuition Reimbursement),  and Voluntary Benefits including insurance for home, auto, vision and pets. 

The Career You Will Build:

• You will have opportunities to learn, develop, and contribute to the success of International Paper.
• Our team is comprised of members with diverse backgrounds.
• You will have the opportunity to grow your global business acumen and perspective.

The Impact You Will Make:

We continue to build a better future for people, the planet, and our company! IP has been a good steward of sustainable practices across communities around the world for more than 120 years. Join our team and you’ll see why our team members say they’re Proud to be IP.
 

The Culture You Will Experience:

International Paper promotes employee well-being by providing safe, caring and inclusive workplaces. We have team members all around the world with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. These are our strengths. We are committed to creating a culture where all individuals are respected, valued, engaged and have an opportunity to do their best work every day. We invite you to bring your uniqueness, creativity, talents, experiences, and safety mindset to be a part of our increasingly inclusive and diverse culture.

The Company You Will Join:

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions.  With Company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than 30 countries.  Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time.  Net sales for 2024 were 18.6 billion.  In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions.  Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.

International Paper is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.