Senior Environmental Program Manager

Position Title: 

Senior Environmental Program Manager

Pay Rate:

$165,000 - $184,000

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

Physical Location:

This position will be located in Memphis, TN with an option to be remote position for a candidate with towering skillsets and qualifications. Relocation will be paid, if required for the selected candidate.

Travel up to 30% of the time supporting International Paper strategic and regulatory needs.

The Job You Will Perform:

The Senior Environmental Program Manager will serve as a strategic leader within the Packaging Solutions North America (PSNA) division, reporting directly to the Director of Environment and Remediation. This role demands a high-caliber professional with a proven track record in environmental engineering, regulatory compliance, and strategic project execution. The incumbent will spearhead complex initiatives including watershed analytics, site remediation planning, and regulatory advocacy, while aligning environmental strategies with PSNA business objectives.

The ideal candidate must demonstrate agility in learning, a proactive mindset, and exceptional leadership in cross-functional team environments. They will be responsible for prioritizing initiatives based on dynamic business needs and must cultivate a robust network of external technical experts, vendors, and regulatory consultants to support high-impact environmental programs.

• Strategic Accountabilities
  • In addition to the highest ethical standards, this person must also embody IP’s commitment to four key accountabilities:
    • Through great teams, driving Safety Excellence and an 80/20 mindset, deliver an environmentally incident-free workplace while reducing sites overall risk profile and environmental footprint through proactive planning and communication to business leaders and sites.
    • Demand 100 percent compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
    • Raise performance standards by advancing the ideals of sustainability.
    • Develop environmental resources with the appropriate competencies and skill sets needed for future leaders within IP.
• Strategic and Operational Challenges
  • In addition to internal responsibilities, this position must have the ability to identify key issues and engage with stakeholder groups to manage external issues that may affect International Paper’s manufacturing regulatory obligations including cost competitiveness.  The position will work to directly negotiate with and influence local and state entities regarding Company compliance obligations and other similar matters.  To do this, the individual must possess collaborative skills, organizational agility, innovation management and negotiation skills and be able to resolve problems in a timely manner.
  • This position will lead the Company in developing strategy and approaches to successfully address and manage the following for our manufacturing locations located in the North America and EMEA regions:
    • Water regulatory advocacy and system planning, working collaboratively with third party associations/trades to address emerging matters within watersheds our sites are located, to proactively assess, plan, and forecast impacts, both operational and capital
    • Strategic project fit in working with identified project teams for either mergers and acquisitions, or other strategy decisions including site consolidation in managing site closure requirements including appropriate pre-planning and post-closure requirements to get the site to the desired business outcome(s).
    • Assessing and identifying lowest cost-efficient treatment alternatives for effluent treatment of emerging constituents of concern, either for entire site discharge volumes, or some portion thereof, such as landfill leachate.
    • Managing and effectively completing assigned mill environmental projects including interpretation of environmental regulations, development and implementation of environmental strategies for permitting and compliance issues including state and EPA negotiations.
    • Implementing programs, initiatives and measures to advance environmental and sustainability key metrics including elimination of significant environmental events and the implementation of comprehensive environmental management systems.
    • Working with other Company HSE Support Team Members to assist them with providing Site implementation guidance, including model plans, for environmental requirements including performance standards, program elements and the global manufacturing system.

The Skills You Will Bring:

• The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in advanced wastewater treatment technologies, environmental systems engineering, and regulatory frameworks. They must exhibit a leadership style grounded in integrity, collaboration, and technical excellence, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making and strategic foresight.
• This position builds on IP’s reputation for excellence, innovation and leadership in HSE management.    The position will be recognized and rewarded for delivering solutions that sustain and improve current levels of environmental performance in a more effective and efficient manner.
• Minimum of 15-20 years of experience in a broad range of manufacturing environments dealing with complex regulatory requirements – with specific focus and experience with wastewater.
• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or related degree
• Strong written & verbal communication skills; presentation and training delivery skills.  Fluent in Spanish a plus in order to provide project assistance to sites in Mexico.
• Expert knowledge of EPA/State regulations.
• Pulp & Paper experience preferable.

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 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. 

The Career You Will Build:

Leadership training, promotional opportunities within a global company

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 for 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.