Fiberline Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Position Title: 

Fiberline Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Pay Rate: 

PL 17

$125,900 - $167,800

The PL of this role may vary (PL 17, 18 or 19) according to candidate skillset and 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 

Physical Location: 

Remote ~60% travel required. 

The Job You Will Perform: 

Technology Subject Matter Experts (SME)s are internal consultants who use expertise and leadership to deliver improvement within the manufacturing system on a wide range of assignments. The duties vary between practicing safety leadership, troubleshooting, deliberate improvement projects, capital projects, equipment and process studies and audits. The SME must be able to work with minimum guidance and supervision. A key component of a SME’s job is to transfer knowledge and skills to mill personnel to build on-site capability. The SME must have excellent communication and collaboration skills being able to quickly engage and influence employees from all levels of the organization from executive to the shop floor, including vendors and contractors. The Fiberline SME is known throughout the enterprise and the industry as a leader in the field and is increasingly requested by name. This individual drives the organization to world-class levels in their area of expertise and beyond. The SME must possess ability to independently manage change and projects of any size, leading and clearly communicating very complicated analysis to wide audiences. This person influences the organization’s strategic direction particularly in the area of expertise and is aware of and shapes trends in field at the leading edge of propagating these developments. The Fiberline SME is comfortable working in all of these areas, and has passion that influences the facilities to improve. This expert delivers strong results, but may not necessarily be known for a broad skill set or throughout the enterprise as the go-to person to solve the very hardest problems.

Performance measurements are based on the following set of skills and competencies:

Leadership / Managerial 

• Interpersonal Savvy – The individual can effectively interact with all levels of the company, across the wide range cultures and languages within IP operations.  The SME has the ability to interface with and technically develop and mentor others within the area of expertise

• Learning on the Fly & Problem Solving – This person is the expert within their area of specialization and must continuously self-develop technical skills as the situation dictates. 

• Presentation & Communication Skills – This person must employ strong verbal and written skills in the rapid communication of issue resolution and new opportunity development.

• The SME is functional across a range of environments, and generally fits into team settings, but may not emerge as the clear leader in all situations. Global exposure and ability to work in several countries is evident.

• The SME is able to delegate and work through others much of the time and particularly at the facility level, forming relationships that create trust and results. 

• The SME is becoming more strategic, but is often more tactical in attacking a problem. 

• The SME is able to support numerous projects and can lead a project at a limited level within a facility, but is generally not leading enterprise or business-wide projects.

Functional / Technical

• Contributes to, and delivers improving safety results, with a specific emphasis in the area of expertise.

• Technical knowledge of the area as it relates to proper operations.

• Capable of leading cost savings improvement teams; evaluating operational data, cost reduction project identification, Due Diligence reviews (as required), facility productivity/capacity expansion evaluations and developing business case justification through high-level capital and cost savings estimates often working with WinGEMs modelers and other modeling techniques. Able to develop and review major scope items and develop FEL 1 & FEL 2 capital cost estimates. 

• Involved in new process develop for fiber lines with established supplier contacts regarding latest designs and process modifications.

• Capable of leading general facility assessments such as replacement cost analysis, tax basis evaluations and general Manufacturing Excellence (ME) reviews of facilities or business units. 

• Within subject matter, wide range of process knowledge backed by relevant/extensive mill level problem solving experiences with proven ability to provide support/consultation to other technology teams.

• The success of the position is highly dependent on productivity while maintaining credibility. The SME must balance discipline around engineering hypothesis (or model) validation with experienced judgment. 

• Nearly all the SME’s work will be collaborative. Effective communication with other team members and leveraging their expertise is a key aspect of the role. Likewise, effective communication with internal customers and bringing clarity to complex issues is a key challenge.

• Directly influences profitability impact annually from among the following

  • Reduction in consumption of direct raw materials, energy, and labor.

  • Improvement in production, reliability, availability and quality .

• Operation and performance improvement with the use of bench marking and best practice sharing

• Capable of interacting with Project Managers (Mill or Corporate), suppliers and Regional Engineering Consultants to guide major capital investments. 

• Capable of providing preliminary engineering calculations as needed (Basic Engineering) to frame up the key project process scope with input from Manufacturing SME’s and Suppliers. 

• Installation support of major capital projects as required 

• Establishment of best practices and area related policy

  • Monthly and impromptu calls/communications

  • Best Practices replication

  • Monthly communications/status updates on issues, progress and action plans

  • Contributing to incident communication through alerts and advisories, participating in policy review and development

• The position is physically and personally demanding, requiring travel of 40-60%. Short-term, high priority projects may require intermittently high work hours.

The Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring: 

• The applicant will possess at least 15 years of experience in operations and service within the area of expertise.

• The applicant will be capable of supporting extensive domestic and international travel requirements, and providing process technical support on a business priority basis. 

• The applicant will possess at least a bachelor’s engineering degree.

• The candidate should have experience in the pulp manufacturing system from chip bins, digesters, brown stock washing, O2 delignification, and bleaching. A general knowledge of refining, screening and caustic plant/kiln operations is required. SME should have an understanding of how the liquor cycle interacts with the fiberline.

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

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 125 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; LSE: IPC) creates sustainable packaging solutions that enable our customers, teammates and shareowners to thrive in an ever-changing world. We are a leader in corrugated packaging, partnering with customers across industries to protect what matters most, strengthen supply chains and create lasting value. Learn more at 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.  International Paper complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected] or (877) 973-3919.