Technical Manager - Papermaking (USA)

What We Offer:

• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance effective the 1st of the month following start date
• 401K 100% match at 5% 1st of the month following start date
• Health & Wellness reimbursements
• Employee Family Assistant Programs
• Product purchase program
• Opportunities to take part in job-related training and development
• Growth and progression opportunities within the larger J. D. Irving group of companies
• Relocation cost (if applicable)

Product Improvement

• Own the basesheet development initiatives that are part of the 3‑year papermaking product development roadmap for assigned categories
• Own trial design, success criteria, and recommendation
• Author trial charters and experimental plans with success criteria; execute validation runs and oversee sample/test plans
• Convert consumer and lab results into clear go/no‑go recommendations for product development reviews with Product Management/Quality/Marketing/Executive Leadership
• Define Specifications & Critical to Quality parameters

Innovation

• Execute & support Sales/Marketing product innovation initiatives
• Drive changes and develop processes to enhance products / margin
• Lead external trials and evaluations with suppliers and labs (chemistry, fabrics, papermaking, converting, analytical testing)
• Ensure NDA and data‑handling compliance with vendors
• Investigate and implement new technologies
• Influence changes, ideas, and developments
• Regularly benchmark vs. competitive/National brands to understand positioning and areas for improvement

Support

• Provide multi‑site technical support for quality and runnability

• Provide technical support to customers / quality systems

• Provide support for significant operational and quality issues directly at the sites

• Ability to analyze and interpret data to drive to root cause of technical issues

• Mentor junior engineers

• Engage and influence all levels of the company

• Lead technical seminars for our operational/process staff.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field (Chemical or Pulp & Paper preferred), or equivalent experience

• 10–15 years of tissue/towel papermaking experience, including TAD technology, process optimization, and trial/experimental design

• Experience in R&D, Product Development, and/or Quality

• Strong knowledge of papermaking processes; pulp mill process knowledge is an asset

• Proficiency in experimental design, statistics, data analysis, visualization, and root cause problem solving

• Project management experience, including A3 and Gantt chart methodologies

• Strong leadership, coaching, mentoring, and communication skills across all organizational levels