Paper Mill Production Leader - Operations Excellence

Qualified Professional & Technical; Ashland (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualified Professional & Technical in Ashland, VA is seeking a senior manufacturing leader to drive paper production, safety, quality and efficiency across a frontline team of supervisors and operators. This direct-hire role offers relocation assistance for the right candidate and a competitive compensation package.

The role requires 5–8+ years in paper manufacturing or heavy manufacturing, a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, and a proven track record coaching teams and delivering continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, chemical engineering, or related field.
• 5–8+ years of progressive experience in paper manufacturing or similar heavy manufacturing industry.
• Strong technical understanding of paper machine operations.
• Proven success leading production teams and developing employees in a manufacturing setting.
• Demonstrated ability to drive results through problem-solving, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Exposure to reliability programs, lean manufacturing practices, or manufacturing excellence systems.
• Strong communication, coaching, and leadership skills with a passion for developing people.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop frontline supervisors (4) and hourly employees (60+) to build capability, accountability and drive operational excellence across the production team.
• Leading daily paper machine operations to achieve SQDEP performance targets (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Efficiency, People).
• Drive execution of daily management systems, including structured shift handovers and production reviews.
• Using operational metrics and production data to identify improvement opportunities and deliver sustainable results
• Monitor performance, identify losses, and implement corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Expanding your leadership impact by coaching supervisors and developing high-performing production teams
• Championing a strong safety culture through visible leadership, audits, risk reduction initiatives, and incident investigations
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, quality, and employee engagement

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Problem-solving

Continuous improvement

Communication

Employee engagement

People development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Qualified Professional & Technical in Ashland, VA is seeking a senior manufacturing leader to drive paper production, safety, quality and efficiency across a frontline team of supervisors and operators. This direct-hire role offers relocation assistance for the right candidate and a competitive compensation package.

The role requires 5–8+ years in paper manufacturing or heavy manufacturing, a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, and a proven track record coaching teams and delivering continuous