Production Manager, Material Prep

Ahlstrom-5; Kaukauna (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ahlstrom is seeking a Production Manager, Material Prep at the Kaukauna, WI plant to lead the Material Prep area and related process lines, drive process improvements, and ensure equipment reliability and product quality.

Reporting to the Operations Manager, Paper Mill, you will oversee trials, lead safety initiatives, provide customer technical support, and ensure adherence to manufacturing, hygiene, and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Paper science or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of paper or related industry experience with process management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and lean problem solving; knowledge of PI Historian/Proficy is a plus.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; fluent English.
• Willing to work additional hours as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality improvements and implement permanent solutions.
• Assess process effectiveness and identify improvements.
• Provide customer technical support to key customers.
• Coordinate product development trials and lead safety initiatives.
• Follow manufacturing and hygiene processes and policies.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Strong communication

Teamwork

Customer technical support

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Paper science or related field

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

JD Edwards

PI Historian

Proficy

Job description

Requisition ID5744-Posted08/14/2026-Protective Materials-Technical Materials BU-Thilmany Plant-Kaukauna- Posting Country (1)

You have a choice of where you want to work! We invite you along on our journey to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to attract, retain, and energize passionate people,like you, by investing in your professional development and providing opportunities for personal growth. Do your values align with ours? Accountability, Growth mindset, One team, Care and a fair and inclusive work environment for everyone, everywhere! We strive to meet the highest standards of corporate citizenship by protecting the health and safety of our team, safeguarding the environment, and creating a long-lasting, positive impact on the communities where we do business. Are you with us?!?

Reporting to the Operations Manager, Paper Mill, the Production Manager, Material Prep will have overall responsibility for managing the operation of the Material Prep area, as well as other associated process line equipment. This position provides direction in areas of process improvement, cost reduction, process quality and equipment reliability, and has responsibility for coordinating all product development trials on the process line. In addition, the candidate will be responsible for leading safety initiatives relative to the Manufacturing department.

Essential Functions and Primary Responsibilities:

• Must follow Ahlstrom manufacturing and hygiene processes, procedures and policies, as applicable, to the position’s areas of responsibility, in order to meet and maintain the safety, quality, and regulatory compliance requirements for each grade of paper.
• Lead quality improvements and implement permanent solutions.
• Assess process effectiveness and identify potential process improvements.
• Provide customer technical support to key customers.
• All other assignments assigned by management.
• This is not an exhaustive list of duties or functions and may not necessarily comprise all the “essential functions” for purposes of the ADA.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Paper science or related field required.
• Minimum 3 years of paper or related industry experience, with papermaking and process management skills preferred; previous customer technical service experience (or similar) a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software and willing and able to learn new systems (Lean Six Sigma, structured problem solving, Statistical Process Control, JD Edwards, etc.).
• Knowledge of PI Historian and Proficy database a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, particularly with customer interaction.
• Good written and verbal communication skills as well as teamwork skills.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Regular attendance at work is required. Ability to work additional hours during the week, on weekends, or outside of regular office hours may be required
• The ability to work in a normal office environment to include: sitting or standing for long periods of time, operating various standard office equipment, carrying paper documents/files, reaching and bending, speaking on the telephone. May include safely walking through our manufacturing plant and wearing required personal protection gear (i.e. hearing and foot protection)

Ahlstrom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal opportunity is a sound and just concept to which we are firmly bound. Ahlstrom will not engage in discrimination against, or harassment of, any person employed or seeking employment with our company based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, non-disqualifying disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law.

About Us.

Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. Our Filtration and Life Sciences, Food and Consumer Packaging, and Protective Materials segments, along with the Performance Materials Cluster, address global trends with safe and sustainable solutions. Our net sales in 2025 amounted to EUR 2.9 billion and we employ some 7,000 people.