Technician

Sappi; Westbrook, Northern (ME, KY); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Sappi North America in Maine seeks a detail-oriented lab technician to support technical personnel by performing bench scale experiments and testing. You will operate and maintain lab equipment, assist with pilot trials, and prepare coating formulations following established recipes.

The role requires accurate data handling, chemical inventory management, and adherence to safety plans, with occasional early starts for pilot support. Strong MS Office skills are beneficial.

Qualifications

• Experience performing bench-scale experiments and testing in a lab setting.
• Comfort with maintaining electronic records and data entry in standard software.
• Ability to follow lab safety procedures and chemical hygiene practices.

Responsibilities

• Operate a wide range of bench testing equipment in the Print Test Lab.
• Perform coating formulation prep, sample submittals, and instrument calibrations.
• Assist with pilot coater trials and maintain chemical inventories.
• Prepare and store sample packages from bench, pilot, and mill scale trials.

Skills

Lab techniques

Data entry

MS Office

Tools

IGT

SIG

Lodcel

Job description

Sappi North America
Sappi North America, headquartered in Boston with corporate offices in Portland, Maine, is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited, a global renewable resource company that uses every part of the tree to make sustainable woodfiber products. With over 12,000 employees and operations in seven countries, we serve customers worldwide. Our diversified businesses include Packaging, Speciality and Graphic Papers and Dissolving Pulp, offering premium products for various industries. From cosmetics packaging and food industry barrier papers to textiles and the clothes you wear, Sappi’s solutions are vital to the future of sustainable alternatives to plastic and other fossil fuel-based products.

Overview:

This position performs a wide range of support tasks to assist technical personnel. Carrier out lab scale experiments and assists with pilot trails. Operates and sets up sometimes complex equipment. Observes safety precautions and follows safety procedures. Performs testing of samples along with identifying and troubleshooting problems with equipment.

Responsibilities:

Operates a wide range of sample making and testing equipment. The candidate must also have the capability to assume accountability for maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment as assigned.

Ability/capability to perform bench scale experiments and produce bench scale prototypes. This work involves calculating ingredient amounts, accurately weighing out materials and following recipes to make coating formulations, testing coatings for requested attributes and coating basepaper using lab coating equipment. The successful candidate will have or develop the skills necessary to produce consistent samples according to an experimental plan.

Assists with the operation and maintenance of lab spaces, including ordering and managing and handling material/chemicals according to a chemical hygiene plan.

Uses R&D based computer programs to fulfill key job functions which include calculating coating recipes, submitting samples for testing, managing chemical inventory and maintaining electronic records using the Electronic Lab Notebook system. In addition, the ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook to analyze and communicate results is necessary.

Assists with pilot coater trials by helping to make up coatings and processing the resulting paper. The candidate must be able to move coating material bags and containers, lifting to 50 pounds. This type of work can be for full days, up to several consecutive days. The work also requires rolls to be cut/sampled and the paper samples lifted from the floor to table cutters according to ergonomic guidelines.

Reports for work during the core hours of 7am to 5pm, but on an infrequent basis, must arrive as early as 6am to participate in tasks such as pilot coater trial support.

Operates a variety of bench testing equipment in the Print Test Lab. This requires the ability to qualify and maintain qualification to operate appropriate Print Test tasks, including IGT, SIG and Lodcel. Subject to administrative controls, the candidate could perform this testing for several consecutive days. In addition, the candidate should be able to learn and perform instrument calibrations and sample submittals as required.

Cuts, prepares and appropriately stores sample packages of paper from bench, pilot and mill scale trials.

Salary is determined by a number of factors including the value of the job to the organization, market forces, internal equity and skills brought to the job.
Sappi provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Sappi complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

ABOUT SAPPI

Sappi isa leading global provider of everyday materials made from woodfibre-based renewable resources. As a diversified, innovative and trusted leader focused on sustainable processes and products, we are building a more circular economy by making what we should, not just what we can.