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Area Manufacturing Excellence Leader - Pulp

International Paper · Selma, AL

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Level
Manager
Team
Lean / CI
Base pay
$108k–$144k
Degree
Required
Experience asked
25+ years
Certification
Black Belt preferred
Industry
Packaging
Posted
14 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A management continuous improvement role at International Paper (packaging) in Selma, AL. Support 5S program for the area and drive improvement projects, audit systems, and excellent results.

They ask for
25+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
Tools it names
Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Green Belt, 5S
Base pay
$108k–$144k

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Continuous Improvement roles in the US: typical posted base $105k–$150k. This one lists $108k–$144k.

Median of the low and high ends of 139 live postings that list pay, out of 361 continuous improvement openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Alabama plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 11 other live lean / ci postings in Alabama.

Experience asked
More than usual (25+ vs 5+)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Lean 92%
  • Value stream mapping 67%
  • ✓ Six Sigma 58%
  • Root cause 42%
  • ✓ 5S 42%
  • Team leadership 25%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 25+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Promotion path mentioned

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

  1. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at International Paper

    Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

  2. 2

    Send a short, curious note

    One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

  3. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
    • Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
    • The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 4

    Apply with someone vouching for you

    If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

  5. 5

    Bring proof to the interview

    One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: International Paper in Selma

8 other open roles at this site.

All 9 roles at International Paper →
Full description from International PaperAs posted on their careers site.Show

responsibilities

in an inclusive manner by engaging all team members in area, department, and mill

  • ◆Work effectively alone or within a team
  • ◆Possess Manufacturing Excellence (ME) certification of yellow or green belt.
  • ◆Utilize strong organizational skills to handle multiple tasks effectively
  • ◆Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in operations, maintenance, and/or engineering in a paper manufacturing environment is required.
  • ◆Bachelor’s degree in chemical, mechanical or electrical engineering is required; equivalent practical experience may be considered.
  • ◆IP ME certification of green or black belt is preferred; additional lean/six sigma certifications a plus.

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.

Show full description ↓

Area Manufacturing Excellence Leader - Pulp

Pay Rate

$108,200-$144,300

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

601 County Rd 78

Selma, Al

The Job You Will Perform

  • •Provide visible and active leadership in delivering excellent safety results
  • •Identify and deliver sustainable cost savings through multiple deliberate and continuous improvement initiatives in alignment with the mills goal of year over year (YOY) cost reduction
  • •Train salaried and hourly employees to develop ME skills in the department and/or mill
  • •Work within the group to develop college hires (REACH) into ME Engineers
  • •Achieve ME certifications (White, Yellow, Green, Black, Master Black)
  • •Maintain strong relationships with other ME leaders as well as operating and maintenance department leaders
  • •Influence Business Unit operations teams to incorporate ME systems and processes to support sustainability of improvements as they are accomplished
  • •Support operations through field day/annual outage support and weekend duty assignments when needed
  • •Identify and implement Manufacturing Excellence best practices from across the mill, business, and company
  • •Support 5S program for the area and drive improvement projects, audit systems, and excellent results
  • •Provide support for cost reduction capital project development and implementation
  • •Implement systems to improve/sustain results
  • •Fulfill weekend duty team leadership role for assigned department
  • •Provide support for budgeting cycle targeted at delivering year over year savings

The Skills You Will Bring

  • •Instill safety as a core value within the team and effectively communicate a shared vision for safety
  • •Quickly develop thorough knowledge of mill equipment and systems
  • •Utilize excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate to groups and individuals at all levels
  • •Approach positional

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 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.

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