Process Engineer

## Description

**Fiber Pulp Mill Process Engineer**

**Location:** Genera /Vonore /Tennessee

**Reports to:** Mill Manager

**Role Type:** Full-time

**Role Summary**

The Fiber Pulp Mill Process Engineer is responsible for optimizing fiber preparation, pulping, cleaning, refining, and stock delivery processes to ensure safe, reliable, and cost-effective production of high-quality pulp. This role drives continuous improvement in yield, energy usage, chemistry, and fiber quality while supporting day-to-day operations and capital projects.

This engineer works closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D to stabilize processes, solve chronic issues, and support new product and grade development.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Process Optimization & Control**

• Monitor and optimize pulping, washing, screening, cleaning, refining, and stock prep systems
• Improve fiber yield, freeness, strength properties, and consistency control
• Reduce variability through improved operating windows, SOPs, and control strategies
• Analyze process data to identify losses, bottlenecks, and quality risks

**Cost, Yield & Energy Improvement**

• Drive reductions in fiber loss, chemical consumption, water usage, and energy intensity
• Identify and implement variable cost reduction initiatives
• Support benchmarking and best-practice deployment across mill operations

**Quality & Product Performance**

• Partner with Quality and downstream operations to ensure pulp meets performance targets (strength, formation, runnability, OGR, stiffness, etc.)
• Support root-cause analysis of customer complaints and internal quality deviations
• Assist with grade changes, trials, and new product introductions

**Troubleshooting & Continuous Improvement**

• Use Lean / Six Sigma green or black belt certification for problem solving.
• Support up-time improvement by addressing process-related reliability challenges
• Serve as a technical resource during upsets, startups, and shutdowns

**Capital Projects & Technical Support**

• Provide process design input for capital projects and equipment upgrades
• Support commissioning, startup, and post-startup optimization
• Develop process specifications, mass balances, and performance criteria

**Safety & Environmental Compliance**

• Champion safe operating practices and MOC discipline
• Ensure processes comply with environmental permits and regulations
• Identify opportunities to reduce emissions, effluent load, and waste

• **Qualifications For Job Posting**
• **Required**

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Pulp & Paper Engineering, or related discipline
• 3+ years of experience in a pulp mill, fiber prep, or paper/packaging operation
• Strong understanding of pulping, stock prep, refining, and fiber quality drivers
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work effectively on the plant floor with operators and technicians

**Preferred**

• Experience with recycled fiber or non-wood fiber (e.g., molded fiber, ag pulp, bagasse)
• Experience supporting thermoforming, paper, or molded fiber downstream processes
• Lean Manufacturing/ Green Belt or Black Belt Certification
• Experience with Minitab
• Familiarity with DCS/PLC systems, SPC, and process modeling

**Key Success Metrics**

• Fiber yield improvement
• Reduction in variable cost per ton
• Process stability and uptime
• Pulp quality consistency
• Successful execution of trials and capital projects
• Safety and environmental performance