Mill IT Manager

Position Title: 

Mill IT Manager

Category/Shift: 

Salaried Full-Time 

Physical Location: 

Riverdale Mill

The Job You Will Perform: 

The Mill IT Manager serves as the key liaison between the mill management team and information technology.  This role is part of the Manufacturing Execute organization that supports the Packaging Solutions North America (PSNA) Business.  The position reports directly to the Manufacturing Execute Regional IT Manager and has a strong dotted tine to the Mill Manager or other designated member of the Mill Leadership Team. This position maximizes the value of Mill Information Technology in day-to-day operational support and is responsible for developing/enforcing practical standards and consistent processes, developing solid IT plans, alignment of IT objectives to mill objectives, executing improvement projects, and providing cost effective IT services. This is accomplished by managing the delivery of services through the IT Operating Model. 

Key Accountabilities 

• Relationship management with the mill lead teams / managers and resources including reliability of the IT environment required for daily mill operations.  Provide guidance to all IT groups impacting the mill to ensure optimum IT services to meet mill key operational needs.

• A deep working knowledge of the business key strategic issues and objectives to properly identify possible implications and opportunities.

• Leads an effective prioritization and resource allocation process for the mill.  Coordinates multiple requests by engaging in priority setting with key members of Mill Leadership.  Drives for and effectively communicates in support of prioritization that maximizes the system wide value to IP.

• Coordinates the delivery of all information technology services for the mill. Must understand the network of service providers and also build strong working relationships with these providers.

• A working knowledge of IP’s Supply Chain Operating Model (i.e., process implications and enablement requirements) and the Sustain organization.

• Independently plans and executes enhancements through large projects leveraging the PDP process in order to effectively support business needs.

• Collaborate, when necessary, with Managed Services Provider (MSP), MTS and Manufacturing Improve leadership to ensure proper: planning, execution of project deliverables and change efforts, coordination of service and/or support activities.

• Conducts training in information technology solutions to business users as required.

• Accountable to mill management for mill-related IT initiatives at a mill operating 24x7x365

• Provide leadership from an Information Technology standpoint for PSNA mill sector wide initiatives.

• Indirect responsibility for cross-functional IT personnel based in the facility to ensure effective deliver of IT services.

• Collaborate with IT Product/Service owners to define, refine and monitor service levels needed for effective mill operations.

• Responsible for relationship management with the mill in the areas of cost management, capital and outage coordination, business and IT operational excellence, IT incident management and escalation, coordination of break/fix across IT and business, portfolio of key mill focus items and functional requirement analysis.

• Ensure IT business continuity which includes validating each IT service provider has an effective and tested DR plan.

• Proactive stewardship for critical systems supporting Environmental, Safety, and Production activities

The Skills You Will Bring: 

Education and General Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, computer science, management information systems or a combination of related education and 5+ years applicable experience in Information Technology.

• Experience in effectively making groups work together

• Exposure to project management

• Experience in industrial and/or high uptime on-line transaction processing environments

Functional Expertise and Experience

• Solid understanding of IT systems capabilities in order to provide optimum analysis for business needs. 

• Understanding of Agile project management. 

• Benefit realization: This included having a process in place for benefit realization to ensure benefit capture.

• Knowledge of Operations Network where our product is managed on its path to the customer. (Third party distribution sites, offsite warehouses, and ports). 

• Acts as an onsite Strategic Business Partner and Proactive IT Consultant for his/her home site.

• Acts as a Catalyst for change with a focus on improving the efficiency, stability and security of the Mill IT Systems under his/her responsibility. 

• Manage direct business relationships with the Mill Lead Teams and coordinate direct/indirect field teams to meet mill goals; ensure proactive engagement with senior leaders (facility/ business) to meet IT requirements through business enabling technology to the facility. 

• Support mill outages, capital plans and major strategic capital investments with IT enablement. 

• Developing/enforcing practical standards and consistent processes, including the alignment of IT objectives to manufacturing objectives.

• Delivering cost effective IT services to the mill by leveraging the IT Operating Model team engagement which includes Manufacturing Execute (ME), Manufacturing Technical Solutions (MTS), Manufacturing Improve & HSE, Fiber Supply & Containerboard, Supply Chain, Recycling, and Infrastructure Operations & Security (IOS). 

• Manages the provision of IT services and support by internal and/or external providers.

Technical: 

• Process Optimization and Problem-Solving. Leveraging Manufacturing Excellence and Lean Processes – including formal ME training and certification.

• Business Planning: knowing the elements of effective business planning (strategic planning operating/tactical planning).

• Value creation: Ability to leverage information technology capability to enable business strategic initiatives and impact business returns

• I.T. Governance: being able to illustrate current resource commitments and help business leadership evaluate potential projects based in their strategic impact on the business.

• Proficiency in business case development. Cost Benefit Analysis – describe projects and alternatives in terms of return on investment, internal rate of return and overall financial impact on the business.

• Prioritization: Determine the proper sequence of project and enhancements by focusing on the most important and urgent.

• Proficiency with business information delivery (i.e., queries, reports, and decision support)

Competencies needed for this position:

• Business and process acumen

• Comfort around senior management

• Organizational agility

• Managerial courage

• Dealing with ambiguity

• Managing & measuring work

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

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 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 will see why our team members say they are Proud to be IP. 

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.

The Company You Will Join:

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. With company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than 30 countries. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Net sales for 2024 were $18.6 billion. In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com