Production Manager, Paper Mill at Ahlstrom in Rhinelander, WI

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?!?

Position Summary

Reporting to the Paper Mill Operations Manager, the Production Manager, Paper Mill is responsible for the safe, efficient, and cost-effective operation of the R9 paper machine and associated production processes from stock preparation through slitting. This position provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for manufacturing operations to ensure the achievement of safety, quality, productivity, environmental, customer service, and financial objectives.

The Production Manager leads a team of shift managers, engineers, and hourly production employees in a unionized manufacturing environment. The role is responsible for driving operational excellence through continuous improvement initiatives, employee development, capital planning, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration. The Production Manager serves as a key leader in fostering a culture of safety, accountability, engagement, and high performance.

Essential Functions & Primary Responsibilities

Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Leadership

• Champion and model a safety-first culture throughout all areas of responsibility.
• Ensure compliance with all OSHA, environmental, quality, food safety, hygiene, and company requirements.
• Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses, corrective action implementation, and risk reduction initiatives.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety performance metrics and employee safety engagement.
• Ensure adherence to all manufacturing, operating, and hygiene procedures required for specific product grades and customer requirements.

Production & Operations Management

• Lead all aspects of R9 production operations from stock preparation through slitting.
• Establish and execute operating plans that support production goals, customer commitments, and business objectives.
• Monitor production performance and key operating indicators, including:
  • Safety performance
  • Product quality
  • Production efficiency
  • Machine uptime
  • Yield and waste reduction
  • Cost performance
  • Customer satisfaction
• Analyze operational data to identify opportunities for improving productivity, quality, reliability, and cost performance.
• Coordinate production activities to maximize machine availability and asset utilization while maintaining product quality standards.
• Ensure effective shift-to-shift communication and operational consistency.

Continuous Improvement & Process Excellence

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, and other operational excellence methodologies.
• Assess process effectiveness and identify opportunities to improve equipment performance, product quality, operational efficiency, and cost control.
• Facilitate cross-functional problem-solving teams to address recurring operational challenges.
• Establish measurable improvement objectives and track progress toward operational targets.
• Support implementation of best practices and standard operating procedures throughout the department.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Provide leadership, direction, coaching, and development for:
  • Shift Managers
  • Production Engineers
  • Process Engineers
  • Paper Machine Crews
• Build and maintain a highly engaged and accountable workforce.
• Conduct performance reviews and establish development plans for direct reports.
• Identify succession planning needs and develop internal talent pipelines.
• Promote collaboration, teamwork, employee engagement, and effective communication throughout the organization.
• Address employee relations matters in accordance with company policies and collective bargaining agreements.

Union Relations

• Develop and maintain positive working relationships within a unionized workforce.
• Administer applicable labor agreement provisions in a consistent and equitable manner.
• Partner with Human Resources and labor representatives on workforce issues, contract interpretation, and employee concerns.
• Promote a respectful workplace focused on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Financial & Capital Management

• Develop and manage departmental operating budgets.
• Monitor and control labor, material, utility, maintenance, and production costs.
• Develop capital expenditure plans that support both short-term operational needs and long-term strategic objectives.
• Prepare business cases, project justifications, and return-on-investment analyses for capital requests.
• Ensure capital projects are executed safely, on schedule, and within budget.

Customer & Business Support

• Provide technical manufacturing support to key customers as needed.
• Collaborate with Sales, Customer Service, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Supply Chain teams to ensure customer expectations are met.
• Support new product development, process trials, and product quality improvement initiatives.
• Ensure customer complaints and quality concerns are investigated and resolved promptly.

Strategic Leadership

• Translate organizational goals into actionable production plans.
• Participate in site leadership activities, strategic planning, and operational reviews.
• Drive sustainable improvements that enhance competitiveness, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Serve as a visible leader who promotes company values and operational excellence.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in weekend duty rotation and provide on-call leadership support as required.
• Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned by management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Paper Science, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a related technical discipline; equivalent paper industry operations experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in paper manufacturing, process manufacturing, or a related industry.
• Previous leadership or supervisory experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing production processes, operational performance, and employee development.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing systems, process control, operational KPIs, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn ERP and process-monitoring systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Paper Science or Engineering.
• Experience managing paper machine operations.
• Experience in a unionized manufacturing environment.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence training/certification.
• Experience developing and managing capital improvement projects.
• Prior responsibility for budget management and financial performance.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership and people development skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams.
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Effective conflict resolution and change management skills.
• Ability to interpret operational and financial data to support business decisions.
• Strong customer focus and commitment to quality excellence.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and drive accountability at all organizational levels.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Regular attendance is required.
• Ability to work additional hours, weekends, holidays, and respond to operational issues outside normal business hours when necessary.
• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, climb stairs, and navigate industrial environments for extended periods.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Exposure to varying temperatures, humidity levels, noise, dust, and manufacturing conditions.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment and computer systems.

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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.

Read more at www.ahlstrom.com.