Early Career Development Engineer-I, Chemical (June 2025)

Industry: Engineering

Company: Clearwater Paper and Manchester Industries

Where you will work:The Cypress Bend facility is located in the historic Mississippi River Delta and produces bleached paperboard and bleached Kraft pulp, used in the production of folding cartons, commercial print paperboard, carded packaging, and cupstock. This facility boasts over 300 talented employees and stretches across 730 acres. Clearwater Paper employees are proud to manufacture a high-quality product for an essential industry.

Cypress Bend is a rural community with close access to the Mississippi River. This is a wonderful location for those who love the outdoors and offers plenty of activities including fishing, hiking, camping, and biking. The Cypress Bend area also offers several opportunities for social and civic involvement including the McGehee Hospital, McGehee Boys & Girls Club, Food Pantry, Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas City Food Pantry, Paws and Claws Humane Society, and the Polite Foundation. Cypress Bend emphasizes exposure to the arts including the WWII Japanese Internment Museum, Desha County Museum, and SEArk Concert Association. Cypress Bend is in close proximity to McGehee, Monticello, and Drew Central public schools as well as UAM McGehee College of Technology and WAM Crossett College of Technology.

What you will do:

Technical Assistance

• Evaluates new technologies, implements process changes and develops systems to reduce operating costs, increase production and improve quality.
• Leads the technical process for operating areas to solve equipment and process-related problems.
• Provides support data for all reports and performance updates.
• Data analysis to reduce variability or improve performance
• Reviews production schedules and suggests modifications for reduced downtime and/or changeovers where applicable.
• Assists with designing solutions to eliminate equipment failures and process instabilities.
• Writes procedures, trains operators, and monitors compliance with quality procedures.
• Organizes shutdown schedules for operations where applicable.

Process Improvement

• Develops working knowledge of all process areas in areas including process flow, operator responsibility, major quality attributes, and areas for improvement.
• Initiates conducts and documents results of process trials to improve productivity and/or quality.
• Assists with proposals to justify capital expenditures, help manages technical aspects and assist with coordination of start-up of capital projects.
• Recommends and implements process improvements or chemical changes to improve the overall operation where applicable.
• Assists with data collection for justification of capital expenditures and coordination of start-ups.
• Conducts crew training in new process equipment or chemical additives.
• Monitors process variables and recommends changes in operation for improved performance.
• Optimizes process by identifying and eliminating root causes of process variations.

Leadership

• Participates in the development of less experienced engineers.
• Provides crew supervision during trials or upset conditions to ensure the trial plans are properly executed.

Key Competences and Attributes

• Identifying and understanding problems and opportunities by gathering, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative and qualitative information; choosing the best course of action by establishing clear decision criteria, generating and evaluating alternatives, and making timely decisions.
• Taking action that is consistent with available facts and constraints and optimizes probable consequences.
• Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment (e.g., people, processes, structure, or culture); adjusting effectively to change by exploring the benefits, trying new approaches, and collaborating with others to make the change successful.
• Originating action to improve existing conditions and processes; identifying improvement opportunities, generating ideas, and implementing solutions.

What you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required, Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or Paper Science preferred.
• Entry level position with experience in an internship in the manufacturing industry or paper experience preferred.
• Basic knowledge of PI (Process Information System).
• Previous experience using a Production Management system preferred.
• Good verbal and written communication skills required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel and an intermediate level.
• Industrial Environment – subject to extreme heat and cold.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn in the mill environment.
• Noisy, dusty, and working around moving equipment

Total Reward Details:We prioritize an exceptional workplace experience, offering a comprehensive total reward package. Compensation ranges are estimates based on market data. Actual offers account for internal equity and the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience. Benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and more, generally begin after 30 days. Our paid time off includes vacation days, personal days, and company holidays. For more on our compensation philosophy, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at Talent.Acquisition@clearwaterpaper.com.

Clearwater Paper will not offer sponsorship for employment-based visa status (including, but not limited to, H-1B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require Clearwater Paper’s sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)