Capital Project Engineer

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?!?

Purpose of the job

Provide overall technical support and leadership for the capital, maintenance, engineering and services functions for all locations. Oversees technical and business level capital projects, including outages and M&A, for the reliable performance of all facilities. Responsible to lead the development of studies/projects for capital budget planning process as well as strategic facility development efforts related to compliance and productivity. As a mentor and coach, responsible for the development of competencies within capital managers and junior engineers, with a special focus on developing interns, coop’s and new hire college graduate process engineers.

Main responsibility areas

The Capital Project Engineer responsibility areas:

• Follow Ahstrom’s manufacturing and hygiene processes, procedures and policies, as applicable, to the position’s areas of responsibility, in order to meet and maintain the safety, quality, and regulatory compliance requirements for each grade of paper.
• Create and foster a safe and accountable work environment.
• Provide leadership for all aspects of Ahlstrom’s capital investment processes including developing the business case, setting direction for strategic planning and implementing major capital projects.
• Maintain a work environment that supports a high level of employee engagement, generates a strong feeling of employee ownership and accountability, within project teams, and on the production floor.
• Provide leadership in developing and demonstrating excellence in financial control and engineering practices.
• Support the development of capital investment practices focused on business case development, maximizing capital deployed and improving overall asset efficiency during all phases of the asset life cycle.
• Develop focused capital project and outage schedules/plans that deliver bottom-line EBITDA results.
• Provide general support and leadership in developing and managing capital budgets (AP’s), regardless of facility.
• Provide overall guidance or leadership on equipment installations and/or rebuilds.
• Provide leadership in prioritizing engineering and maintenance projects in support of overall department goals and objectives regardless of facility.
• Deploy the tools of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement (ECIP) to improve problem solving, planning and execution processes
• All other duties assigned by management
  
  

This is not an exhaustive list of duties or functions and may not necessarily comprise all the “essential functions” for purposes of the ADA

Communication

(position’s responsibility for communications both within and outside the organization)

Internally

Communicate with Operators, Maintenance Craftsmen, management teams, finance and Executives

Externally

Communicate with external customers, vendors, contractors, etc.

Experience And Education

(minimum level of knowledge and skills to fulfill one’s responsibilities)

Work Experience

• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a
  
  

full-time basis

• Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt) or continuous improvement technologies preferred
• 12 years of experience in asset management, engineering, capital project management and property conservation
• Demonstrated results in developing and implementing capital effectiveness processes
• Demonstrated experience in the areas of developing and managing departmental and/or capital budgets. Managing and developing project team members to build organizational strength and developing process capabilities
  
  

Formal education

Master’s degree, pulp/paper science, engineering, finance or business, preferred

Bachelor’s degree, pulp/paper science or engineering, required

Required Competencies

Core Competencies

• Proactive Communications . Provides the clear, concise, and accurate information people need to know to do their jobs well in advance so that appropriate decisions are made. Informs others of activities, issues, project status, and sensitivities in a timely manner. Ensures clarity and understanding by listening attentively, asking probing questions, and paraphrasing.
• Improvising: Thinks on their feet, willing to try, flexible, curious and open to learning. Is an avid, adept, disciplined, and versatile learner in the context of an activity. Quickly and effectively integrates new information and skills to enhance personal performance or the performance of the organization.
• Work Relationships: Trusts and respects team members and peers. Values and appreciates others input and ideas. Welcomes diversity and celebrates difference. Considers what others have to say and factors their insights into decision-making.
• Decision Making : Can make difficult decisions in a timely manner that are usually effective in dealing with the issues at hand. Understands the different types of decisions and when each is most effectively applied. Is able to move on from decisions that do not produce results.
• Customer Centric : Creates mutually beneficial partnerships with customers; builds trust at multiple levels inside and outside the organization.
• Inspiring Others : Shows an interest in others’ roles and career aspirations in order to motivate them the right way. Shows care and trust.
• Functional Job Skills: Displays the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to perform effectively in the role (i.e. meeting customers, gathering information, building relationships, managing time and expectations, concise communication, etc.
• Process Development : Utilizes various methods to discover, model, analyze, measure, improve, optimize and automate business processes, etc.
• Trust : Seen as individual that is fair, equitable and open to the ideas and opinions of others. Trusted to confidentiality, etc.
  
  

Other Required Attributes

• Ability to work additional hours during the week, on weekends, or outside of regular office hours may be required.
• The ability to work in a normal office environment to include: sitting or standing for long periods of time, operating various standard office equipment, carrying paper documents/files, reaching and bending, speaking on the telephone,
• Ability to work for extended times in a pulp mill or paper mill environment, safely walk through our manufacturing plants and rough outdoor terrain, and wearing required personal protection gear (i.e. hand, hearing, breathing, head and foot protection).
  
  

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. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. Our three divisions, Filtration and Life Sciences, Food and Consumer Packaging, and Protective Materials, address global trends with safe and sustainable solutions. Our net sales in 2023 amounted to EUR 3.0 billion and we employ some 7,000 people.

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