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Superintendent, Wood Room / Wood Yard

Superintendent, Wood Room / Wood Yard

Country:  United States
City:  Cloquet
State:  Minnesota
Location:  Mill Cloquet
Department:  Pulp Business (Pulp Mill & Utilities)
Posting date:  Oct 20, 2025

Sappi North America
Sappi Cloquet, established in 1898, produces high-quality graphic papers used in premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising for the fashion, automotive and travel industries, as well as speciality papers. Cloquet manufactures Verve, a dissolving pulp used for the textile and home goods markets. Energy saving and clean water initiatives at Cloquet have won environmental recognition, aligning with the mill's commitment to sustainability.

Sappi North America
Sappi Cloquet, established in 1898, produces high-quality graphic papers used in premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising for the fashion, automotive and travel industries, as well as speciality papers. Cloquet manufactures Verve, a dissolving pulp used for the textile and home goods markets. Energy saving and clean water initiatives at Cloquet have won environmental recognition, aligning with the mill's commitment to sustainability.

The Wood Prep Superintendent develops and leads personnel and business processes for the Woodyard and Woodroom to fully support pulp production.  Leads and coaches personnel on making safe and environmentally sound operating, technical and maintenance decisions and plans to achieve defined performance measures.  Directs targeted cost improvement strategies that minimize costs while ensuring results and develops forward-looking plans to facilitate capital and operating improvements. Also acts as the interface between the Wood Prep Operations, Maintenance, and Contractors including coordinating daily maintenance activities as well as planning and executing maintenance outages.

 

Responsibility

 

 

Safety

  • Champions efforts to eliminate business unit injuries.
  • Leads by example and creates a culture of responsible safety and environmental performance through the development and implementation of an area business plan.
  • Tracks progress towards these goals and ensure timely follow-up for safety concerns.
 

 

Environmental

  • Ensures that the operation is in compliance with all environmental permit requirements.
  • Understand and communicate environmental expectations to supervisors and teams and hold them accountable for compliance.
  • Ensure that environmental excursions are documented and necessary investigations are conducted. Ensure corrective actions are taken.

 
 

 

Production/Quality/Cost:

  • Fully support pulp production goals through the control of performance measures and the achievement of availability targets.
  • Coordinate maintenance activities for Wood Prep.
  • Develop a business plan which enumerates operational, technical, and maintenance strategies and targets for each area of the business.  Lead teams, staff, and supervisors to meet this plan and track progress towards this goal.
  • Develop forward-looking plans to achieve long term strategies through capital and operational optimization.
  • Manage the department variable and fixed costs budgets, including forecasting, identify and implement improvements to keep costs within budget.
  • Coordinate department activities on a mill-wide basis to ensure that resources are allocated correctly to achieve mill performance goals.

 

 

 

Communication - Development

  • Communicate expectations to staff, supervisors, and teams and hold them accountable for meeting these expectations.
  • Provide supervision and coaching to supervisors and staff to promote the development of effective operating teams.
  • Work cooperatively with the other operating superintendents to develop common daily and weekly operating priorities.  Assign resources and track progress to ensure successful completion of these priorities.
  • Communicate the progress of teams towards achieving area business goals.
  • Act as the primary interface between the Wood Prep operations, maintenance and contractors, including coordinating daily maintenance activities as well as planning and executing maintenance outages.

 

Minimum Requirements

  • BS Degree Preferred - Mechanical Engineer, Pulp & Paper Science, or related subject or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum of 8 years in a manufacturing environment.  Experience must demonstrate a strong knowledge of the Pulp and Paper Industry. Knowledge of Wood Prep operations preferred.
  • Strong PC Skills, including Word, Excel, Windows and SPC applications
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization.
  • Excellent negotiation skills and enthusiasm to push forward in difficult situations.
  • Demonstrated performance in supervision of personnel and / or project work.
  • Analytical abilities – excellent problem-solving skills.

The Wood Prep Superintendent develops and leads personnel and business processes for the Woodyard and Woodroom to fully support pulp production.  Leads and coaches personnel on making safe and environmentally sound operating, technical and maintenance decisions and plans to achieve defined performance measures.  Directs targeted cost improvement strategies that minimize costs while ensuring results and develops forward-looking plans to facilitate capital and operating improvements. Also acts as the interface between the Wood Prep Operations, Maintenance, and Contractors including coordinating daily maintenance activities as well as planning and executing maintenance outages.

 

Responsibility

 

 

Safety

  • Champions efforts to eliminate business unit injuries.
  • Leads by example and creates a culture of responsible safety and environmental performance through the development and implementation of an area business plan.
  • Tracks progress towards these goals and ensure timely follow-up for safety concerns.
 

 

Environmental

  • Ensures that the operation is in compliance with all environmental permit requirements.
  • Understand and communicate environmental expectations to supervisors and teams and hold them accountable for compliance.
  • Ensure that environmental excursions are documented and necessary investigations are conducted. Ensure corrective actions are taken.

 
 

 

Production/Quality/Cost:

  • Fully support pulp production goals through the control of performance measures and the achievement of availability targets.
  • Coordinate maintenance activities for Wood Prep.
  • Develop a business plan which enumerates operational, technical, and maintenance strategies and targets for each area of the business.  Lead teams, staff, and supervisors to meet this plan and track progress towards this goal.
  • Develop forward-looking plans to achieve long term strategies through capital and operational optimization.
  • Manage the department variable and fixed costs budgets, including forecasting, identify and implement improvements to keep costs within budget.
  • Coordinate department activities on a mill-wide basis to ensure that resources are allocated correctly to achieve mill performance goals.

 

 

 

Communication - Development

  • Communicate expectations to staff, supervisors, and teams and hold them accountable for meeting these expectations.
  • Provide supervision and coaching to supervisors and staff to promote the development of effective operating teams.
  • Work cooperatively with the other operating superintendents to develop common daily and weekly operating priorities.  Assign resources and track progress to ensure successful completion of these priorities.
  • Communicate the progress of teams towards achieving area business goals.
  • Act as the primary interface between the Wood Prep operations, maintenance and contractors, including coordinating daily maintenance activities as well as planning and executing maintenance outages.

 

Minimum Requirements

  • BS Degree Preferred - Mechanical Engineer, Pulp & Paper Science, or related subject or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum of 8 years in a manufacturing environment.  Experience must demonstrate a strong knowledge of the Pulp and Paper Industry. Knowledge of Wood Prep operations preferred.
  • Strong PC Skills, including Word, Excel, Windows and SPC applications
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization.
  • Excellent negotiation skills and enthusiasm to push forward in difficult situations.
  • Demonstrated performance in supervision of personnel and / or project work.
  • Analytical abilities – excellent problem-solving skills.

Salary is determined by a number of factors including the value of the job to the organization, market forces, internal equity and skills brought to the job.

Sappi provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Sappi complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Salary is determined by a number of factors including the value of the job to the organization, market forces, internal equity and skills brought to the job.

Sappi provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Sappi complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

ABOUT SAPPI

Sappi is a leading global provider of everyday materials made from woodfibre-based renewable resources. As a diversified, innovative and trusted leader focused on sustainable processes and products, we are building a more circular economy by making what we should, not just what we can.

HR Contact for Questions:
Name:  Danna Dahn
Email:  danna.dahn@sappi.com
Telephone number:  218-879-2393

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