Project Manager of Lean Excellence

Position Title: Project Manager of Lean Excellence Pay Rate: $137,400 - $185,000 Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range. Category/Shift: Salaried Full-Time Physical Location: Remote or 6400 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN The Job You Will Perform: The Project Manager of Lean Excellence will propagate scalable operational improvement across the Containerboard business through lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution. The Lean Leader will serve as a hands-on change agent, partnering with mill teams to deploy lean tools and methodologies, lead Kaizen events, and embed standard work and problem-solving capabilities into daily operations. The ideal candidate will have significant and relevant direct manufacturing experience using and leading continuous improvement tools, systems, and methodologies. The candidate must be a proven shop floor leader who is comfortable influencing others, coaching teams, and delivering measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery and cost.

Key Responsibilities

Implement lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, SMED and Value Stream Mapping Drive waste elimination, process flow optimization, and variation reduction Facilitate structured problem solving using A3, DMAIC, 5-Why, RCFA, and similar methodologies Deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost Process Optimization & Execution Use data to identify gaps in performance versus best practices and work with the mill team to execute an improvement plan Document best practices and share improvements to leverage results Understand and apply financial drivers and key performance indicators Culture & Capability Building Assist with implementing and managing systems that will sustain improvement efforts Lead and coach CI events / kaizen through hands-on participation Assist with developing and effectively delivering training materials in multiple formats to ensure team members throughout the organization are trained in CI concepts and philosophy Evaluate and drive opportunities for appropriate CI and lean tool applications Provide support, assistance, and communication to the mill leadership teams regarding CI initiatives This position will require 75-90% travel The Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring: Bachelor's degree preferred in business, engineering, operations management, or related field Minimum 5 years of manufacturing experience with proven change leadership skills Demonstrated success utilizing and deploying lean tools Strong analytical, facilitation, coaching and change leadership skills Ability to influence without formal authority across multiple functions Proficiency with Microsoft Office 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 Career You Will Build: Leadership training, promotional opportunities 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’ll see why our team members say they’re 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. International Paper is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. International Paper complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected] or (877) 973-3919. Apply To This Job