The Rome Mill is a complex, fully integrated pulp and paper manufacturing facility with two paper machines. The mill includes multiple process lines of wood handling, pulping, power and recovery, and effluent treatment. The scope of the position includes implementing, coordinating, maintaining, monitoring, and improving the progress of environmental programs across the mill. Primary focus will be to assist with managing day-to-day and some long-term activities for the mill’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), solid and hazardous waste programs, chemicals in transportation program, and landfill operation. The position works within the HSE group and reports to the Environmental Manager, and has responsibility for oversight of the onsite wastewater laboratory and technicians.
The Environmental Engineer’s duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, working with the Environmental Team to:
Provide regulatory guidance to mill operations, maintenance, and management on a day-to-day, or as needed basis. Ensuring that the mill is aligned with corporate initiatives and priorities, assuring compliance with IP expectations.
Drive continuous and deliberate improvements including systems development to ensure environmental compliance and prevent problems
Ensure completion of required compliance reports for wastewater, solid waste, and chemical management (i.e. NetDMR, Water Withdrawal, Tier II, Hazardous Waste, etc.)
Support operating teams navigating regulatory concerns, provide necessary compliance training to salaried and hourly teams
Implement systems and processes to improve/sustain results for mill EMS systems.
Serves as liaison between the organization on and regulatory agencies concerned with environmental control
Serve on Health, Safety & Environmental weekend rotation team.
Participates in environmental compliance audits and assists the site in closing the gaps identified
Chemical approvals for environmental
Attend operational departmental meetings
Prepares, reviews, updates and submits environmental inspections and reports
Participating as a member of HSE department; maintaining strong relationships with other business unit personnel as well as operating and maintenance department leaders
Working with mill engineering and operations to evaluate capital projects for potential permitting needs as well as projects for the wastewater and solid waste processes
Providing environmental outage coordination, both for routine and annual outages
Acting as IP representative for contractors providing services within HSE department, complete IPCC training
Providing visible and active leadership in delivering excellent safety results
Completing safety work observations to ensure internal and external resources are complying with safe work practices, HSE work plans
Developing Corrective Actions Plans to address systematic gaps
Participating and leading in the development of Environmental Management System procedures, Key Element Surveys (KES) programs
Actively using and improving upon existing systems for managing daily activities, including development of standard operating procedures (SOP)
Initiating and facilitating problem solving through trouble-cause-correction processes (TCC)
Understanding and promoting Manufacturing Excellence (ME) tools and processes; participating and leading ME improvement initiatives in the department
Supporting 5S and housekeeping programs for the area and driving improvement projects, audit systems, and excellent results (i.e. Hazardous/Universal waste buildings, Day Lab, etc.)
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Environmental sciences, or related field required.
Two plus years of environmental compliance/management experience in a manufacturing environment (pulp and paper industry preferred).
Water/wastewater Laboratory supervision experience preferred.
Experience in practical application of Federal environmental regulations. Knowledge of State of Georgia regulations will also be beneficial.
The candidate must be experienced using a computer, and skilled in word processing, spreadsheet programs (Microsoft Excel), database systems, and SAP business systems. Plant application, PI ProcessBook, ParcView experience preferred.
Certifications (will be required to get upon hiring if do not already have)
Wastewater Laboratory Analysts Certification
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
DOT, RCRA, hazmat training certification
EPA Smoke School
Familiar with NPDES permitting, SPCC, Storm water, and associated reporting requirements.
Familiar with, use, and promote proper wastewater/water laboratory tests, methods, standards within onsite wastewater laboratory; and work with lab technicians.
Willing and capable to work with contractors, off-site certified laboratories, holding them accountable for safety, precision and accuracy.
Must be flexible and willing to accept additional tasks, responsibilities as needed to help HSE department achieve goals and targets.
Quickly develop thorough knowledge of department and mill operations processes, equipment and systems.
Work effectively alone and within a team
Analyze problems and develop effective solutions independently and with teams.
Instill safety as a core value within the team and effectively communicate a shared vision for safety, environmental compliance to regulatory and IP work standards.
Actively promote a culture of engagement and respect.
Utilize excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate to groups and individuals at all levels, including external regulatory agencies.
Approach responsibilities in an inclusive manner by engaging all team members in area, department, and mill.
Utilize strong organizational skills to handle multiple tasks effectively.
Make timely and effective decisions, with communication upward/downward through organization. Utilize the International Paper Change Process and/or Management of Change to drive change.
