THE COMPANY
Little Rapids Corporation (LRC) is a specialty paper manufacturer and converter of paper, film, cotton, and nonwoven materials. The company's headquarters is in Green Bay and is privately held with annual sales of over $200 million and 450 employees at three Wisconsin locations. The business has two divisions that sell a wide variety of products in the healthcare, beauty, flexographic printing, and specialty paper markets. Rapids Green Bay supplies printed film, paper, and nonwovens. Rapids Shawano has three paper machines that manufacture tissue, machine glazed, and wet crepe paper. Graham Professional manufactures and sells one-time use products into the healthcare and beauty markets through a network of national and regional distributors.
With its family ownership dating back to 1947, the company is guided by a strong and positive culture. LRC's purpose is remarkably simple: to bring together all their people's talents and energies to create an outstanding organization that delivers true value to their customers. The four core values of the business are lived out by ownership and top leadership and serve as a guide to all interactions, behavior, expectations, and strategic initiatives. These values are:
- Care: Take Care of One Another & Always Be Transparent
- Act: Dream Big, Think Big, Act Big, Create Contagious Energy
- Learn: Improve Every Day while Being Humble
- Serve: Do Great Things & Be Easy to Work With
Position Summary:
The Senior Project Engineer leads the full lifecycle execution of major capital projects in a manufacturing environment, from initial concept through construction, commissioning, and operational handoff. This role ensures projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and aligned with business objectives through strong technical expertise, disciplined project controls, and effective cross-functional leadership. The initial focus of this role will be leading a large rebuild project, requiring significant experience in large-scale equipment installations and shutdown execution.
Key Responsibilities:
Project Leadership & Business Alignment
- Lead capital projects from concept through startup and operational verification, ensuring clear scope definition, milestone execution, and proactive risk management
- Partner with operations and business leadership to identify, evaluate, and prioritize capital investment opportunities
- Assess project alternatives and recommend optimal equipment, vendors, and execution strategies
- Provide clear, accurate, and timely project updates to leadership while maintaining strong alignment with operations teams
Contract & Procurement Execution
- Define project scope, manage engineering deliverables, conduct constructability reviews, and ensure thorough project close-out documentation
- Lead contracting processes including RFP development, bid evaluation, and award decisions to secure best value
- Select and apply appropriate project delivery methods (Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, EPC, etc.) based on project requirements
- Coordinate with engineering and procurement teams to ensure timely acquisition of equipment and materials
- Manage contractor and vendor performance, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, cost, and quality standards
Team Development & Workforce Management
- Set clear project-level expectations with all team members; monitor individual and team performance against those expectations and escalate performance concerns to department leadership in a timely manner.
- Manage third-party staffing relationships and associated personnel matters
Safety & Compliance
- Champion a strong safety culture by ensuring all construction activities comply with OSHA regulations and company safety standards
- Develop and enforce site-specific safety programs and expectations
- Lead by example in promoting safe work practices and holding all personnel accountable for safety performance
Quality & Continuous Improvement
- Ensure quality is embedded throughout all phases of project execution, not just at completion
- Apply lessons learned and best practices to continuously improve project outcomes
- Support value engineering initiatives to optimize cost without compromising performance
Commissioning & Startup
- Oversee commissioning activities including system checkout, boundary definition, flushing, testing, and documentation
- Coordinate structured and phased handoff to operations to ensure smooth and efficient startup
- Ensure systems meet operational and performance requirements prior to final acceptance
Project Controls & Execution
- Manage project schedules, budgets, forecasts, and change control processes with discipline and accuracy
- Utilize project controls tools to monitor progress and provide real-time visibility into project performance
- Identify risks early and implement mitigation strategies to maintain project objectives
Collaboration & Support
- Partner closely with operations, engineering, procurement, and contractors to achieve project goals
- Provide technical leadership and guidance across cross-functional teams
- Participate in planning and review meetings to align priorities and communicate performance
- Perform other responsibilities as assigned
Education, Certifications, and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline preferred
- 15+ years of project management or project engineering experience in a manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated success leading large, complex capital projects (e.g., greenfield, major equipment installations, facility expansions)
- Strong knowledge of engineering, construction, procurement, and commissioning practices
- Experience with multiple project delivery models (Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, EPC)
- Strong project controls experience including scheduling, cost management, and change control
- Proficiency with project controls or ERP systems (e.g., JD Edwards or similar)
- Direct experience in pulp and paper, tissue, or converting operations strongly preferred
- Experience working with capital-intensive production systems or industrial equipment preferred
- Ability to travel domestically and occasionally internationally as required
Key Competencies:
- Leadership and stakeholder alignment
- Safety leadership and risk management
- Project execution and controls discipline
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Communication and influence across all levels
- Team building and talent development
- Collaboration and cross-functional partnership
Physical Requirements:
Exposure to or working in close proximity to operating machinery. Exposure to fine dust. Ability to wear required personal protection equipment (i.e. hearing, eye and foot protection). Must be able to see objects at a distance with clarity and read printed material within arm's reach. Perceive colors accurately. Ability to shout to be heard above high noise levels. Stand, twist, bend, turn and kneel for up to 8 hours a day. Walk up to 200 yards at a time, up to 20 times per day. Climb stairs, approximately 15 steps, up to 10 times per day.
