Area Maintenance Systems Lead

We’re looking for an Area Maintenance Systems Leader to join our paper machine team at the Cloquet Mill. This position plays a key role in ensuring safety, reliability, and performance across Paper Manufacturing. As a core member of the team, you’ll lead maintenance strategies, support production goals, and drive continuous improvement in a high-impact environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Champion a Safety First culture by leading through example and engaging the team in safety initiatives.


• Serve as the primary liaison between paper machine operations, Maintenance, and Contractors, owning the asset care strategy and maintenance coordination for the equipment and infrastructure of the utilities department.


• Prioritize daily work, taking into consideration risk, budget and operational needs.  Collaborate with maintenance stakeholders to ensure the mill work management system processes are followed.


• Lead the coordination of minor maintenance outages.  Support major outage activities.


• Oversee the department’s maintenance budget, including forecasting, tracking, and cost control.


• Lead reliability improvement initiatives aimed at increasing uptime, reducing variability, and lowering costs.


• Troubleshoot and resolve equipment, process, and quality issues.


• Implement and optimize preventive and reliability-based maintenance practices.


• Support capital projects, process improvements, and team development activities.


• Provide leadership and coaching to maintenance and operational teams to build technical and leadership capability.

Qualifications:

• Strong experience with and knowledge of paper machine operations and maintenance.


• Experience managing contractors, from scope development through execution and final invoicing.


• Familiarity with maintenance systems—planning, scheduling, lockout/tagout, and backlog management.


• Supervisory or team leadership experience preferred.


• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel), PI systems, and CMMS platforms (SAP preferred).


• Background in preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to enhance equipment reliability.


• Budgeting, cost forecasting, and project management experience.


• Excellent communication, organizational, and team-building skills.


• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Sappi does not provide visa sponsorship.