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Paper Mill Maintenance Jobs in Wisconsin (NOW HIRING)

... paper manufacturing environment. This role ensures that production goals are met safely ... Work closely with maintenance, quality, and production teams to troubleshoot issues and restore ...

Job Requisition #: 035066 Production Supervisor - Paper Mill (Open) Job Summary: Supervises larger ... Maintains knowledge of processes and equipment. * Troubleshoots complex or advanced issues that ...

New

Electrical Controls Engineer

Stevens Point, WI · On-site

$77K - $103K/yr

Configure and maintain PLCs and HMI systems for paper mill processes. * Develop and update control logic for stock preparation, paper machines, and converting lines. * Install, calibrate, and ...

Perform off-shift and weekend maintenance prioritization. Assist production and maintenance ... At least three years of experience in any area of paper mill operations. * Demonstrated supervisory ...

... paper mill and converting machine crews to meet production and quality goals while emphasizing safe working practices and collaborating with maintenance to optimize equipment. These positions will ...

New

... paper mill and converting machine crews to meet production and quality goals while emphasizing safe working practices and collaborating with maintenance to optimize equipment. These positions will ...

Preferred Qualifications: • Associate or Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Maintenance, Industrial Technology, or a related field. • Paper mill or continuous manufacturing experience. • ...

Maintenance of paper mill systems such as water, compressed air, boilers, steam, paper machines, super calenders, converting, wrapping, shipping, and buildings. Requirements: * Journeyman Millwright ...

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Paper Mill Maintenance information

See Wisconsin salary details

$12

$31

$56

How much do paper mill maintenance jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average hourly pay for paper mill maintenance in Wisconsin is $31.86, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $23.27 and $38.56 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a paper mill maintenance?

A Paper Mill Maintenance job involves inspecting, repairing, and maintaining machinery and equipment used in the paper manufacturing process. Responsibilities include troubleshooting mechanical and electrical issues, performing preventive maintenance, and ensuring optimal operation of pumps, conveyors, and rollers. Technicians work with tools, read technical diagrams, and follow safety protocols to minimize downtime. This role is essential in keeping production efficient and preventing costly breakdowns.

What does a typical day look like for someone in paper mill maintenance?

A typical day in Paper Mill Maintenance involves inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing machinery used in paper production, often following a schedule of both preventive and corrective maintenance tasks. You may work independently or as part of a team, collaborating closely with machine operators, engineers, and other maintenance personnel to address equipment issues and minimize production downtime. The work environment is hands-on and fast-paced, requiring flexibility to respond to unexpected breakdowns as well as regular monitoring and adjustments to machines. Over time, you’ll gain experience with different systems and may have opportunities to move into lead or supervisory roles as you develop specialized expertise.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in paper mill maintenance, and why are they important?

To excel in Paper Mill Maintenance, you need strong mechanical and electrical repair skills, a background in industrial maintenance, and often a relevant technical diploma or certification. Familiarity with tools such as PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and preventive maintenance software is highly beneficial. Problem-solving ability, attention to detail, teamwork, and clear communication are key soft skills that help you stand out in this field. Mastery of these skills ensures safe and efficient operation of mill equipment, reduces downtime, and supports overall productivity in a complex industrial environment.

What are the most commonly searched types of Paper Mill Maintenance jobs in Wisconsin?

The most popular types of Paper Mill Maintenance jobs in Wisconsin are:

What are popular job titles related to Paper Mill Maintenance jobs in Wisconsin?

For Paper Mill Maintenance jobs in Wisconsin, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Paper Mill Maintenance jobs in Wisconsin look for?

The top searched job categories for Paper Mill Maintenance jobs in Wisconsin are:

Infographic showing various Paper Mill Maintenance job openings in Wisconsin as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $66,276 per year, or $31.9 per hour.

Operations Manager, Paper Mill

Ahlstrom

Rhinelander, WI • On-site

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


Ahlstrom rating

7.0

Company rating: 7.0 out of 10

Based on 23 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

29th of 62 rated fashion and textile manufacturers


Job description

You have a choice of where you want to work! We invite you along on our journey to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to attract, retain, and energize passionate people, like you, by investing in your professional development and providing opportunities for personal growth.
Do your values align with ours? Accountability, Growth mindset, One team, Care and a fair and inclusive work environment for everyone, everywhere!
We strive to meet the highest standards of corporate citizenship by protecting the health and safety of our team, safeguarding the environment, and creating a long-lasting, positive impact on the communities where we do business. Are you with us?!?
Purpose of the job
Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Operations Manager leads the safe, reliable, efficient, and profitable operation of the Paper Business Unit. This role requires deep paper manufacturing experience, including practical knowledge of how paper is made and how to improve paper machine performance, quality, reliability, and cost.
The Operations Manager is expected to set a clear direction for Paper Operations, strengthen the culture, develop leaders, and build an organization that can consistently perform without over-reliance on any single leader. Within the first 3 to 6 months, the role should establish a 5-year operations vision and translate that vision into a practical roadmap with priorities, milestones, talent needs, and measurable business outcomes.
As a key member of the mill leadership team, this role partners across Maintenance, Engineering, Technical, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, and Commercial teams to improve safety, quality, productivity, employee engagement, customer outcomes, and overall business performance.
Main responsibility areas
Safety, Quality & Compliance Leadership
  • Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with all OSHA, environmental, food safety, quality, hygiene, regulatory, and company requirements.
  • Lead risk reduction, incident investigation, corrective action, audit, and employee engagement processes that improve safe behaviors and operating discipline.
  • Ensure products meet quality standards and customer specifications; partner with Technical, Quality, and Commercial teams to address issues and improve customer satisfaction.

Paper Manufacturing Operations Leadership
  • Direct paper manufacturing operations across paper machines and associated production areas, ensuring production schedules are executed safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
  • Apply strong paper industry knowledge to improve machine performance, process stability, product quality, OEE, waste, throughput, and reliability.
  • Optimize staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation to meet customer requirements and operational objectives.

Vision, Strategy & Change Leadership
  • Create a clear 5-year vision for Paper Operations within the first 6 to 9 months and convert it into a practical roadmap with near-term actions, strategic initiatives, talent plans, and measurable performance targets.
  • Lead change management efforts that strengthen culture, raise accountability, improve engagement, and sustain new ways of working.
  • See the big picture across safety, quality, cost, reliability, people, customer, and business outcomes; make decisions that balance immediate needs with long-term competitiveness.

Leadership, Talent Development & Culture
  • Lead, coach, and develop salaried operations leaders, frontline supervisors, and hourly team members in a unionized 24/7 manufacturing environment.
  • Build bench strength through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, workforce planning, and clear development plans for key roles.
  • Establish expectations, routines, and decision rights that enable the organization to perform consistently without depending on the Operations Manager for day-to-day decisions.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, curiosity, continuous learning, inclusion, engagement, and operational excellence.

Business & Operational Performance
  • Understand key operating and cost drivers, including productivity, overtime, downtime, waste, reliability, quality, and customer impact.
  • Partner with Finance and mill leadership to manage resources responsibly and support business performance goals.
  • Use data and operating metrics to prioritize work, solve problems, and help the team understand how daily decisions affect business results.

Continuous Improvement, Reliability & Cross-Functional Execution
  • Champion continuous improvement using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, reliability-centered improvement, standard work, and operational excellence tools.
  • Partner closely with Maintenance and Engineering to improve asset reliability, uptime, shutdown execution, equipment care, and capital project execution.
  • Build disciplined management systems that improve operating performance, workforce effectiveness, and sustainable execution.

Communication
Internally
Direct reports, Plant Manager, mill leadership team, Human Resources, Finance, Maintenance, Engineering, Technical, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, and senior business leaders
Externally
Vendors, contractors, customers, and other external partners as required
Experience and education
  • Minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressive manufacturing experience, with significant experience in paper manufacturing operations required.
  • Minimum of 3 to 5 years of leadership experience in paper manufacturing operations, preferably in a 24/7 unionized mill environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead culture change, strengthen accountability, and improve performance through people, systems, and disciplined execution.
  • Proven success developing supervisors and salaried leaders, building succession plans, and improving organizational capability.
  • Business understanding with the ability to connect operational decisions to cost, productivity, customer, and mill performance outcomes.
  • Experience creating multi-year operational roadmaps, leading continuous improvement, and improving safety, quality, reliability, productivity, and cost performance.
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Paper Science, Manufacturing Management, Business, or a related field preferred. Equivalent paper manufacturing leadership experience may be considered. Master's degree desired.

Additional critical capabilities
  • Deep paper manufacturing knowledge and credibility with operations teams.
  • Strong change management capability, including the ability to build commitment, reduce resistance, and sustain new ways of working.
  • Curiosity, learning agility, and openness to better ways of operating.
  • Strong communication and influence across functions, shifts, unionized employee groups, and senior leaders.
  • Operational excellence, continuous improvement, root cause problem solving, reliability, and customer focus.

Ahlstrom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal opportunity is a sound and just concept to which we are firmly bound. Ahlstrom will not engage in discrimination against, or harassment of, any person employed or seeking employment with our company based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, non-disqualifying disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law.
About Us.
Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. Our Filtration and Life Sciences, Food and Consumer Packaging, and Protective Materials segments, along with the Performance Materials Cluster, address global trends with safe and sustainable solutions. Our net sales in 2025 amounted to EUR 2.9 billion and we employ some 7,000 people.
Read more at www.ahlstrom.com.

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