Sr Timber and Wood Fiber Buyer - AR/LA/MS Wood basket/field work

Clearwater Paper (NYSE: CLW) is a publicly held company that produces bleached paperboard used by quality-conscious printers and packaging converters. In addition, the Company is a premier supplier of private brand tissue to major retailers, including grocery, drug, mass merchants, and discount stores. Clearwater Paper's employees build shareholder value by developing strong relationships through quality and service.

Clearwater Paper is proud to embrace a remote workforce model for specific positions. Our Company has proven success with remote roles while maintaining a collaborative and supportive work environment. We use effective communication tools to foster teamwork and collaboration. Our wood sourcing area is pretty large encompassing mid/south AR, LA and MS. The preferred candidate should live in the wood basket area due to travel requirements of role and will receive a company-leased vehicle to perform the job.

What you will do:

Fiber Procurement

• Responsible for the location of open market timber, and the cruising, appraisals, purchasing, and harvesting of that timber for the lowest system-wide delivered cash cost to Clearwater.
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  • Total responsibility for scheduling, and managing inventory of Arkansas fiber, and for integration of pulp log and saw log fiber flows.
  • Includes the procurement of wood chips, sawdust, and all roundwood to support the company's pulping operation at the lowest possible cash cost. This may include the selling of hogged fuel produced by contract chippers.
  
  
  
  
• Tactical liaison between Procurement, Manufacturing, Accounting, and Wood Suppliers to assist with the ordering, accounting control, compliance and quality of logs, wood chips, and waste fuel which may include:
  
  
  
  • Ticket and invoice reconciliation
  • Contract Management
  • Purchase Order Management
  • Quality Control of Inventory Transactions
  
  
  
  
• Strategic development and implementation of certified wood procurement initiatives with supplies in the region by:
  
  
  
  • Effectively building and maintaining supplier relationships to grow the supplier force by participating in meetings and leads communications.
  • May monitor vendor performance, assist in the development of corrective actions, and ensure completion.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of forest management is key.
  
  
  
  
• Negotiate procurement contracts for wood fiber and wood fiber transportation (trucking, rail, barging) to meet demand while being accountable for cost and value targets and objectives.
  
  
  
  • Direct negotiations and final price decisions on fiber supply are a key responsibility of this position.
  • This position is responsible for marketing/trading excess volume.
  
  
  
  
• Negotiate processing rates with multiple whole log chippers, contract loggers, tub grinders and in-woods hog fuel processing operations.

Quality Control

• Sample wood/chips to ensure quality expectations are met.
• Insure each operation measures and documents suppliers' product quality attributes, quality assurance and quality improvement plans.
• Conduct field audits as required for producer and supplier compliance to certification standards.
• Implement all relevant Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards and maintain FSC Certification for operations governed by the standard.
• Implement all relevant Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standards and maintain SFI Certification for operations governed by the standard.
• Monitor Chain of Custody (COC) credit tracking and compliance
• Prepare for certification audits.

Strategic Planning

• Provide the Company with strategic sourcing options, cost impacts, risks, and fiber market conditions.
• Evaluate/plan the most economic combination of fiber to be pulped as the relative costs of pulpable fiber change (hardwood, softwood, sawdust).
• Provide an integrated Clearwater view of destination changes of pulp/saw logs and residual products as they influence total fiber expenditures.
• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of the dynamics and economics of the wood products industry throughout the southern region, including competitor awareness, pricing and strategy.

Key Competencies & Attributes

• Strong understanding of critical financial key levers in logistics and procurement of fiber sources
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed and highly collaborative environment to influence and drive process and change management.
• Identifies barriers that impact customer service and retention; communicates concerns and recommendations to others.
• Uses understanding of customer needs and the organization's customer service practices to set priorities, make decisions, and take actions that create customer satisfaction and prevent service issues from occurring.
• Creates relevant options for addressing problems and opportunities that will achieve desired outcomes.
• Systematically evaluates business opportunities, targeting those with the greatest potential for producing positive business results.
• Demonstrated ability to understand the organizational impact in decision making.
• Inspires trust through influencing, passion, and active engagement with teams.
• Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal); leading and presenting materials for various audiences; paints the picture.
• Able to think strategically; act tactically; hands on

What you will need:

• Bachelor's degree in forestry, natural resources, forest business, business or engineering required.
• Five - ten (5-10) years' experience managing fiber supply for 500+ kbdt/year facility. This includes knowledge of assigned region's fiber markets, competition, and suppliers.
• Minimum 5 years familiarity with the wood products market, finances and transportation requirements and negotiations.
• Registered forester strongly preferred or can acquire registered forester status within an 18-month period from time of hire.
• Ability to work on non-routine purchases that require analysis to arrive at best decision.
• Expert knowledge in wood fiber transportation systems.
• Working knowledge of log harvest effects on pulpwood supply.
• Working knowledge of lumber and plywood manufacturing operations and associated residual fiber production.
• Working knowledge of urban wood and in-woods hogged fuel collections and processing systems/markets.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills to express ideas and opportunities to superiors, peers, subordinates, suppliers and customers.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required when in forests, sawmills, warehouses, on production floors or in industrial settings.
• Travel required - up to 80% in designated region.
• Must be able to drive a car and have and maintain a clean driving record.
• Drives motor vehicles approximately 35,000 miles annually.

Total Reward Details:
We're committed to providing an exceptional workplace experience, including a comprehensive total reward package. This position is eligible for our Incentive Plan. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience among other factors. Benefits are generally available after 30 days and include medical, dental, vision, life, disability coverage, employee assistance program, and a 401k plan. Paid time off will include vacation days, personal days, and company holidays.

#LI-Remote #Clearwater

Clearwater Paper does not offer sponsorship for employment-based visa status (including, but not limited to, H-1B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and will not require Clearwater Paper's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.