Paper Planning, Shipping and Delivery Manager | Northwest MI

Company Description

World-leading company in high-performing paper and packaging materials – passionately committed to sustainability, quality, and customer value.

Job Title

Planning, Shipping & Delivery Manager

How long was client searching prior to our involvement?

The client was searching for 6 months prior to reaching out to DDI.

Did client have internal recruiting resources?

No, they do not have an internal recruitment team.

Why was this a real problem for the client?

The client had recently made significant investments in expanding its manufacturing capabilities and strategically shifting a portion of its business from graphic paper to linerboard production. As a result, the complexity of production planning, scheduling, and order fulfillment increased substantially. The organization was now managing a broader mix of products, customers, and production requirements, all while balancing machine efficiency, inventory levels, and delivery commitments. Poorly planned production runs could lead to costly downtime, reduced yields, excessive changeovers, missed customer deliveries, and significant impacts on profitability. Given these challenges, the company needed a strong planning, scheduling, and delivery leader who could optimize production flow, align operations with customer demand, and ensure the mill was operating as efficiently and profitably as possible during this critical period of transition and growth.

How did this opportunity help the candidate?

The candidate brought a proven track record in managing complex production planning and scheduling environments involving multiple machines, competing priorities, and diverse product mixes. Their experience coordinating manufacturing schedules, optimizing machine utilization, and balancing customer demand with operational constraints made them exceptionally well-suited for the role. As the organization continued to expand its product offerings and increase the complexity of its operations, the candidate's ability to develop efficient production plans and minimize costly disruptions would be a valuable asset.

Beyond the professional challenge, the opportunity also offered the candidate the chance to join a financially stable, well-positioned organization with a clear long-term strategy and strong market outlook. This represented an attractive alternative to remaining with an employer facing uncertainty about its future direction and growth prospects. The combination of a more secure business environment, increased responsibility, and the ability to apply their specialized planning expertise made the position a compelling next step in their career.