Paper Innovation Director

Job Title: Paper Innovation Manager / Director

Reporting to: VP of R&D, Innovation Institute (i2)

Location: Norcross, GA

Travel: 25-50% first year; ~25% thereafter

At Georgia-Pacific Packaging, paper innovation is built for enterprise scale, customer relevance, and measurable value. The Paper Innovation Manager / Director plays a pivotal leadership role at the Innovation Institute (i2), serving as the enterprise-wide paper science authority that connects research, operations, and customers to deliver differentiated packaging solutions.

This role leads the Paper Science Lab (PSL) and paper inovation portfolio, translating paper science, papermaking capability, and emerging technologies into scalable, profitable outcomes for GP's containerboard mills, corrugated plants, and end customers. You will shape the future of paper-based packaging by pairing deep technical expertise with principled leadership, customer curiosity, and business acumen.

The Innovation Institute (i2) is Georgia-Pacific Packaging's hub for applied innovation, where material science, papermaking, converting, and customer collaboration come together to accelerate learning and commercialization. As part of the i2 leadership team, you will work closely across the Containerboard and Corrugated businesses, the NTC Papermaking Platform, and the broader GP R&D, Operations, Commercial, and Customer Innovation communities to solve real-world challenges and unlock new value across the packaging system. You will also represent GP Packaging's paper innovation capabilities externally, engaging with customers, suppliers, and technology partners to ensure our paper platforms remain competitive, differentiated, and future-ready.to ensure our paper platforms remain competitive, differentiated, and future ready.

Lead the Paper Science Lab & Paper Innovation Portfolio

• Own and evolve GP Packaging's paper innovation portfolio, aligning projects to strategic priorities, customer needs, and compelling ROI.
• Lead the Paper Science Lab at i2 as a world-class R&D and testing resource for containerboard mills, box plants, and customers.
• Guide the identification, scoping, and execution of new paper products, processes, and technologies, from concept through mill trial and commercialization.
• Partner with business leaders to prioritize work that maximizes value creation and competitive advantage.

Develop People & Capability

• Lead, coach, and develop a contribution-motivated PSL team.
• Establish clear Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations (RREs) tied to value creation, experimentation, and individual growth.
• Foster a culture of principled decision-making, learning, and scientific rigor.
• Identify and remove technical, organizational, or resource bottlenecks that limit speed to value.

Manage Resources & External Connectivity

• Own the PSL budget, lab footprint, and equipment strategy within i2.
• Maintain strong connectivity to suppliers, emerging technologies, academic research, and external demand drivers.
• Ensure GP remains at the forefront of paper science, sustainability-driven innovation, and material performance.

Strategic Customer & Business Engagement

• Serve in a customer-facing leadership role, supporting direct engagement with corrugated box plants and end customers.
• Translate customer needs into paper performance opportunities and innovation pathways.
• Build and maintain a working knowledge of the processes, constraints, and capabilities of GP Containerboard mills, GP Box, Mailers, and Hummingbird facilities.
• Support i2 customer visits, trainings, and showcases by providing a credible paper mill and R&D perspective.

Enterprise Partnership & Commercialization

• Partner across GP R&D, Operations, Commercial, and Innovation teams to identify profitable paper growth opportunities.
• Develop points of view (POVs) on where paper innovation can unlock new markets, performance advantages, or cost positions.
• Work closely with Operations to design, execute, and scale mill trials that lead to commercial adoption.
• Build strong collaborative relationships across i2 and the NTC Papermaking Platform to leverage shared knowledge, tools, and assets.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Material Science, Paper Science, or a related scientific field.
• Significant on-site paper mill experience in process engineering, operations, or R&D/innovation roles.
• Demonstrated people leadership and supervisory experience.

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant technical discipline.
• Proven portfolio and project management experience in an R&D or innovation environment.
• Hands-on paper mill and R&D lab experience, including trial design and commercialization.
• Experience engaging customers or commercial partners in technical innovation discussions.

This is a rare opportunity to lead paper innovation at scale, where deep technical expertise meets real-world impact. You will influence how paper is designed, made, and commercialized across one of the world's leading packaging organizations, while developing people, shaping strategy, and partnering directly with customers.

If you are energized by applied science, principled leadership, and turning ideas into measurable value, this role offers both challenge and influence at the highest level of paper innovation.

Georgia-Pacific LLC is a Koch company and a leading manufacturer of bath tissue, paper towels, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and much more, Georgia-Pacific works to meet evolving needs of customers worldwide with quality products. In addition to the products we make, we operate one of the largest recycling businesses. Our more than 30,000 employees in over 150 locations are empowered to innovate every day -to make everyday products even better.