Rome, GA, United States
Position Title:
Contractor (Business Partner) Safety Leader
Pay Rate:
$101,000 – $141,330
Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.
Category/Shift:
Salaried Full-Time
Physical Location:
238 Mays Bridge Road
Rome, GA 30165
The Job You Will Perform:
International Paper is seeking a Contractor (Business Partner) Safety Leader responsible for providing health and safety (HS) leadership to ensure that the Business Partners working for International Paper are 100% committed to working safety according to the Business Partner Safety Performance Standard with commitment to reducing and eliminating serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs).
- Lead and continuously improve site Health and Safety systems by engaging mill employees, contractors and suppliers, reinforcing safe behaviors, ensuring compliance with company standards, OSHA regulations and integration into the IP Safety Excellence culture.
- Develop, implement, and maintain safety programs, policies and procedures and manuals for the Rome, GA Containerboard Mill (The Mill) in alignment with International Paper policies and applicable local, state, and federal regulations. The primary focus is on heavy industrial contractors and suppliers.
- Build strong relationships with business partners. Share and develop the IP Safety Excellence culture with them, assuring both physical and psychological safety for all working in The Mill.
- Develop IP contractor coordinators at The Mill to effectively engage business partners and assure compliance to safety expectations, performance visibility, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Deliver and promote safety communication with business partners to provide accurate, consistent, and timely information regarding safety performance, risks, incidents, and employee concerns.
- Update existing management systems as needed.
- Be the liaison between ISNetworld, the Corporate Business Partner Manager and business partners for The Mill.
- Monitor, observe, and assess contractor work practices through field observations and job auditing to assure proper controls are in place to prevent exposure to hazards and assure approved job plans, permits, and procedures are accurate and followed.
- Actively intervene and stop work when unsafe conditions or behaviors are observed to prevent injury, environmental impact, or property damage. Promote the stop work culture in our business partner work force.
- Conduct and lead incident, injury, near‑miss, and occupational illness event learnings involving employees and business; ensure root causes are identified, incidents are documented, and corrective actions are implemented and verified.
- Perform routine and formal safety inspections, including leading annual safety audits, ensuring corrective actions are tracked to completion and drive continuous improvement.
- Recommend engineering, process, and product safety improvements to reduce exposure to chemical, physical, and ergonomic hazards.
- Plan, manage, and coordinate industrial hygiene programs, including oversight of contracted IH services and testing related to air quality, noise, temperature, and chemical exposure.
- Develop, coordinate, and conduct safety training programs for employees and business partners, including onboarding, regulatory training, hands‑on proficiency evaluations, toolbox talks, and pre‑job safety planning.
- Review and approve safety requirements for new equipment, processes, facility modifications, and business partner work scopes to ensure hazards are identified and controlled prior to startup or execution.
- Serve as the primary health and safety resource for business partners, ensuring understanding and adherence to mill safety rules, professional conduct expectations, and company values.
- Track and analyze safety performance trends for employees and business partners, escalate repeated non‑compliance, and recommend improvements to safety and business partner management processes.
- Partner with mill maintenance and operations technicians to promote and sustain Safety Excellence.
- Maintain a visible field presence and serve as a consistent safety leader.
- Support and help lead the IP Safety Cultural Excellence Journey.
- Actively participate as a member of the Health and Safety team.
The Qualifications, Skills, and Knowledge You Will Bring:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Safety or Industrial Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, related engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
- 5 years’ construction supervision or project management or 5 years heavy industrial contractor management (Pulp & Paper, Power, Refining, Steel or Chemical Industry).
Preferred:
- 5-10 years Safety experience at a paper mill and/or related business experience with experience managing heavy industrial contractors and suppliers.
- Strong technical understanding of Federal and State Safety and Health regulations.
- Completion of the OSHA 500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction industry.
Preferred Certifications:
- Rigging, Scaffolding/Trenching, NFPA 70E, (PSM) Process Safety Management, HAZMAT.
- OSHA 30 Construction or completion of The OSHA 500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety & Health Standards for the Construction Industry.
About Us
The Benefits You Will Enjoy:
International Paper offers a benefits package that includes health, welfare and retirement plans including Medical, Dental, Life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Short-term and Long-term Disability, 401(k), Company-funded retirement contributions, Paid Time Off, Education & Development (including Tuition Reimbursement), Student Loan Repayment Assistance, and Voluntary Benefits including insurance for home, auto, vision and pets
The Career You Will Build:
Leadership training, promotional opportunities
The Impact You Will Make:
We continue to build a better future for people, the planet, and our company! IP has been a good steward of sustainable practices across communities around the world for more than 125 years. Join our team and you’ll see why our team members say they’re Proud to be IP.
The Culture You Will Experience:
International Paper promotes employee well-being by providing safe, caring and inclusive workplaces. We have team members all around the world with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. These are our strengths. We are committed to creating a culture where all individuals are respected, valued, engaged and have an opportunity to do their best work every day. We invite you to bring your uniqueness, creativity, talents, experiences, and safety mindset to be a part of our increasingly inclusive and diverse culture.
The Company You Will Join:
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. With company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than 30 countries. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Net sales for 2024 were $18.6 billion. In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.
International Paper is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. International Paper complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact reasonable.accommodations@ipaper.com or (877) 973-3919.
Job Info
- Job Identification: 2002457
- Posting Date: 05/13/2026, 11:17 AM
- Apply Before: 05/26/2026, 11:00 PM
- Job Shift: Day
- Location: 238 Mays Bridge Rd SW, Rome, GA, 30165, US