Cost Per Ton/Total Cost of Operations Specialist

Job Success Profile

CPT and TCO Specialist

Buckman is a privately held, global specialty chemical company with headquarters in Memphis, TN, USA, committed to safeguarding the environment, maintaining safety in the workplace, and promoting sustainable development. Buckman works proactively and collaboratively with its worldwide customers in pulp and paper, leather, and water treatment to deliver exceptional service and innovative specialty chemical solutions to help boost productivity, reduce risk, improve product quality, and provide a measurable return on investment.  Buckman is in the middle of a digital transformation of its businesses and focused on building the capabilities and tools in support of this.

Location

• Memphis, TN, USA 

Language

• English

Travel

• 25%

Objective of the Position

The CPT and TCO Specialist plays a vital role in ensuring all contracts are executed within agreed technical and financial criteria, with a primary focus on cost efficiency, process adherence, and inventory management. This role requires expert financial analysis, cost control, and reporting to optimize the chemical cost structure in paper production, ensuring profitability while clearly quantifying the unique value added by Buckman’s chemical and digital applications. The CPT & TCO Specialist collaborates closely with sales, engineering, and supply chain teams to achieve a TCO reduction target, making data-driven recommendations and managing consignment inventory for seamless contract execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Accurately calculate and monitor the cost per ton (CPT) of chemicals supplied to IP mills, including associated costs such as transportation.
• Track and analyze fluctuations in CPT, identifying cost drivers and areas for potential savings.
• Develop and present comprehensive reports and dashboards on CPT metrics, highlighting trends, variances, and cost reduction recommendations.
• Present CPT and TCO metrics to management and stakeholders, including actionable insights.
• Support the IP sales team with month-end close and cycle counts.
• Report on mill-specific inventory usage, aligning data in SAP.
• Manage consignment inventory levels to optimize working capital while ensuring sufficient stock at mill sites, collaborating with the Supply Chain team.
• Collaborate with the IP Sales team, IP SEs, and PaperPro process to identify continuous improvement (CI) and TCO projects.
• Work with SEs to implement TCO projects aimed at achieving reduction targets.
• Establish and validate TCO calculation methodologies for identified projects using Buckman chemicals and digital solutions.
• Develop and present detailed TCO reports and dashboards, providing management with actionable insights and recommendations.
• Partner with IP mill sales teams for CPT management and mill-specific TCO projects.
• Work closely with the supply chain for inventory management and Solution Engineers on TCO metrics specific to market segments.
• Develop and deliver training on cost management, CPT principles, and TCO analysis, supported by Solution Engineers.
• Provide guidance on best practices for managing chemical costs and optimizing total cost of ownership.
• Maintain comprehensive records of cost analyses and TCO strategies by mill, application, and project.

Qualifications

• Education:
  • B.S. in Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related technical field, plus 7 years of relevant experience; OR
  • M.S. in Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related technical field, plus 5 years of relevant experience; OR
  • Degree in Business, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • 7-9 years of relevant experience, with 3+ years in the paper industry preferred.
• Skills:
  • Proficiency in data analytics tools and experience with Power BI or similar software.
  • Strong financial and mathematical acumen with problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
  • Experienced in creating financial documentation and presentations.

#LI-JT1