Commercial Co-Op (5-Month Assignment)

• The corporate Spokane office offers a collaborative space. Located along the Spokane river the city is known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation
• The Lewiston mill is the original Clearwater Paper manufacturing facility. Located where the Clearwater River meets the Snake River
• The Augusta mill is our newest acquired mill and sits along the Savannah River

Additionally we have a mill in Cypress Bend, AR and our subsidiary, Manchester Industries has 5 locations including Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and South Carolina. You will have the opportunity to travel to some of these locations and gather firsthand knowledge on how our product is made.

What you will do

Launch your commercial career with Clearwater Paper! Clearwater Paper is seeking a motivated and high-potential student to join our Sales, Marketing & Product Development team as a 5-month co-op. This role is designed for students interested in commercial leadership, product development, customer strategy, and the paperboard packaging industry.

The co-op will support meaningful project work across Product Development, Sales, and Marketing while gaining exposure to Clearwater Paper's customers, products, manufacturing capabilities, supply chain, and commercial organization. The program is designed to complement Clearwater Paper's Sales Development Trainee Program and serve as a pipeline for future early-career talent.

Clearwater Paper is a premier independent supplier of paperboard packaging products to North American converters. Or team produces high-quality paperboard that provides sustainable packaging solutions for consumer goods and food service applications.

• Support product development, marketing, and commercial strategy projects
• Conduct market, customer, product, and competitive research
• Assist with product commercialization, launch tracking, and sales enablement materials
• Assist with sales-related tasks like preparing quotes, processing orders, and maintaining customer records
• Support customer segmentation, win/loss analysis, and account planning work
• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Product Development, Marketing, Customer Service, Supply Chain, Operations, and Technical teams
• Participate in selected site visits, customer exposure, sales shadowing, or commercial meetings
• Participate in product development or new product trials, and help coordinate among the customer, operations, and sales & marketing teams

What's in it for you

• Make an Impact - Contribute to the team's sales targets and objectives while working on projects that have real business impact.
• Grow Your Skills - Gain a comprehensive understanding of the commercial process, from lead generation and customer engagement to pricing, proposals, and closing.
• Own Real Projects - Take on meaningful projects and responsibilities rather than simply observing. Develop experience you can take directly into your career.
• Discover Your Strengths - Explore different areas of the commercial organization and gain insight into potential career paths that align with your interests and strengths.
• Develop Your Business Acumen - Learn how customer needs, market trends, pricing, product strategy, and financial objectives come together to drive business decisions.
• Learn from Leaders - Gain exposure to business leaders and understand how decisions are made in a complex, customer-focused organization.

Key Competencies & Attributes

• Strong communication skills - Able to effectively communicate with customers and colleagues
• Customer Service Oriented - Provide excellent customer service and build strong relationships
• Sales Aptitude - Demonstrate a natural inclination towards sales and achieving targets
• Organizational skills - Manage tasks and time effectively to meet deadlines
• Adaptability - Adjust to different situations and learn from feedback
• Motivated and driven - Self-motivated with a proactive approach and a strong desire to succeed in a sales environment
• Interest in commercial leadership, packaging, manufacturing, product development, or B2B sales

What you will need

To be successful in this position, we are looking for candidates with the following:

• Pursuing a Bachelor's degree and in good academic standing
• Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
• Pursing major in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Data Analytics or Business Analytics, Paper Science, Packaging Science
• Prior sales or paper industry internships and experience (preferred)
• Rising junior or senior
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated analytical ability, curiosity, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Sales, Product Development, Marketing, Operations, Customer Service, and Supply Chain
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint
• Office and manufacturing environment
• Travel 25%
• Some mental, visual, physical fatigue from computer terminal use
• Must wear required Personal Protective Equipment in the manufacturing environment.
• Able to lift up to 20 pounds.
• Reading, keyboarding and communication
  
  
  

Clearwater Paper will 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 must not require Clearwater Paper's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

This role will be open for a minimum of 2 weeks or at the point a successful candidate is selected.