Description & Requirements

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.

The opportunity:

• The Senior Manager, Supply Chain facilitates and manages strategic initiatives that improve supply chain performance, service, cost take-out, productivity, inventory visibility, value realization, and execution across the Corrugated Packaging organization. This role leads and supports cross-functional initiatives that may include, but are not limited to, performance packaging optimization, working capital and inventory reduction, standard board combinations, cost-out and productivity programs, network optimization, technology implementation value tracking, planning process improvements, and leadership reporting. The leader partners with the appropriate functional owners — including operations, planning, commercial, finance, logistics, IT, customer service, plant leadership, mill teams, and other stakeholders — to coordinate workstreams, remove barriers, represent Corrugated priorities, support a network view, track commitments, and deliver sustainable business results.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and support strategic supply chain initiatives that may include performance packaging optimization, inventory and working capital reduction, standard board combinations, cost-out and productivity programs, network optimization, technology-enabled process improvements, planning process improvements, and other evolving business priorities.
• Translate strategic supply chain priorities into structured initiative plans, including scope, milestones, accountabilities, resource needs, dependencies, risks, success measures, expected business outcomes, and follow-up actions.
• Support the supply chain initiative operating rhythm, including priority setting, progress reviews, executive communications, decision tracking, and follow-through on key commitments.
• Build and maintain initiative calendars, milestone tracking, action logs, and accountability mechanisms across multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Own the initiative management discipline across assigned workstreams, including opportunity sizing, action planning, milestone tracking, savings and value realization, risk identification, escalation, and progress against committed targets.
• Partner with plants, mills, supply chain teams, IT, Finance, Commercial, Logistics, Customer Service, and other functional owners to validate opportunities, align actions, remove barriers, and ensure initiatives are feasible, measurable, and sustained.
• Coordinate the piloting, implementation, and continuous improvement of supply chain programs, tools, processes, and ways of working.
• Establish and maintain a cross-functional governance cadence with Operations, Commercial, Finance, Logistics, the IT organization, Planning, and Customer Service to ensure initiative commitments, risks, decisions, and follow-up actions remain visible and actioned.
• Serve as the Corrugated Supply Chain liaison with the mill team, representing Corrugated priorities in cross-functional discussions, supporting network-level visibility, and helping align actions, tradeoffs, and decisions across mill and box plant considerations.
• Prepare leadership-ready updates that clearly communicate initiative status, financial and operational impacts, barriers, dependencies, risks, tradeoffs, and recommended decisions.
• Develop practical resources, documentation, training materials, and communication plans that enable consistent execution and long-term sustainability.
• Drive change management and sustainment by supporting adoption, standard work, communication, training, process compliance, and ongoing accountability after initiatives are implemented.
• Serve as a trusted strategic partner who brings structure, sound judgment, and a continuous improvement mindset to complex supply chain priorities.

Required Experience:

• Box Plant operational leadership experience required, preferably as a General Manager or Production Manager, with demonstrated ability to lead teams, drive execution, and improve performance across supply chain or operations environments.
• Experience leading strategic initiatives, transformation efforts, or cross-functional projects in supply chain, planning, packaging, operations, or a related function.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation and measurement.
• Demonstrated ability to develop initiative governance, manage milestones and dependencies, identify risks, and drive accountability across stakeholders.
• Demonstrated project management experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives, including development of project charters, timelines, milestones, risk registers, action plans, stakeholder communications, and executive reporting.
• Strong facilitation, communication, meeting management, organization, follow-up, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate across functions, and drive accountability in a fast-paced environment.
• Analytical capability to interpret data, identify trends, prepare summaries, and communicate actionable insights related to savings, inventory, planning, and operational performance.
• Experience partnering with plant operations or manufacturing teams to deliver measurable performance, cost, productivity, inventory, or margin improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to track initiative value realization, savings commitments, business case assumptions, and cross-functional action plans through completion.
• Strong change management and stakeholder influence skills, including the ability to drive adoption, sustain standard work, and maintain accountability across teams without direct authority.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convert complex information into concise, decision-oriented materials.
• Experience with business reporting, project tracking tools, Microsoft Office applications, planning systems, or data visualization tools preferred.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, supply chain management, business administration, operations, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Master of Business Administration or relevant MS degree preferred.
• Moderate business travel, 10-15%

What We Offer:

• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence
• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities
• An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential
• A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of daily work.
  

Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment.