General Manager

Multi-Site General Manager

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 Multi-Site General Manager is accountable for the growth, integration, and financial performance of multiple manufacturing facilities, with full P&L ownership. This role leads the strategic alignment, operational integration, and scalability of sites to support business growth, margin expansion, and customer demand. The General Manager drives consistency, operational excellence, and cultural alignment across facilities in a fast-paced, non-union environment.

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock:

Growth, Integration & P&L Ownership

• Own full profit and loss responsibility across all assigned facilities, including revenue growth, margin performance, cost structure, working capital, and EBITDA.
• Lead the integration of multiple facilities by standardizing processes, systems, metrics, and organizational structures to drive scalability and financial performance.
• Develop and execute growth strategies that support increased capacity, throughput, and customer demand.
• Build and deliver annual operating plans, budgets, forecasts, and multi-year growth plans aligned with corporate objectives.
• Identify and capture synergies across sites, including labor optimization, shared services, materials leverage, and capital efficiency.
• Actively manage costs, labor, inventory, and capital investments to support profitable growth.
• Present financial results, growth progress, and integration milestones to senior leadership, including variance analyses and corrective actions.

Operational & Integration Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for operational performance across multiple facilities.
• Design and implement scalable operating models that support consistent execution while allowing for site-specific needs.
• Lead the alignment of manufacturing policies, procedures, KPIs, and performance standards across all locations.
• Drive cross site collaboration to balance capacity, improve utilization, and support growth initiatives.
• Lead change initiatives associated with integration, expansion, and operational transformation.

People, Culture & Leadership Development

• Build, develop, and align high performing site leadership teams capable of leading through growth and change.
• Establish clear performance expectations tied to growth, integration milestones, and financial results.
• Coach and mentor Plant Managers and functional leaders, supporting hiring, performance management, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Create a unified culture across sites focused on accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and results.
• Ensure leaders are equipped to manage teams effectively in a nonunion, performance-driven environment.

Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Champion a consistent culture of safety, quality, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement across all facilities.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, environmental, and company safety and quality standards during growth and integration activities.
• Lead enterprise level root cause analyses to address systemic safety, quality, delivery, and cost issues.
• Ensure production output meets customer requirements, quality standards, and on time delivery expectations as volumes scale.

Capital, Capacity & Materials Management

• Develop and execute capital investment strategies to support growth, capacity expansion, and productivity improvements.
• Prioritize capital projects based on ROI, scalability, and integration impact.
• Ensure effective materials management, inventory control, and working capital optimization across all locations.
• Optimize asset utilization and capacity planning to support demand growth and operational flexibility.

Cross Functional & Customer Alignment

• Partner closely with regional Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Quality, Procurement, Estimating, and Operational Excellence leaders to align growth plans with operational execution.
• Support customer expansion, new business wins, and service level improvements through operational readiness.
• Collaborate with peer General Managers and corporate leaders to share best practices and support enterprise growth initiatives.

Communication & Reporting

• Establish strong communication rhythms across all sites to ensure alignment on growth, integration, and performance priorities.
• Provide regular and ad hoc operational, financial, and integration status reports to the Regional Operations Director and senior leadership.
• Support acquisitions, facility onboarding, or restructuring initiatives as required.

Additional Responsibilities

• Lead effectively in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment while managing competing priorities across multiple locations.
• Make timely, data driven decisions and own issues through resolution.
• Other duties as assigned

What you need to succeed:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including multi-site or regional responsibility within a production environment, preferred.
• Proven experience with full P&L ownership, including budgeting, forecasting, margin improvement, and EBITDA accountability.
• Demonstrated success leading growth initiatives, including capacity expansion, operational scaling, and integration of multiple facilities.
• Experience operating in a non-union, performance-driven manufacturing environment.

Operational & Financial Expertise

• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, including production planning, materials management, supply chain, quality systems, and safety.
• Proven ability to drive operational excellence and standardization across multiple locations while managing site-specific requirements.
• Demonstrated success improving productivity, reducing costs, optimizing labor, and managing working capital.
• Experience developing and executing capital investment strategies with a focus on ROI, scalability, and asset utilization.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data and KPIs to drive decision-making and performance improvement.

Leadership & Change Management

• Demonstrated ability to build, develop, and lead high-performing leadership teams across multiple sites preferred.
• Proven success leading organizations through change, integration, and transformation, including process, system, and cultural alignment.
• Strong coaching, mentoring, and talent development skills, including succession planning and performance management.
• Ability to establish a culture of accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and results.

Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Strong commitment to workplace safety and regulatory compliance, with experience leading safety-first cultures across multiple facilities.
• Experience driving quality excellence and ensuring consistent compliance with customer, regulatory, and corporate standards.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies, with demonstrated results.

Business & Interpersonal Skills

• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance operational execution, financial performance, and customer requirements.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience interacting with senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to influence, align, and collaborate across corporate functions including Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, Engineering, and HR.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and lead effectively in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

Other Requirements

• High level of integrity, ownership, and accountability; consistently follows through on commitments.
• Strong customer focus with the ability to support growth and service excellence.

Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.