Area L&D Manager - Intermountain & South West

Smurfit Westrock; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Smurfit Westrock is seeking an Area Learning & Development (ALD) Manager to drive effective execution of the plant-level Learning & Development program across an assigned area. This role spans Operations, Commercial, and other functions, with emphasis on manufacturing operations.

You will partner with plant and area leadership to ensure learning supports safety, quality, productivity, and reliability while managing onboarding, training planning, and certification across multiple plants.

Qualifications

• Must be able to influence across functions and levels.
• Experience applying learning programs to improve safety, quality, and productivity.

Responsibilities

• Ensure onboarding, OJT, certification, and training planning across plants.
• Conduct regular learning health checks to validate execution quality.
• Collaborate with plant leadership to align learning with safety, quality and productivity goals.
• Coach site leaders on hourly workforce development expectations.
• Coordinate with Technical Trainers to focus on business impact.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Influence without authority

Manufacturing engagement

Communication

Time management

Empathy & judgment

Education

Equivalent experience accepted

Tools

Cornerstone LMS

Microsoft Office

Job description

IL Aurora Corrugated

No

The opportunity:

The Area Learning & Development (ALD) Manager is responsible for ensuring the effective execution and business impact of the Corrugated Division Learning & Development program at the plant level across an assigned area. The scope of this role spans Operations, Commercial, and other functional teams, with primary emphasis on manufacturing operations. This role is focused on driving measurable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, and reliability through learning.

ALDs serve as the primary connector between regional learning strategy and day-to-day plant execution, ensuring learning expectations are consistently implemented and aligned to business outcomes across functions. This role reports to the Senior Manager, Learning & Development and operates through influence rather than authority, including a dotted-line relationship to Technical Trainers.

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock:

• Own execution quality of onboarding, on-the-job training (OJT), job certification, and training planning across assigned plants.
• Conduct regular learning health checks to validate execution quality, identify gaps, and drive corrective action.
• Partner with plant and area leadership to align learning efforts to safety, quality, productivity, and reliability priorities.
• Apply a risk-based approach to plant support and presence based on quarterly plant risk assessments.
• Coach site-level leaders on expectations and execution of hourly employee development programs.
• Provide oversight and coaching to Technical Trainers through a dotted-line relationship, ensuring trainer effort is focused on business impact.
• Utilize approved learning systems to assign, track, and report on training.
• Ensure training documentation is stored, maintained, and used as part of the learning process.
• Maintain an effective operating rhythm with key stakeholders including Plant Managers, RLD, HR, Safety, Quality, Reliability, CI partners, and other key stakeholders as appropriate.
• Escalate issues appropriately when barriers cannot be resolved through influence, data, and evidence.
• Capture and communicate learning impact, wins, and best practices across the area.
• Drive measurable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, and reliability through effective hourly workforce development.
• Improve consistency and effectiveness of onboarding, OJT, certification, and training planning across plants.
• Reduce skill gaps and operational risk by strengthening skill visibility and training execution.
• Increase effectiveness and consistency of Technical Trainers across the area.
• Additional duties as assigned.

What you need to succeed:

Critical Skills / Capabilities:

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence without authority.
• Results-oriented mindset with a focus on business outcomes over training activity.
• Ability to work effectively in manufacturing environments and engage hourly teams.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills across all organizational levels.
• Strong execution discipline, prioritization, and time management skills.
• Empathy, curiosity, and sound judgment when working with diverse teams.

Technical Skills:

• 3–5 years of experience managing or executing training systems in a manufacturing or operational environment.
• Experience using Learning Management Systems; Cornerstone experience preferred.
• Ability to leverage dashboards and tools to monitor training effectiveness and skill gaps.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

Other Qualifications:

• Equivalent experience accepted in lieu of formal degree.
• Manufacturing experience preferred but not required; paper or packaging industry experience preferred.
• Ability to work effectively in a matrixed organization.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 40%.

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