Customer Service Manager

Smurfit Westrock; Salinas (CA); On-site; USD 72,750 - 121,250; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Retirement savings plans

Flexible spending accounts / Health-sy

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Short-term bonus incentive

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

Smurfit Westrock in Salinas, CA seeks a Customer Service Manager to lead the Customer Account Specialist team and align customer needs with production and logistics. The role requires coaching, strategic planning, and proactive issue resolution to maximize customer satisfaction.

You will partner with sales, operations and quality teams, driving continuous improvement and ensuring accurate, timely order processing across the plant.

Qualifications

• Requires customer service experience in manufacturing or similar environment.
• Leads and coaches customer account specialists.
• Proven ability to collaborate across production, shipping, quality and safety teams.

Responsibilities

• Direct and coach the Customer Account Specialist team to meet delivery requirements.
• Review orders and documentation to ensure accuracy and timely processing.
• Coordinate with production, shipping and planning to optimize operations and customer satisfaction.
• Escalate issues to leadership and drive actions for resolution.
• Support continuous improvement projects and cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Organizational Skills

Time Management

Coaching

Training

Customer Orientation

Education

High School diploma or GED

Associate/Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP/CRM systems

Job description

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.

Customer Service Manager – Salinas, CA

The Opportunity

The Customer Service Manager (CSM) represents Smurfit Westrock to customers as a critical liaison between the customer, sales, production, and operations teams. The CSM simultaneously provides support to the leadership team by coaching and guiding Customer Account Specialists, executing strategic initiatives for the plant and company, partnering with internal customers and partners, to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction.

How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock

Business Excellence

• Manage Customer Account Specialist team.
• Manage customer accounts, as necessary.
• Partner with production, shipping, maintenance, quality, and planning teams to review production performance to identify opportunities to optimize functional efficiencies.
• Review customer specifications and new items in the order processing system to ensure all elements are captured and supporting documentation is included for efficient processing and production.
• Participate in daily cross‑functional production meetings to keep apprised of production status and ensure customer delivery requirements are met.
• Oversee the tactical execution of tasks by the Customer Account Specialists and ensure alignment with the planning and shipping department.
• Works with the Customer Account Specialists to proactively track order activity and alert appropriate staff/customers of any potential issues.
• Manage inventory movements to ensure customer demands and needs are met.
• Support Customer Account Specialists with issue remediation and communication with customers, as necessary.
• Escalate customer issues as necessary and align with plant leadership on actions to resolve issues.
• Participate in projects supporting plant or companywide strategic initiatives (e.g., margin enhancement efforts, overall equipment effectiveness efforts) by providing critical customer service expertise and insight to inform decisions and recommendations.

People and Culture

• Empowered to develop yourself through a culture of training to give you the tools to accomplish your best work and satisfy the customer.
• Continuously communicate with Customer Account Specialists, manufacturing partners, and sales to align with the current state and ensure operational efficiencies are achieved to meet customer needs.
• Communicate daily with Customer Account Specialists to ensure that they are apprised of all the information impacting production and their customers (e.g., logistics or production delays) and contact customers accordingly.
• Communicate all information relating to special projects with the customer account team and cross‑functional partners (including production team, shipping department, Quality, and Safety managers, etc.) to ensure all stakeholders are aware of production and customer impacts and changes, to ensure that business runs smoothly.
• Communicate larger expenditures to leadership to ensure visibility and alignment.
• Mentor, coach, and guide Customer Account Specialists to effectively resolve customer issues.
• Embrace, engage, and execute change management through process adoption.
• Onboard and train Customer Account Specialists on order processing system, specific topics, or best practices to enhance their understanding and performance.
• Gather feedback and insights from Customer Account Specialists and share broadly across the team and with stakeholders (e.g., specialized reports, technology shortcuts).
• Complete performance assessments of Customer Account Specialists based on their performance related to key initiatives and goals, including supporting documentation, opportunities for improvement, and input for performance appraisals for review and validation by the Customer Service Manager.

Critical Skills / Capabilities

• Attention to Detail: Follow established processes and procedures to ensure accuracy of work (Do it right the first time).
• Customer‑Oriented: Proactively assesses and effectively resolves customer issues quickly; proactively communicates with customers to ensure alignment and satisfaction; ensures that quality improvements meet the needs and expectations of a diverse customer base; consistently operates with the customers’ best interests in mind.
• Communication: Clearly exchanges thoughts, ideas, and messages through written, verbal, and non‑verbal methods that promote an understanding with the target audience; listens carefully and attentively.
• Collaboration: Works effectively with others to complete a task or achieve a common objective; ability to cooperate in both interpersonal and team relationships to foster enthusiasm and maintain mutual trust, candor, and respect for others. Works through conflict constructively.
• Coaching: Demonstrates basic understanding of the individual and organizational benefits of career development; provides feedback to direct reports and/or peers on job skills and personal behavior; identifies employees’ areas of strengths and developmental needs.
• Organizational Skills: Planning, monitoring, and prioritizing tasks to ensure achievement of desired results; establishes a systematic course of action to accomplish objectives through multi‑tasking and ability to forward‑think.
• Time Management: Ability to structure time to meet customer demands; demonstrate flexibility to balance your schedule, tasks, and responsibilities to complete things on time.
• Training Skills: Develop team through continuous improvement using process and change management skills.
• Leadership Skills: Effective ability to communicate well, motivate their team, handle, and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback, and have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever‑changing workplace while demonstrating empathy.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office – Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• System Experience (e.g., AS/400, Kiwiplan ESP/PCS/ULT, HRMS, Amtech, Sage, JD Edwards, Salesforce, EDI, Customer Portals)

Work Environment

• Onsite Monday – Friday
• Constantly works indoors, in an environment that is climate controlled.
• The role is frequently sedentary, which entails sitting or being stationary.
• Occasionally stands or walks for 1–2 hours at a time.
• Noisy work environment; maintain strict adherence to safety rules and regulations.

Experience/Educational/Skill Requirements

• Required: Customer service or related work experience in manufacturing environment or other industries.
• Preferred: 3 to 5 years of manufacturing industry experience with specialized training in leading teams.
• Required: High School diploma or G.E.D.
• Preferred: Associate/bachelor’s degree.

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.

The salary range for this position is $72,750.00 – $121,250.00, depending on your role, level, and location. The range listed is also the expected pay for roles in Illinois and Colorado. The benefits for this role include short‑term bonus incentive, health, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and paid sick leave as required by applicable state/local law, 15 days of paid vacation, and 11 days of paid holidays, subject to annual change. Your pay will be based on factors such as your skills, experience, and education. To learn more about this posting, please contact your recruiter during the hiring process. You may apply online at Smurfit Westrock External Careers and the application window is expected to close by 16‑Sep‑2026.