Early Career Sales Rep - IL or WI

Smurfit Westrock; New Lenox (IL); On-site; USD 62,250 - 103,750; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training opportunities

Competitive salary

Global company

Job summary

Smurfit Westrock, a leader in sustainable packaging, seeks an Early Career Sales Representative (ECSR) in Illinois to develop new business and manage assigned accounts. The role focuses on inside sales with a path to an outside sales position within 12–14 months.

You’ll coordinate with management to secure orders, expand the customer base, and drive cross‑selling opportunities. The ideal candidate has 1–3 years of B2B sales experience, a Bachelor’s degree, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1–3 years of B2B inside sales, field sales, or related experience strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Experience in fiber‑based packaging industry is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop new business and manage assigned customer accounts within small to medium business segment.
• Coordinate orders with corporate and plant management to secure new business and resolve issues.
• Expand customer base by engaging with new potential customers and previous Smurfit Westrock customers.
• Establish rapport with customers to understand their business and buying decisions.
• Follow Sales Excellence methodology to gauge interest and close opportunities.
• Achieve targets for volume and margin through cross‑selling and up‑selling.
• Collaborate with Inside Sales Manager/Director and regional plants to ensure positive customer experiences.

Skills

B2B inside sales

CRM experience

Negotiation

Phone communication

Time management

Team player

Adaptability

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

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 Early Career Sales Representative (ECSR) will be responsible for developing new business and managing and growing assigned customer accounts primarily within the small to medium business segment. The ECSR will work to gain success within inside sales to secure an area outside sales role within 12–14 months. The ECSR will work with corporate and plant management and staff to coordinate orders, secure orders for new business, and to resolve any account issues. Additionally, the ECSR will work with inside sales management and plant management to expand the customer base by engaging with new potential customers and previous Smurfit Westrock customers with the goal of gaining or winning back business.

The ECSR will be expected to develop a deep rapport with customers with the goal of understanding their business, and the challenges they face, and forming relationships with the people within their organization who make or influence buying decisions. Activity will be centered on remote communication including teleconference, phone, and email communication. The ECSR will follow Smurfit Westrock’s Sales Excellence methodology to gauge interest, identify areas of business growth opportunity, and close new business.

How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock

• ECSRs will be dedicated to improving Smurfit Westrock customer experience while also driving value by creating both cross‑selling, up‑selling, and new business opportunities.
• Stay up to date and well versed in the Paper and Packaging industry, Smurfit Westrock products, manufacturing challenges and retail trends by category segments.
• Maintain a working knowledge of Smurfit Westrock Enterprise solutions and continue learning by studying new products and participating in educational opportunities.
• Understand the business pressures effecting our customers and the relevant value of Smurfit Westrock’s solutions as well as an understanding of competitor information and trends by region to create SWOT analysis and competitive selling strategies.
• Research new and current customer accounts and identify key players to engage through outbound calls and digital tools.
• Conduct complex issue resolution for customers (involving communication with both customer and appropriate Smurfit Westrock colleagues). Some examples include pricing, delivery, quality, warehousing, logistics, new product design, and margin improvement.
• Maintain and improve quality results by following established processes and methodologies.
• Collaborate with Business Unit and Plant sales teams to maintain relationships and coordinate potential overlapping business responsibilities.
• Strive to achieve individual and team established metrics and goals.
• Meet targets for volume and margin with sales including cross‑selling and up‑selling.
• Achieve department and organization goals by accepting ownership for completing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value.
• Generate ideas and pro‑actively work with Inside Sales Manager/Director and regional area plants to ensure positive customer experiences.
• Drive cross‑sell and up‑sell opportunities by establishing rapport and understanding customers’ unique challenges.
• Cultivate consultative interactions with customers.
• Efficiently manage customer interactions across Smurfit Westrock divisions.
• Create and deliver on margin improvement plans for customers.
• Coach junior team members.

What You Need To Succeed

• Minimum of 1–3 years of B2B inside sales, field sales, or related experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in fiber‑based packaging industry is strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Ability to manage full book of assigned accounts, spanning multiple business units.
• Ability to develop and qualify new opportunities, present solutions, overcome objections, negotiate, and close business over the phone & videoconference.
• Consistent track record and top performer among ECSR team.
• Flexible and resilient problem solver.
• Salesforce.com or similar CRM software.
• Microsoft Office applications, social media platforms.
• Requires a home office or workspace, free of disruptions; company provided laptop and phone.
• Excellent phone presence, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Comfortable making dozens of calls per day.
• Strong listening and presentation skills.
• Ability to prioritize, and manage time effectively.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to close opportunities with customer.
• Team player; works exceptionally well with others.
• Adapts well to a matrix organization.

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 the daily work.

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 $62,250.00 - $103,750.00, 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 31-Dec-2026.