Lead OT Security Engineer

WestRock Company; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training & development

Competitive salary

Job summary

Smurfit Westrock is seeking a Lead OT Security Engineer to protect manufacturing systems and industrial networks across global plants. You will design cybersecurity architectures, implement secure segmentation, and mentor teams to reduce risk while preserving uptime.

The role requires strong technical OT cybersecurity expertise, collaboration with operations and vendors, and travel about 30-40% of the time. Join a team driving safety, reliability and innovation in manufacturing cybersecurity.

Qualifications

• Four+ years of cybersecurity experience in manufacturing or OT environments.
• Strong understanding of industrial control systems and networks.
• Experience with firewalls, IDS, endpoint security, and monitoring platforms.
• Experience with vendor remote access, network segmentation, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to design cybersecurity controls considering safety and uptime.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to document guidance.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement OT cybersecurity architectures for plant operations.
• Develop secure network segmentation and secure vendor access.
• Troubleshoot connectivity, firewall rules, and security controls in production.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, and vendors during implementations.
• Lead OT cybersecurity improvement initiatives across sites.
• Create technical docs, diagrams, and implementation guidance.

Skills

OT security

Manufacturing networks

Firewalls

Vendor remote access

Network segmentation

Cybersecurity monitoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity or related field

Tools

Nozomi Networks

Dragos

Claroty

Job description

Employment Type

Full Time

Date Posted

16-Sep-2026

Relocation Support

No

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.

Position Title: Lead OT Security Engineer

Reporting to: SR Manager OT Cyber Security

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions. We are materials scientists, packaging designers, mechanical engineers, and manufacturing experts with a shared purpose: Innovate Boldly. Package Sustainably. Guided by our values of integrity, respect, accountability and excellence, we use leading science and technology to move fiber-based packaging forward.

Our technology organization is transforming how we work at Smurfit Westrock. We align with our businesses to deliver innovative solutions that:

• Address specific business challenges, integrate processes, and create great experiences
• Connect our work to shared goals that propel Smurfit Westrock forward in the Digital Age
• Imagine how technology can advance the way we work by using disruptive technology

We are looking for a forward-thinking OT security engineer that can accelerate our focus areas, such as building stronger foundational technology capabilities, reducing complexity, employing digital transformation concepts, and leveraging disruptive technology.

The opportunity:

The Lead Operational Technology Cybersecurity Engineer is a senior technical role responsible for helping secure the systems, networks, and technologies that support Smurfit Westrock’s manufacturing operations. This position plays a critical role in protecting plant environments while ensuring that cybersecurity controls support, rather than disrupting, safety, reliability, and production.

In this role, you will work closely with cybersecurity, engineering, maintenance, operations, and vendor teams to design and implement practical security solutions for manufacturing environments. You will help secure industrial networks, improve vendor remote access, support network segmentation efforts, troubleshoot technical issues, and guide sites through cybersecurity improvements.

A typical day may include reviewing a new vendor remote access request, troubleshooting a firewall or connectivity issue with a manufacturing site, helping design secure network segmentation for production systems, documenting a technical standard, supporting a risk remediation plan, or advising operations and engineering teams on how to implement cybersecurity controls without impacting plant uptime.

This role requires someone who can combine deep technical cybersecurity and networking expertise with a strong understanding of manufacturing environments. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted technical advisor and help advance Smurfit Westrock’s operational technology cybersecurity program across a broad and complex global footprint.

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock:

• Design and implement cybersecurity architectures that protect manufacturing systems, industrial networks, and plant operations.
• Develop secure network segmentation, vendor remote access, monitoring, and control strategies that reduce cyber risk while supporting operational reliability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues involving vendor access, network communications, firewall policies, and cybersecurity controls in manufacturing environments.
• Support engineering, maintenance, operations, site technology teams, and vendors during cybersecurity implementations, remediations, and incident response activities.
• Lead cybersecurity improvement initiatives across manufacturing sites, including secure access, network modernization, monitoring, and risk reduction projects.
• Assess cybersecurity risks affecting manufacturing systems and help prioritize remediation based on business impact, safety, reliability, and exposure.
• Create technical documentation, network diagrams, standards, implementation guidance, and troubleshooting procedures for operational technology environments.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to embed cybersecurity into the lifecycle of manufacturing systems, from design and deployment through ongoing operations.
• Collaborate with security operations teams to improve monitoring, escalation, investigation, and response to cybersecurity events affecting manufacturing environments.
• Contribute to operational technology cybersecurity policies, standards, risk registers, audit readiness activities, and compliance efforts.
• Mentor other cybersecurity engineers and analysts by sharing technical expertise, practical guidance, and operational technology security best practices.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for operational technology cybersecurity across Smurfit Westrock.

What you need to succeed:

Required qualifications:

• Four or more years of cybersecurity experience, including hands-on experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, operational technology, or critical infrastructure environments.
• Strong understanding of industrial control environments, including systems and networks used to support manufacturing operations.
• Strong knowledge of networking fundamentals, including routing, switching, firewalls, network segmentation, and secure remote access.
• Hands-on experience with cybersecurity technologies, such as firewalls, intrusion detection tools, endpoint security tools, security monitoring platforms, or log management systems.
• Experience troubleshooting network connectivity, firewall rules, remote access, and security control issues in operational or production environments.
• Ability to design and implement cybersecurity controls while considering safety, uptime, reliability, and operational impact.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams, including cybersecurity, information technology, engineering, maintenance, operations, and third-party vendors.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to create technical documentation, procedures, diagrams, and implementation guidance.
• Strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical issues to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• WFH with the ability to travel approximately 30-40%, based on business and project needs.
• Occasionally moves, lifts, or positions devices weighing up to 50 pounds
• Ability to work reliably in non-climate-controlled industrial environments, including exposure to varying temperatures, dust, and high noise levels.
• Must participate in an on-call rotation to support troubleshooting and incident response.

Preferred qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.
• Professional cybersecurity certifications such as CISSP, GICSP, GRID, or equivalent certifications.
• Experience with operational technology cybersecurity monitoring platforms such as Nozomi Networks, Dragos, Claroty, or similar technologies.
• Experience securing vendors and third-party remote access into manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Experience with industrial communication protocols such as Modbus, OPC, Ethernet/IP, or similar plant-floor technologies.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks, standards, or regulations such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST guidance for industrial control systems, ISA/IEC 62443, or European cybersecurity requirements.
• Experience supporting cybersecurity audits, assessments, risk registers, remediation plans, or compliance activities.
• Experience leading technical projects across multiple manufacturing sites or regions.
• Experience leading or participating in OT incident responses.

Skills and behaviors:

• Demonstrates strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially in complex technical environments.
• Balances cybersecurity requirements with production needs, safety, reliability, and operational constraints.
• Communicates clearly and professionally with technical teams, site leaders, vendors, and business stakeholders.
• Take ownership of problems and drive them to resolution.
• Works effectively across teams and builds trusted relationships with operations, engineering, cybersecurity, and technology partners.
• Adapts quickly to changing priorities, urgent issues, and site-specific challenges.
• Provides technical leadership without needing direct authority.
• Documents work clearly and consistently to support repeatability, audit readiness, and knowledge sharing.
• Maintains a continuous improvement mindset and looks for practical ways to reduce risk across the manufacturing environment.

What we offer:

• Corporate culture based on loyalty, integrity, & respect.
• 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.

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.