Manager I, Quality

WestRock Company; Evadale (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401k with match

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts

Career development opportunities

Job summary

WestRock Company’s Evadale Mill seeks a Manager I, Quality to lead root-cause analysis of customer complaints and drive corrective actions. You will coordinate with the mill and WestRock teams to reduce field complaints, audit machine conditions, and provide technical service on quality issues.

The role requires strong communication, data analysis, and knowledge of paperboard quality characteristics; travel and nonstandard hours may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline; pulp and paper industry experience is a plus.
• Strong statistical, analytical, and diagnostic problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Minitab; SAP is a plus.
• Excellent verbal and written communication across diverse audiences.
• 5+ years field service or technical roles in manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Investigate field complaints to determine root cause and corrective actions.
• Communicate technical results to customers and internal teams (Commercial, TS&Q, CQC).
• Collaborate with mill personnel to implement corrective actions and prevent recurrence.
• Provide technical service and training support, audits, and process improvements.
• Coordinate correspondence between Evadale Mill and customers on product quality and COA details.
• Generate and report Evadale’s quality complaint statistics to identify trends.
• Monitor process data and machine conditions daily/weekly to prevent quality issues.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Statistical analysis

Diagnostic problem solving

Data interpretation

Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/PowerPonI

Minitab

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical discipline

Tools

SAP

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Minitab

Job description

Manager I, Quality - Evadale Mill

Career Opportunity

This position serves as an interface between the Evadale Board Mill and its customers and will help drive continuous improvement through various activities. You will lead the investigation of customer complaints to identify root causes/corrective actions and generate technical responses to communicate results. These communications are important, as the information contained within them directly affects the financial status of Smurfit WestRock and its customers. You will also partner with mill personnel to help implement corrective actions necessary to reduce field complaints and internal off-grade metrics. This will require the individual serving in the role to generate and analyze reports pertaining to complaint data and paperboard quality parameters. Provides technical assistance to WestRock’s Packaging business segment and its customers. This assistance includes emergency troubleshooting calls (on-site and by phone), conducting plant audits, account maintenance, training, and other customer requested technical services.

One of the primary skills necessary to perform this job effectively is good verbal and written communication. Communication will be required at numerous levels ranging from upper-level management to Operations and Technical department employees within Evadale Mill, other groups within the Smurfit WestRock system (TS&Q and CQC) and customer/end user facilities.

Understanding papermaking operations and the various converting operations that utilize Evadale’s products is also critical. This allows the position holder the ability to discern whether reported quality/complaint issues resulted from paperboard manufacturing or from downstream converting processes. These findings must be explained to the mill and customer to help justify payment or rejection of complaints.

This position will also be an active participant in preventing customer complaints through monitoring of process data and machine conditions at the time of manufacture. The successful candidate will be capable of auditing and monitoring machine’s physical condition as well as process data.

How You will impact Smurfit WestRock

• Investigate field complaints to perform root cause and corrective action assessment and generate technical responses to customers and/or Smurfit WestRock’s Commercial, TS&Q and CQC teams.
• Partner with appropriate mill personnel to help implement corrective actions necessary to prevent recurrence of quality issues.
• Provide accurate and timely service, audit, quality, and technical consultation.
• Provide support and assistance for engineering/design improvements and changes.
• Coordinate correspondence between Evadale Mill and Smurfit WestRock’s Commercial, TS&Q and CQC teams and/or customers regarding product quality, COA’s and related information.
• Generate, analyze, and report on Evadale’s quality complaint statistics to help mill personnel identify trends and areas for continued improvement.
• Daily/Weekly monitoring of process data and overall machine cleanliness/physical conditions.
• Responsible for conducting business with integrity and respect, being accountable, and actively pursuing excellence to help achieve Smurfit WestRock’s Path to One goal.

What You need to succeed

• Bachelor’s degree in technical discipline strongly preferred, with consideration also given to candidates with work experience in the pulp and paper industry.
• Strong statistical, analytical, and diagnostic problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Minitab. Knowledge of SAP is a plus.
• Good verbal and written communication skills for dealing with diverse audiences.
• Strong work ethic and desire to improve systems and processes.
• Field service and professional work experience of 5+ years.
• Knowledge of paperboard quality characteristics.
• Experience with sheeting processes and equipment.
• Experience with die cutting and folding /gluing processes and equipment.
• Supervisory experience with a printing or converting operation a plus.
• Aligned with our company values of Integrity, Respect, Accountability, and Excellence
• Travel with some nonstandard work weeks/ hours.

What we offer

• Corporate culture is based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence.
• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities
• An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies and potential.
• A benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401k with match, tuition reimbursement, employee discounts, employee referral bonus, and much more!
• A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.

Smurfit WestRock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create and maintain a diverse workforce where everyone feels valued, respected, and included. Smurfit WestRock does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law