Mgr. Accounting

WestRock Company; Duluth (GA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive training and development

Competitive salary

Global packaging company culture

Job summary

The WestRock Company is seeking a Manager, Inventory Accounting - Mills to lead inventory accounting across its North America mills. You will oversee end-to-end processes for raw materials, WIP, and finished goods, ensuring GAAP compliance and strong internal controls.

The role collaborates with mill finance, operations, and corporate accounting, driving standardization and automation to improve reporting and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance required; CPA or equivalent preferred.
• 5+ years of accounting experience in manufacturing or mill environment with inventory/cost exposure.
• 2+ years of supervising an accounting team.
• Strong U.S. GAAP and SOX knowledge.
• Experience with SAP and/or JD Edwards ERP systems.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with financial systems/reporting tools.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication across all organization levels.
• Proven ability to drive process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of accounting professionals for mill inventory processes.
• Oversee end-to-end inventory accounting including raw materials, WIP, and finished goods valuation.
• Manage inventory accruals and capitalized costs; ensure proper costing per U.S. GAAP.
• Oversee monthly close for inventory-related accounts and approve entries/reconciliations.
• Maintain SOX controls and coordinate internal/external audits.
• Drive standardization, automation, and continuous improvement across inventory workflows.
• Partner with mill finance, operations, and IT for system enhancements and data visibility.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

Tools

SAP

JD Edwards

BlackLine

Excel

Alteryx

BI platforms

Job description

The opportunity:

The North America Mills Accounting organization is seeking a Manager, Inventory Accounting - Mills to lead and oversee inventory accounting processes across mill operations. This role is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of inventory-related financial results, while maintaining strong internal controls and compliance with U.S. GAAP and company policy.

This position manages a team of accounting professionals comprised of 4-5 direct reports and plays a critical role in the monthly close process, financial reporting, and audit support. The role requires close collaboration with mill finance, operations, and corporate accounting teams and is highly visible to leadership due to the significance of inventory to the Company’s financial position. In addition to core accounting responsibilities, this role serves as a key driver of process standardization, automation, and continuous improvement across inventory accounting workflows.

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock:

Leadership and Oversight

• Lead and develop a team of accounting professionals responsible for mill inventory accounting processes.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and performance management, including training and cross-functional development.
• Manage day-to-day accounting operations with a focus on accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
• Partner with senior leadership to communicate results, risks, and improvement opportunities.

Inventory Accounting and Valuation

• Oversee end-to-end inventory accounting processes across mills, including:
• Raw materials, work-in-process (WIP), and finished goods valuation,
• Inventory accruals (e.g., in-process, freight, warehouse, and reserves), and
• Capitalized costs, including freight and production-related expenses.
• Ensure accurate and consistent application of inventory costing methodologies in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
• Analyze inventory balances and fluctuations to identify risks, trends, and required adjustments.
• Partner with mill finance and operations teams to ensure accurate inventory reporting and operational alignment.

Close and Financial Reporting

• Oversee the monthly close process for inventory-related accounts.
• Review and approve: Journal entries, month-end schedules, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Ensure completeness and accuracy of financial results, including proper period-end cutoff.
• Support preparation and review of management reporting and variance analysis.

SOX Controls, Audit and Compliance

• Maintain and ensure effectiveness of internal controls over inventory accounting processes.
• Review performance of key SOX controls and ensure proper documentation.
• Lead and coordinate responses to internal and external audit requests.
• Ensure compliance with Company accounting policies and U.S. GAAP.

Process Ownership and Continuous Improvement

• Serve as process owner for inventory accounting workflows across the mills.
• Drive standardization of accounting practices and procedures across locations.
• Identify and implement opportunities to:
  • Improve efficiency and reduce manual journal entries,
  • Enhance data quality and reporting capabilities, and
  • Strengthen control execution and documentation.
• Lead or support initiatives related to process optimization and cross-functional alignment.

Systems, Data and Transformation

• Oversee inventory accounting processes within core financial systems (e.g., SAP, JDE, BlackLine).
• Partner with Finance Technology and IT teams to:
  • Support system enhancements and implementations and
  • Improve automation and integration across systems.
• Leverage data and analytical tools (e.g., Alteryx, BI platforms) to enhance visibility and decision-making.

Business Partnership

• Partner with mill controllers, operations, and cross-functional teams to provide financial insight.
• Support working capital and inventory optimization initiatives.
• Act as a subject matter expert on inventory accounting matters for mill and corporate stakeholders.
• Collaborate across accounting, FP&A, and operations to improve financial visibility and planning.

What you need to succeed:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required; CPA or equivalent certification preferred.
• 5+ years of accounting experience, preferably within a manufacturing or mill environment with inventory and cost accounting exposure.
• 2+ years of experience managing or supervising an accounting team.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP and internal control frameworks (SOX).
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP and/or JD Edwards.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with financial systems and reporting tools.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvements and drive change within an 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.