Production Manager
Smurfit Westrock · Sioux City South, IA
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Production
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 7+ years
- Industry
- Packaging
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management production role at Smurfit Westrock (packaging) in Sioux City South, IA. Manage P&L, manufacturing costs and operating efficiencies to improve plant profitability.
- They ask for
- 7+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Production Engineer roles in Iowa: typical posted base $120k–$159k.
Median of the low and high ends of 4 live postings that list pay, out of 17 production engineer openings in Iowa, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Iowa plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 16 other live production postings in Iowa.
- Experience asked
- More than usual (7+ vs 5+)
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 65%
- EHS / safety 35%
- ✓ Lean 24%
- Cost reduction 24%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Production team at Smurfit Westrock
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Smurfit Westrock in Sioux City South
1 other open role at this site.
- Maintenance Technician · Reliability · Technician
Production Manager at Smurfit Westrock in other locations
Smurfit Westrock lists this title in 3 places. Pick the plant you can get to.
Full description from Smurfit WestrockAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
and specifications to identify improvement opportunities and implement solutions to increase customer satisfaction.
- ✓Coordinate and maintain ongoing, effective, safety plans to ensure program adoption and implementation.
- ✓Offer new ideas to support fulfillment of department goals and procedures for continuous improvement, retention of customer base, company profitability, and employee job satisfaction.
- ✓Develop and manage defined communication channels across various stakeholder groups to build effective relationships and produce superior products.
- ✓Manage P&L, manufacturing costs and operating efficiencies to improve plant profitability.
- ✓Monitor and control waste management to manage production costs and reduce environmental impacts.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Career Opportunity
The Production Manager will manage the day-to-day activities of maintaining the facility operations for the Converting department, including safety policies, personnel, housekeeping, maintenance, production activities, and customer requirements. You will serve as a member of the management leadership team and will provide direction to the manufacturing facility including overseeing plant production, materials, equipment and tools to ensure efficiency is maintained and projects remain on schedule. You will also serve as a coach to team members and assist in the development and evaluation of direct reports.
How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock
- •Provide leadership and guidance on the coordination of plant activities through planning with supervision to ensure the manufacturing objectives are accomplished in a timely and cost-effective manner.
- •Review customer
to Succeed
- •Bachelor’s Degree from four-year college or university; or 7 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- •Must have 7+ years of leadership experience in both corrugated and converting packaging operations - Required
- •Demonstrated mechanical acumen.
- •Proven experience using scheduling software.
- •Ability to work in fast paced JIT (just-in-time) manufacturing environment.
- •Demonstrated expertise in process management to ensure production efficiency.
- •Relentless determination and courage to make things happen; strong execution skills; results oriented.
- •Ability to respond quickly to changing demands, processes, and updated information.
- •Lead as a change agent to ensure lean processes are deployed with a sense of urgency.
- •Demonstrated understanding of quality processes and continuous improvement, such as Six Sigma certification.
- •Excellent communication skills and ability to interact across all levels of the organization, while accomplishing organizational goals.
- •Demonstrated knowledge of capital management (P&L and capital budgets) and analyzing financial data.
- •Established courses of action for self and/or others to accomplish specific planning goals.
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 generous benefits package starting on your first day of employment, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, 401k match, paid time off
- •A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.