Process Engineer

Smurfit Westrock · Covington, VA

Level: Engineer
Team: Process
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 2+ years
Industry: Packaging
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

An engineer-level process role at Smurfit Westrock (packaging) in Covington, VA. You would provide technical services in monitoring, investigating, evaluating, and making recommendations for improving quality, quantity, and cost of the various manufacturing processes in paperboard production.

They ask for: 2+ years · degree required

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Process Engineer roles in Virginia: typical posted base $90k–$110k.

Median of the low and high ends of 5 live postings that list pay, out of 23 process engineer openings in Virginia, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Virginia plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 22 other live process postings in Virginia.

Base pay: Not listed in this posting
Experience asked: Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

Root cause 43%
Lean 35%
Six Sigma 30%
Team leadership 22%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 2+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Promotion path mentioned

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 Process 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?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- 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 Covington

1 other open role at this site.

Senior Process Engineer · Process · Senior

Process Engineer at Smurfit Westrock in other locations

Smurfit Westrock lists this title in 6 places. Pick the plant you can get to.

Full description from Smurfit WestrockAs posted on their careers site.Show

Position: Process Engineer

Location: Covington, VA

The Opportunity

The Covington mill is North America’s largest bleached paperboard mill. It began production in 1899 and has been in continuous operation since that time. Leadership has focused on continually improving and growing the business. Year after year Covington continues to deliver unprecedented safety, reliability, production, and financial results. The Covington site is ideally located due to its fiber supply, low-cost energy, and access to major user markets for products. The Covington mill has three paperboard machines that produce high-quality coated bleached board products used for multiple packaging applications (pharmaceutical, cosmetic, electronics, tobacco, and food products), as well as commercial printing applications (greeting cards, lottery tickets, business cards, direct mail, large format signage, etc.).

As an Entry-Level Process Engineer, you would provide technical services in monitoring, investigating, evaluating, and making recommendations for improving quality, quantity, and cost of the various manufacturing processes in paperboard production. You will join our rotational team for your first year. During that year, you will rotate through approximately three departments, spending four months in each, learning the different processes. Ideally, at the end of your first year, you will be placed in a department permanently.

Show full description ↓

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock

•Provide management with information on quality and operating parameters to assist in process control, budgeting, and detection of trends.
•Participate on process improvement teams to identify problems, evaluate solutions, make recommendations, and assist in implementing approved changes to improve quality, cost, and/or throughput.
•Complete projects and development activities to prepare for operation positions as vacancies occur.
•Participate in all process engineering aspects of capital projects.
•Actively promote safety and environmental compliance.
•Other duties as assigned.

to succeed

•Required: BS Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Electrical or Mechanical) or Pulp and Paper Science.
•Required: Experience with Microsoft Office Suite including MS Excel
•Preferred: Minimum 2 years of industry experience on either the paper machine or pulp mill area, preferably in a process engineering role (can be combination of Co-Op / Internship, along with time in process engineering role)
•Strong verbal and written communication skills
•Physical ability to operate in paper mill environment, including light to moderate lifting, walking, and climbing, oral communication, correctable vision, and ability to work in a hot, humid, and dusty environment.

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.
•Benefits package to include 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.