Senior Reliability Engineer
Smurfit Westrock · West Point, VA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Reliability
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Packaging
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior reliability role at Smurfit Westrock (packaging) in West Point, VA.
- They ask for
- 5+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Reliability Engineer roles in Virginia: typical posted base $106k–$126k.
Median of the low and high ends of 3 live postings that list pay, out of 18 reliability 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 17 other live reliability postings in Virginia.
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 56%
- SAP 28%
- ✓ Team leadership 28%
- Lean 22%
- Six Sigma 22%
- TPM 22%
✓ = 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 Reliability team at Smurfit Westrock
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- 2
Send a short, curious note
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- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
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- 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 West Point
5 other open roles at this site · 1 person we found in reliability roles at Smurfit Westrock.
- Mechanical Maintenance Superintendent · Reliability · Supervisor
- Maintenance Millwright · Reliability · Technician
- Shift Supervisor - Power · Manufacturing · Supervisor
- Paper Machine Shift Supervisor · Manufacturing · Supervisor
- Mechanical Maintenance Engineer · Reliability
Full description from Smurfit WestrockAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Reliability Engineer – West Point, VA
The Opportunity
The Mechanical Reliability Engineer will act in both a supervisory and staff capacity to promote and advance the Reliability program across the entire mill in the following manner:
Use equipment failure analyses to overcome repetitive maintenance and repair problems to reduce maintenance costs.
Use proactive, preventative, and predictive maintenance techniques to avoid and to detect equipment failures.
Support the Maintenance Reliability Program.
The Mechanical Reliability Engineer reports to the Reliability Superintendent.
Reporting to the Mechanical Reliability Engineer are the Reliability Technicians and Lubrication Technicians.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
How You Will Impact Smurfit WestRock
Lead the reliability program to continuously improve equipment availability and reduce maintenance costs.
Be a tireless and enthusiastic champion of reliability.
Serve as an equipment reliability Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the site.
Assure predictive and preventive maintenance activities support the strategy and core values of the Maintenance Department and the corporation.
Manage the Pressure Vessel and Tank integrity program for the site, including inspection and repairs, working with the Engineering & Manufacturing Services (EMS) and local and State regulations.
Lead the lubrication program for the site, including vendor interface, oil sampling and analysis, thermography, inspections, route development, updates and reporting functions using the lubrication software.
Assure that an appropriate response is promptly enacted based on results from predictive failure analysis and condition monitoring processes.
Request measuring and testing equipment to keep the reliability programs current with the latest technological advances where those advances provide cost-effective upgrades.
Assure the Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Predictive Maintenance (PdM) routes and programs are implemented, audited, and improved on existing equipment and as equipment is added, removed, and improved.
Research and request formal training for maintenance and reliability personnel to increase their technical skill and knowledge for their area of expertise.
Provide input for Key Process Indicators (KPIs) detailing all the results of the reliability programs activities on a weekly basis.
Ensure Design for Maintainability and Design for Reliability are implemented with purchasing, stores, and engineering throughout all project phases including procurement, vendor selection, spare part selection and stocking.
Develop and adopt standards that improve equipment reliability in areas such as Essential Care, OBC, ODR, PM, PdM, CM, RCFA, MRO, precision rebuilds, precision installations and work execution.
Continuously work with Maintenance and Operations to educate, promote, and support program buy-in throughout the mill.
Review modification drawings and specifications and direct the implementation of appropriate preventive maintenance actions.
Recommend innovative solutions to increase equipment and facility life and reduce maintenance costs through the analysis of repetitive equipment failures/breakdowns and predictive maintenance analysis reports
Guidance and participation of the Reliability related Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) process.
Ensure follow-through, completion, and documentation of the RCFA Action Items.
Review and refine the PM process based on breakdown repair costs, down-time requirements, and production losses from individual pieces of equipment.
Submit recommendations and justification for capital expenditures that support and improve the Reliability Program.
Submit regular reports covering the overall program costs and benefits, the "finds" and improvements made, as well as the strategic way forward for the Reliability Program.
Direct the accumulation and maintenance of reliability records so that they are available to mill personnel digitally on-line.
Maintain awareness of advances at other sites that would be of benefit to adopt.
Serve as a leader and example for behavior and performance to all employees.
The Performance of the Mechanical Reliability Engineer will be evaluated by the following criteria :
Mechanical PM/PdM route compliance.
Tank and Vessel inspections and repairs kept current and costs reduced.
Quality of failure analyses, root cause determination, and corrective/preventive actions
Implementation of current best practice lubrication and inspection methods.
The impact of all reliability activities on the maintenance program as indicated by standardized KPIs (overall site vibration level, route compliance, equipment availability, lubrication cleanliness from sampling, etc.).
The implementation of effective reliability and maintenance improvements associated with practice changes, equipment redesign, upgrades, and replacements.
Relations
Maintenance Department Consult and advise on predictive maintenance techniques that could replace PM work tasks and enhance maintenance work. Provide training and leadership in the application and benefits of reliability techniques.
Maintenance Leadership Advise on the generation, execution, and completion of work orders as indicated by preventive maintenance findings in terms of priority and impact. Advise on the continued education and skills development of the maintenance department to further the reliability initiative. Advise on the content of work indicated by preventive maintenance findings.
Maintenance Planner/Schedulers Advise and consult regarding the specifics and priority of PdM generated work orders. Assist in formulating repair plans and Management of Change.
Engineering Advise on the application of predictive maintenance techniques for the acquisition and improvement of equipment. Design out maintenance whenever possible.
Operations Consult on the use of reliability techniques as they apply to the daily operations of the equipment (Essential Care, Condition Monitoring, etc.)
Mill Leadership Report on the re
