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Pulp & Power Shift Supervisor

Smurfit Westrock · Roanoke Rapids, NC

Level
Supervisor
Team
Manufacturing
Degree
Required
Experience asked
3+ years
Industry
Packaging
Posted
30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A supervisor manufacturing role at Smurfit Westrock (packaging) in Roanoke Rapids, NC. You will be responsible for personnel, safety, environmental compliance, quality, cost, and performance of the daily operation of 12 batch digesters, 3 washer lines, steam and power generation equipment, recovery, and recausticizing equipment throughout.

They ask for
3+ years · degree required
Tools it names
Root cause, EHS / safety

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

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

Production Supervisor roles in North Carolina: typical posted base $88k–$132k.

Median of the low and high ends of 12 live postings that list pay, out of 58 production supervisor openings in North Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

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

How this role compares

Against 41 other live manufacturing postings in North Carolina.

Experience asked
Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Team leadership 43%
  • Tooling 29%

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

Stands out: this posting asks for Root cause, EHS / safety, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 3+ 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. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Smurfit Westrock

    We found 2 people at this company and state: 1 in this kind of role, 1 leaders, plus 1 likely hiring manager. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓

  2. 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.

    Write to Jason → (free)
  3. 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. 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. 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 Roanoke Rapids

4 other open roles at this site · 2 people we found in manufacturing roles at Smurfit Westrock.

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

responsibilities

include the oversight of safe execution of all mill activities including maintaining environmental compliance, achieving quality targets, ensuring customer satisfaction, managing cost, meeting production goals, completing training, leading & developing direct reports, and maintaining employee & labor relations.

As the Pulp & Power Shift Supervisor, you will be responsible for personnel, safety, environmental compliance, quality, cost, and performance of the daily operation of 12 batch digesters, 3 washer lines, steam and power generation equipment, recovery, and recausticizing equipment throughout your shift. You will identify opportunities within the shift to improve performance and manage the quality/production efforts of the Pulp & Power hourly crew; you will lead efforts to achieve key performance metrics that support overall mill goals.

Show full description ↓

The opportunity

When you join Smurfit Westrock Roanoke Rapids Mill, you will be part of a team that creates sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help move the world forward. Responsible for effectively leading a crew of hourly (union) employees to meet or exceed mill goals. Will lead the crew to address the day-to-day demands of the Pulp & Power department. Overall

How you will make an impact

  • •Manage the quality of the pulp, steam, chemicals, water, and wastewater, ensuring all products are within specifications and meet customer needs
  • •Model and promote safety within the shift by leading safety meetings, responding to potential hazards, coordinating with shift maintenance to correct hazards, performing safety audits, and partnering with advocates and safety leaders to support all safety program initiatives
  • •Manage performance and downtime of the equipment by troubleshooting and preventing issues that could cause downtime and resolving issues in timely fashion
  • •Work with other salaried personnel to ensure equipment downtime is fully utilized and scheduled to optimize the maintenance work that can be performed while the equipment is down
  • •Partner with the Maintenance Supervisor and Maintenance Planner to identify and prioritize maintenance work
  • •Review production and quality results on the mill’s database(s) daily
  • •Lead the accident/incident investigation for any incidents that occur on your shift
  • •Assist with the review and approval of engineering drawings and designs to prevent equipment and/or process conflicts
  • •Utilize the department’s Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure compliance with the safe and efficient operation of the equipment
  • •Assist with the review and identification of root causes for issues
  • •Supervise the hourly employees and ensure necessary training, development, and support is available
  • •Establish individual goals and evaluate work performance for direct reports
  • •Develop effective partnerships with hourly employees to improve overall plant production
  • •Assist with the review and updating of department training material, specifically working with operators to coach them in the qualification process

To succeed

  • •Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field and 3+ years relevant experience or High School diploma/GED and 10+ years related experience.
  • •5+ years of pulp/paper mill experience preferred
  • •3+ years of direct supervisory experience required
  • •Previous work experience in a unionized location is preferred
  • •Ability to work rotating 12-hour shifts
  • •Experience implementing safety initiatives
  • •Proven track record of leadership and project management skills leveraged to enable employees to achieve goals and objectives
  • •Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills leveraged to motivate stakeholders and achieve alignment across the organization
  • •Ability to learn proprietary software programs
  • •Aligned with our company’s values of Integrity, Respect, Accountability, and Excellence

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