ShopFloorJobs
SW

Area Quality Manager

Smurfit Westrock · WFH Texas, TX

Level
Manager
Team
Quality
Degree
Preferred
Experience asked
5+ years
Industry
Packaging
Posted
16 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A management quality role at Smurfit Westrock (packaging) in WFH Texas, TX.

They ask for
5+ years · degree preferred
Tools it names
Six Sigma, Root cause, CAPA, FDA / GMP, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

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

Quality Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $90k–$126k.

Median of the low and high ends of 25 live postings that list pay, out of 132 quality engineer openings in Texas, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

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

How this role compares

Against 131 other live quality postings in Texas.

Base pay
Not listed in this posting

Typical $90k–$126k, from 24 postings that list pay.

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

Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Root cause 58%
  • Lean 30%
  • New product launch 29%
  • FMEA 28%
  • ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 28%
  • ✓ Six Sigma 24%

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

Stands out: this posting asks for FDA / GMP, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 5+ 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 Quality 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. 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. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
    • How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
    • 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.

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

responsibilities

as required.

  • ◆Contribute ideas and participate in ongoing business improvement initiatives to reduce overall operating costs, improve margin, and provide input into the strategy and operations of the sites.
  • ◆Produce data and present reports for sites, customers and corporate as required.
  • ◆Identify improvement projects and continuous improvement initiatives in line with sites and corporate

requirements

to improve quality and safety and work with colleagues to implement these.

  • ✓Support senior leadership team in introducing systems and procedures to enhance operating effectiveness and efficiencies.
  • ✓Deliver GMP, Quality and FSC training to all employees as required.
  • ✓Take on other projects and

responsibilities

as required.

Show full description ↓

The Opportunity

The Area Quality Manager will focus on compliance, customers, and continuous improvement activities to create a total quality culture and reduce quality costs in line with best practice procedures.

How you will impact WestRock

  • •Ensuring supply of the highest quality product for the customer.
  • •Working with production and support functions to maintain and improve our quality systems and adherence to operational best practice thus guaranteeing compliance to external and internal standards.
  • •Drive improvement activities to support quality and financial performance leading key improvement projects evolving through customer requirements, legislative changes, and amendments to accredited standards to ensure compliance with standards and pending accreditation audits.
  • •Draft, review, and implement changes to our current quality systems, standard operating procedures, and policies to satisfy customer and third-party requirements. whilst ensuring conformance to the relevant accreditation standards for the sites and customers.
  • •Manage the customer complaint procedure, facilitate the investigation of quality problems, faults, and non-conformances with production teams; manage corrective and preventative problems to ensure quality standards are maintained. Initiate and control robust investigations to provide corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and support the complaints handling process and participate in implementing improvement actions to prevent re-occurring issues.
  • •Facilitation of customer facing activities and communications including customer visits, responses, and preparation of information whilst leading sites audit activities (external body, internal and customer)
  • •Lead quality initiatives and focus groups to support knowledge and understanding of all operatives and grow awareness of quality issues to improve quality.
  • •Promote a total quality philosophy at all levels developing a culture of right first time and continuous improvement.
  • •Develop an Integrated Quality Management System including quality, environment, health, and safety.
  • •Lead improvements to enhance quality system and ensure optimum process in place to meet customer specifications whilst maximizing production.
  • •Review amendments to standards and ensure compliance with accreditation bodies.
  • •Support introduction of new equipment on sites and validation processes to meet safety and customer expectations.
  • •Take on other projects and

to succeed

  • •High School Diploma or GED - Required
  • •Bachelor’s degree in quality or a Business-related discipline - Preferred
  • •5+ years’ experience at a senior or management level Quality Role – Required.
  • •Industry experience in corrugate, folding carton, or paper- required.
  • •Working and audit knowledge relevant accredited standards
  • •with experience and knowledge of Industry standards and guidelines
  • •Demonstrable experience of leading change and implementing continuous improvement processes.
  • •Supervisory experience
  • •Demonstrable experience of validating new equipment and processes
  • •Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
  • •Project management and problem-solving skills such as 6 Sigma, or another recognised Business Improvement Technique
  • •Root cause analysis and problem-solving techniques
  • •Customer relations skills
  • •Skilled in information handling, analysis, and presentation
  • •Competent in using Microsoft Office packages.

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 which includes 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.

More Quality roles in Texas