Senior Mechanical Engineer

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Beverage Packaging Systems - Smyrna, GA

The Opportunity:

The Senior Mechanical Engineer is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of high-speed automated packaging machinery and customer-specific equipment solutions supporting the company's OEM packaging equipment business throughout North America.

This role serves as a senior technical contributor, leading complex engineering projects from concept through commissioning while ensuring designs achieve performance, quality, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and schedule objectives.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer partners closely with project management, manufacturing, electrical engineering, supply chain, service, sales, and customer teams to deliver innovative and reliable equipment solutions. The successful candidate will possess strong machine design expertise, technical leadership capabilities, and a hands-on approach to solving complex engineering challenges while mentoring junior engineers and driving engineering excellence across the organization.

How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock:

• Lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of high-speed automated packaging machinery and customer-specific equipment solutions.

• Serve as the technical authority for assigned machine platforms, establishing design standards and ensuring product performance, reliability, manufacturability, and maintainability.

• Drive engineering projects from concept through manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and customer acceptance while managing project scope, schedules, budgets, and technical deliverables.

• Collaborate with project management, manufacturing, electrical engineering, supply chain, quality, service, and sales teams to ensure successful project execution and delivery.

• Develop innovative mechanical solutions that improve machine performance, quality, safety, and total cost of ownership while supporting value engineering and cost reduction initiatives.

• Create, review, and approve engineering drawings, bills of materials, specifications, calculations, and technical documentation utilizing DFM, DFA, ASME Y14.5, and GD&T principles.

• Conduct engineering analysis, root cause investigations, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and corrective actions to resolve machine performance, reliability, and customer issues.

• Support technical sales and customer-facing activities through concept development, feasibility studies, proposals, estimates, technical presentations, and solution development.

• Build and maintain effective relationships with customers, suppliers, contractors, and external engineering partners while managing outsourced engineering activities as required.

• Provide hands-on support during machine assembly, testing, factory acceptance testing (FAT), startup, installation, commissioning, and field troubleshooting activities.

• Mentor and develop engineers, promote engineering best practices, and provide technical leadership across cross-functional project teams.

• Foster a safe work environment and ensure compliance with company engineering standards, procedures, and quality requirements.

What You Need to Succeed:

• Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.

• 10+ years of engineering and machine design experience, preferably involving high speed automated machinery.

• Demonstrated experience designing complex mechanical systems, industrial machinery, and automated equipment.

• Strong understanding of motion control and machine automation technologies, including servos, linear actuators, gearboxes, sensors, and pneumatic systems.

• Comprehensive knowledge of DFM, DFA, ASME Y14.5, and GD&T principles.

• Experience working in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment. ? Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects and influence cross-functional teams.

• Strong problem-solving, analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills.

• Proficiency with CAD, PLM, ERP, and engineering change management systems, preferably including PTC Creo and Windchill.

• Strong communication, interpersonal, negotiation, project leadership, and multitasking abilities.

• Willingness to travel approximately 10-15%, including occasional international travel.

• Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing beverage packaging machinery.

• Experience leading highly customized machine development projects from concept through commissioning.

• Experience supporting equipment installation, startup, commissioning, and field service activities.

• Experience working directly with customers, suppliers, technical sales organizations, or global engineering teams.

• Experience mentoring engineers and developing technical talent.

• What Success Looks Like

• Delivery of innovative, reliable, and cost-effective machine designs that meet customer requirements and business objectives.

• Successful execution of engineering projects on schedule, within budget, and to performance specifications.

• Effective technical leadership and collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, sales, service, and customer organizations.

• Continuous improvement in machine performance, reliability, quality, manufacturability, and customer satisfaction.

• Development of engineering best practices, technical standards, and team capability through mentorship and knowledge sharing.

What We Offer:

• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence.

• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities.

• Competitive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential.

• A career with a global packaging company where sustainability, safety, and inclusion are foundational to how we operate.

• Competitive total rewards package including medical, dental, and vision coverage options starting on your first day.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions and flexible spending account (FSA) options.

• 401(k) retirement plan with company match and automatic contributions to support your long-term financial goals.

• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage for financial protection.

• Mental health support and wellness programs designed to promote overall well-being.

• Generous paid time off, including company holidays, vacation, and paid parental leave.

• Tuition reimbursement and ongoing learning and development opportunities.

• Additional voluntary benefits such as legal services, identity protection, pet insurance, and more.

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.