Sr. HR Manager - Lansing MI

The Senior Human Resources Manager is a strategic HR leader responsible for aligning people strategy with business objectives while advancing the vision across the site as two business units are integrated. This role translates enterprise priorities into an integrated workforce plan\u2014driving consistent standards, strong leadership routines, and a high-performance, trust-based culture.

Success in this role is defined by measurable improvements in engagement, retention, leadership effectiveness, and operational readiness\u2014built through visible partnership with leaders and frontline teams and disciplined execution of people processes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, aligning site people priorities to the people strategy and building strong, transparent relationships grounded in credibility and trust

• Influence leadership behaviors and decisions to reinforce operating rhythms, standard work, and the desired culture

• Translate business strategy into practical, people-centered initiatives that drive consistent execution and employee experience from leadership to the shop floor

• Provide insights and dashboards on workforce trends, leadership effectiveness, and cultural health to inform the decisions and site performance commitments

Culture & Engagement Leadership

• Act as the leader and steward of site culture, advancing the people focused culture commitments through a high-trust, high-accountability environment

• Build authentic relationships with production employees through consistent floor presence, active listening, and responsiveness

• Ensure employee voice is heard and acted upon through aligned engagement strategies, listening mechanisms, and closed-loop feedback routines

• Coach leadership teams on behaviors that build trust, respect, inclusion, and accountability

• Identify and address cultural gaps proactively using data and leader routines, driving sustainable improvements in engagement and retention consistent with targets

Leadership Effectiveness & Relationship Building

• Develop strong, trust-based partnerships with plant leadership teams, influencing both what decisions are made and how they are executed

• Coach leaders on communication, employee engagement, and consistent application of policies and practices

• Drive leadership capability in building positive employee relationships, especially within production environments

• Support leaders in navigating complex employee relations situations with empathy, fairness, and consistency

Talent Strategy & Development

• Build and execute aligned strategies to attract, develop, and retain a strong and diverse workforce

• Lead site talent strategies that support business growth, productivity, and workforce planning expectations

• Partner with leaders to strengthen succession plans and build pipeline readiness for critical roles, including frontline leadership

• Promote a culture of continuous growth, development, and performance accountability

• Identify capability gaps and implement targeted development plans

Change Management & Transformation

• Lead change and transformation initiatives with a strong focus on transparency, engagement, and trust-building

• Ensure employees at all levels understand the "why," the expected outcomes, and their role in execution, using consistent communication and adoption routines

• Partner with leadership to model behaviors that reinforce stability and confidence during change

HR Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop HR team members to be both strategic partners and strong employee advocates

• Drive consistency in how HR shows up across the organization by implementing a HR operating model\u2014balancing business needs with employee experience [1] [1]

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all labor laws, policies, and Company standards; maintain audit-ready documentation and consistent practice

• Address employee relations matters with a balanced approach that reinforces fairness, trust, and respect [2] [1]

Qualifications

• Bachelor\u2019s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field

• 8-12+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, preferably in manufacturing or a multi-site environment

• Demonstrated success influencing leadership and shaping organizational culture

• Strong employee relations expertise with ability to build credibility across all levels of the workforce

• Proven ability to connect strategy with execution in frontline environments

References

Visible links

1. #_ftn1

2. #_ftn1

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.