Region Wood Fiber Procurement Manager at Smurfit Westrock in Covington, Virginia

Job Description:

The opportunity:

We have an opportunity for a Regional Fiber Procurement Manager at our Covington, VA, office to lead all team activities to develop and execute the virgin fiber sourcing strategies aggressively and proactively. This process includes maintaining the lowest cost and highest quality fiber sourcing in support of the mill's projected needs across the annual cycle while maintaining the highest compliance with safety and environmental requirements. In this process, the candidate must provide key leadership and develop organizational talent to promote an aggressive, data focused organization capable of relentlessly seeking productivity enhancements resulting in bottom line savings to the company.

How you will impact WestRock:

The Region Manager's role is responsible for achieving production goals, managing performance of direct reports, making sound operational decisions, and troubleshooting mill customer challenges. The position will be relied on to develop specific strategies focused on achieving strategic targets, developing team members, leading, and developing team initiatives, and ensuring the team provides strong customer service to our mill customers.

Job Objectives:

• Responsible for assessing, attracting, developing talent, and building organizational capability necessary in virgin fiber procurement to execute and meet current and future business needs. Establish effective relationships with Smurfit Westrock's business partners, internal and external customers, and suppliers to ensure an effective source of fiber to optimize papermill operations.
• Manage resources and employee development (e.g., performance review, career development, training, staffing, etc.) to ensure the day-to-day administration of processes and formal procedures.
• Identifies individual and team skill gaps and developmental opportunities (e.g., training, special assignments, conferences, projects, etc.) to facilitate individual and team development.
• Define and lead the implementation of a procurement strategy to ensure fiber supply quality and quantity to optimize papermill operations.
• Ensure assigned resources partner effectively with internal and external Suppliers to meet papermill fiber quality requirements at the best landed cost.
• Identifies strategic sourcing opportunities to drive best quality and cost.
• Develop and drives data and metrics to measure supplier quality to Smurfit Westrock Papermills within the region.
• Establishes communication expectations and standards with internal and external resources.
• Develops and executes Market strategy.
• Using market knowledge, identifies threats and opportunities to achieve overall material flow and cost containment. Cascades capability across team members.
• Using market data to initiate changes to safety stock, drive inventory levels partnering with sales resources to ensure intended results and consequences
• Actively supports the Smurfit Westrock Sustainability Platform
• Maintains alignment with the Fiber Supply leadership to ensure we support the broader Smurfit Westrock sustainability platform by leveraging the fiber supply platform to the advantage of our end customers' sustainability goals.
• Identifies and drives cost take out and improvement priorities to eliminate waste and improve results.
• Understands and communicates priorities, makes final decisions, with the support of Regional VP of Supply, in cases of disagreement or uncertainty.
• Works closely with Logistics, Finance & Accounting, Plant Operations & Papermills to ensure quality, on time fiber supply at lowest landed cost.

Partners effectively with data and analytics functions to anticipate results and consequences of actions to meet short and long-term goals.

What you need:

• BS in Forestry or related field or 10+ years related work experience, which should include leadership responsibilities of employees.
• Knowledge of methods to evaluate standing timber for purchase
• Advanced computer skills, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Word, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and other software
• Ability to:

1. Create and execute financial budgets.
2. Analyze written/numerical information.
3. Ability to effectively communicate data driven decisions and strategies to various audiences across the organization.
4. Ability to make decisions after thorough evaluation.
5. Decide on a course of action on your own initiative.
6. Make quick decisions under pressure.
7. Ability to ensure maximized performance in evolving market conditions.

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