HR Manager - Cerritos, CA

HR Manager - Cerritos, CA

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.

The HR Manager is responsible for leading implementation of core HR programs and employee-related initiatives in the business to ensure an effective, sustainable people strategy over the long term. The HR Manager serves as employee champion, managing compensation, employment, benefits, training, safety and health, employee relations, and labor relations.

Major Job Responsibilities:

• Business Excellence
• Coordinate labor relations activities including contract interpretation and grievance administration
• Serve as strategic partner using data-driven diagnostics for decision-making to foster cultural change in business transformation
• Foster a continuous learning environment through developing and improving the knowledge and skills of the organization, including analyzing training needs, determining how to meet the training needs, as well as coaching and mentoring future leaders
• Ensure compliance with all applicable Federal and State Laws including EEO, FMLA, HIPAA, ADA, and Collective Bargaining
• Develop and continually improve the safety and health processes for the facility and compliance with regulations
• Manage administrative functions to ensure HR systems and records are accurate, consistent, and efficient
• People and Culture
• Serve as change agent as Smurfit Westrock continues to expand with a goal of providing world-class customer and employee experience
• Promote employee and organizational development including leadership development, succession planning, performance management programs, skills gap analysis, and individual career development
• Consult with General Managers and Operations Managers to understand how to navigate operational challenges and issues
• Resolve people related issues, settle disputes, and conduct internal investigative procedures

Critical Skills / Capabilities:

• Communication: Creates and delivers engaging presentations to internal and external audiences; develops new communication strategies and approaches to communicate data, insights, and critical messages resulting in clear understanding
• Strategic Thinking: Develops short and long-term courses of action that support the organization's overall vision and mission; balances business, technical, and operational issues when determining a strategy; identifies problems with current strategies and suggests ways to resolve them; incorporates knowledge of Smurfit Westrock's goals/strategy as well as competitive, customer, supplier, industry, or marketplace trends into strategic plans; capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks
• Coaching: Provides people with tools, knowledge, and opportunities to develop themselves; determines employees' training needs, works with employees to produce continuous development plans, and provides regular feedback and coaching to help employees develop in current and future roles; visibly supports culture and teams
• Leadership: Motivates people to achieve performance excellence; ability to read people and situations and adjust approach accordingly; proactively leads and enforces initiatives that drive organizational effectiveness; teaches others how to build trust-based relationships
• Collaboration: Works effectively with others to complete a task or achieve a common objective; ability to cooperate in both interpersonal and team relationships to foster enthusiasm and maintain mutual trust, candor, and respect for others. Works through conflict constructively
• Problem-Solving: Applies knowledge to frame, simplify and solve complex issues; focuses on identifying root causes to create solutions in a timely and decisive manner; reconciles conflicting and/or incomplete information to develop solutions

Technical Skills:

• Microsoft Office - Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
• Human Resources Information System (i.e. PeopleSoft, Workday, Avature)
• CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)

Experience/Education:

• 5 to 7 years of experience as HR Generalist in complex, unionized manufacturing environment. HR related role in Paper and Pulp Manufacturing industry preferred
• Bachelor's Degree HR Management or related business degree; will consider relevant combination of experience and education

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. The salary range for this position is $106,500.00 - $177,500.00, depending on your role, level, and location. The range listed is also the expected pay for roles in Illinois and Colorado. The benefits for this role include short-term bonus incentive, health, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and paid sick leave as required by applicable state/local law, 15 days of paid vacation, and 11 days of paid holidays, subject to annual change. To learn more about this posting, please contact your recruiter during the hiring process. You may apply online at Smurfit Westrock External Careers and the application window is expected to close by 30-Nov-2026.