IT Business Analyst - Digital Manufacturing

Smurfit Westrock•GA WFH Georgia, GA

86d•Remote

About The Position

This position will be part of the Digital Manufacturing application team. The associate is responsible for supporting, leading, and developing cutting edge applications for the pulp and paper industry providing primary IT business and application support in the Containerboard and Consumer mill facilities. The role involves serving as an Aveva (PI System) expert, working with business personnel to understand needs and implement solutions, supporting installed Aveva Components, developing specifications for Aveva configurations and interfaces, documenting business processes and PI System configurations, identifying and managing improvement opportunities, providing data analysis and troubleshooting, and collaborating with internal and external IT personnel. The associate will also become knowledgeable of other WestRock systems to support business processes interacting with the PI System, support and manage upgrade projects for Environmental Reporting Systems, and serve as a technical resource for systems that consume or supply PI System data.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
3 years overall experience in a similar role
Familiar with manufacturing practices and terminology, working knowledge of processes related to Process Control, DCS Systems, PLC’s and OPC interfaces.
Understanding of Microsoft Office products and be proficient with MS Excel.
Working knowledge of the SQL Server, Active Directory and Windows Operating Systems
Ability to set and work to deadlines, handle multiple priorities, organize work.
Business process and analysis skills, systems design, and analysis skills.
Development of documentation, training material, and instructional skills.
Good communication skills, ability to relate to users in business terms and relate technical solutions to business needs, ability to express ideas clearly and succinctly.
Ability to work with many different personality types inside IT and in the user community; ability to flex communication style, approach and content based on the audience.
IT and Process knowledge sufficient to gain credibility with user community and to speak in business terms about sometimes complex process and technical issues.
Ability to work cooperatively with others in a matrixed, team-oriented IT environment.
Leadership and relationship management skills at all organizational levels.
Ability to work with end-users and end-user management effectively to understand needs and prioritize work.
Ability to manage expectations and handle difficult situations.
Ability to organize and plan work to meet goals and deadlines.
Effective in a fast-paced, multi-constituent environment.

Nice To Haves

Preferred at least one year as a PI System Administrator or similar role.
Managing OSI Soft PI System and integrated security model.
Ability to configure and troubleshoot interfaces: including OPC, UFL, PI2PI and networking interfaces (SNMP, Ping, and Performance Monitor)
Ability to troubleshoot and create PI system tags: including Performance Equations, PI-AF, Totalizers, and interface specific tags.
Familiar with running a mission critical application in a High Availability Environment.
Understanding of database technologies such as MS SQL and related infrastructure.
Knowledge of help desk software and help desk processes.
Familiar with Agile /Scrum processes.

Responsibilities

Serve as an Aveva (PI System) expert to implementation teams as well as to key users in configuring, implementing, and troubleshooting Aveva and related interfaces.
Work with business personnel and implementation team members to understand business needs, identify, design, and implement technology solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness of business processes.
Support all installed Aveva Components (PI data archive, PI-AF, PI Notifications, PI Vision and other related Aveva modules).
Develop specifications for Aveva configurations, interfaces inbound and outbound. Work with other IT development staff to ensure proper integration of Aveva products with other Mill Systems.
Document related business processes, document PI System configurations and design, develop end-user instructions, develop training material along with training end users.
Identify improvement opportunities, work with key users to develop improvement plans, manage the plans, test, and implement.
Provide data analysis and problem solving / troubleshooting services.
Work with internal WestRock IT personnel and external contractors, where required, to deliver needed functionality. Establish solid and effective working relationships in a fast-paced environment.
Become knowledgeable of other WestRock systems as required to effectively support the business processes that interact with the PI System.
Support, maintain and manage upgrade projects for the Environmental Reporting Systems. Including but not limited to database and hardware upgrades as well as the addition of functionality.
Serve as a technical and support resource for Systems that are a consumer or supplier of PI System Data
Act as a subject matter expert on applications in the supported portfolio ensuring that best practices are defined and implemented around security and stable deployment of applications and solutions.
Assist with configuration, testing, and deployment of enhancements around projects and platform and infrastructure improvements.
Troubleshoot system issues, perform root cause analysis, and coordinate fixes with vendors and technical teams.
Develop process flows, test scripts, training materials, and SOPs.
Deliver timely and effective technical support to minimize downtime and keep employees productive.
Improve customer satisfaction by resolving issues professionally, clearly, and with a strong focus on service quality.
Identify recurring technical problems and help implement long-term solutions that reduce repeat incidents.
Strengthen system reliability by monitoring support trends and escalating critical issues before they become larger business disruptions.
Contribute to process improvement by documenting solutions, creating knowledge articles, and standardizing support procedures.
Support business continuity by ensuring users have reliable access to the tools, systems, and applications they need to perform their jobs.
Enhance team efficiency by collaborating with other IT groups to resolve cross-functional issues quickly and effectively.
Protect company assets by following security best practices, supporting compliance requirements, and promoting safe technology use.
Provide actionable insights by tracking ticket patterns, response times, and root causes to help drive better support decisions.
Build trust across the organization by being dependable, responsive, and proactive in addressing user needs.