Mechanical Project Engineer

Smurfit Westrock•Roanoke Rapids, NC

77d•Onsite

About The Position

Smurfit Westrock is seeking a dynamic Project Engineer for their Roanoke Rapids, NC paper mill. This role will lead capital projects, support reliability improvements, and partner across various departments to deliver safe, high-quality results. The Project Engineer will manage capital and maintenance-related projects from concept through completion, ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, coordinating teams, managing contractors, and seeing projects through in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Engineering, this position supports capital projects, reliability, and continuous improvement efforts, requiring strong project management and technical skills. The candidate will coordinate with Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, consulting engineers, outside contractors, and vendors, managing multiple projects simultaneously with a focus on safety, quality, cost, and schedule. Experience in paper manufacturing or a similar industry is preferred, with development opportunities provided for career growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Industrial, or another related Engineering discipline from an accredited institution.
Minimum of two years of professional experience, strong technical aptitude, and demonstrated ability to develop.
Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
Ability to adapt quickly to changing work environments and operational priorities.
Ability to work in a paper mill environment, including light to moderate lifting, walking, climbing, oral communication, correctable vision, and exposure to hot, humid, and dusty conditions.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of related experience with an emphasis on engineering capital projects.
Turbine Maintenance Experience
Pump Sizing
Piping System Design
Paper Machine Maintenance Experience
Boiler Maintenance Experience
Pressure Piping and Code Experience
Tank & Vessel Inspection
Ability with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access)
Produce Schedules using MS Projects
Produce drawing using AutoCAD

Responsibilities

Prioritize safety in every activity and project by orienting personnel, auditing work, and partnering with Operations, Maintenance, and Safety teams.
Manage capital and maintenance projects from planning and design through budgeting, scheduling, execution, and implementation.
Manage ongoing facility infrastructure maintenance programs.
Support mill goals by serving on teams, providing technical expertise, and responding to field questions.
Build trust and use diplomacy to influence employees, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional partners.
Define problems, analyze data, establish facts, and develop practical solutions with Operations and Maintenance teams.
Analyze technical information and prepare reports, business correspondence, project documentation, and related communications.
Coordinate and oversee outside contractors on capital and maintenance projects of varying size and complexity.
Deliver projects safely, on schedule, within budget, and with quality results.
Develop drawings, specifications, execution plans, scopes of work, estimates, schedules, and instructions to communicate project requirements clearly.