Dir, HRBP

Smurfit Kappa

• $125K — $150K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
  • 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience in large, global manufacturing organizations.
  • Self-starter with the ability to proactively identify opportunities and implement solutions.
  • Proven success in partnering with senior operational leaders to influence business decisions.
  • Strong operational and business acumen to effectively translate challenges into people strategies.
  • Deep expertise in employee relations and resolving complex workforce issues.
  • Exceptional communication and influencing skills across diverse organizational levels.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership, aligning HR strategies with business objectives.
  • Lead and mentor a dispersed HR team to ensure alignment and consistent execution of HR practices.
  • Develop and execute comprehensive workforce strategies focusing on engagement, retention, and leadership development.
  • Build strong relationships that foster trust and collaboration across all organizational levels.
  • Coach leaders on organizational design, change management, and workforce challenges to enhance performance.
  • Champion labor relations strategy and navigate collective bargaining and union relationships.
  • Drive organizational change initiatives that improve performance and workforce capability.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Retirement savings plans with company match options.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continuous education.
  • Employee engagement initiatives to foster a strong workplace culture.
  • Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance.
Full Job Description
General Information

Job ID
ATR67733

Posting Job Title
Dir, HRBP

Locations
GA Atlanta Headquarters

Employment Type
Full Time

Date Posted
23-Sep-2026

Relocation Support
No

Description & Requirements

The Opportunity

As the Human Resources Director, Consumer Food & Beverage West, you will serve as the senior HR leader supporting a multi-site manufacturing organization comprised of 9 sites across the United States. Supporting approximately 2,200 employees, you will partner closely with Regional Vice Presidents, HR Managers, Operations Leaders, Finance Leaders, and Corporate Centers of Excellence to develop and execute a people strategy that drives business performance, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and operational excellence.

This role requires a highly visible, hands-on leader who builds strong relationships throughout the organization and is comfortable spending significant time in the manufacturing plants and operations. The successful candidate will be a proactive, self-starting HR leader who anticipates business needs, influences senior leaders, and delivers practical solutions that support a high-performance culture while maintaining employee relations.

How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock

  • Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Regional Vice President, General Managers, Operations Leadership Teams, Finance Leadership Teams, and HR Managers, aligning people strategies with business objectives and operational priorities.
  • Lead, develop, and mentor a geographically dispersed HR team while ensuring consistent execution and alignment across all supported locations.
  • Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive people strategy focused on talent, culture, engagement, workforce planning, leadership development, succession planning, retention, and organizational effectiveness.
  • Build strong partnerships and credibility across all levels of the organization, from frontline employees to senior executives, fostering trust, collaboration, and accountability.
  • Coach and influence business leaders on organizational design, change management, leadership effectiveness, talent decisions, and workforce challenges.
  • Partner closely with site HR Managers to ensure consistent execution of HR programs, policies, and practices while developing leadership capability across the HR organization.
  • Serve as the HR leader for labor relations strategy, providing guidance and support on collective bargaining agreements, union relationships, labor risk mitigation, grievance management, and workforce stability in partnership with the labor relations team and site leadership.
  • Support the resolution of complex employee and labor relations matters, utilizing sound judgment, business acumen, and risk-based decision making to achieve positive outcomes.
  • Champion employee engagement initiatives across the manufacturing network, identifying opportunities to strengthen culture, enhance retention, improve communication, and create best-in-class employee experiences.
  • Maintain a visible presence in manufacturing operations, regularly engaging with employees and leaders to understand business challenges, workforce concerns, and operational opportunities firsthand.
  • Drive organizational change and transformation initiatives that improve business performance, operational effectiveness, and workforce capability.
  • Leverage workforce analytics and HR metrics to identify trends, inform decision making, and deliver measurable business and people outcomes.
  • Partner with Corporate Human Resources and Centers of Excellence to implement scalable programs and solutions that support enterprise objectives while addressing local business needs.
  • Foster a culture that reflects the organization's values, with a strong commitment to safety, accountability, continuous improvement, inclusion, and operational excellence.


What You Need To Succeed

  • Bachelor's degree required; Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
  • 10+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience supporting manufacturing operations within large, global, matrixed organizations. Preferably, experience in a business partner-facing role in a heavy manufacturing organization.
  • Self-starter with demonstrated ability to proactively identify opportunities, anticipate business needs, and implement solutions with limited direction.
  • Proven success partnering with senior operational leaders and influencing business decisions through strategic HR leadership.
  • Strong operational and business acumen with the ability to translate business challenges into effective people strategies.
  • Demonstrated experience developing and executing workforce strategies that drive engagement, retention, leadership capability, organizational effectiveness, and business performance.
  • Proven track record of building strong relationships and credibility with HR leaders, site leadership teams, frontline employees, and corporate stakeholders.
  • Deep expertise in employee relations and the ability to successfully navigate and resolve complex workforce issues.
  • Exceptional leadership, communication, coaching, and influencing skills with the ability to drive results across a geographically dispersed organization.
  • Data-driven, results-oriented leader with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Hands-on leader who enjoys being in the operations, engaging directly with employees and leaders, and understanding the realities of the manufacturing environment.
  • Proven ability to lead organizational change and transformation initiatives across multiple sites.
  • Willingness and ability to travel approximately 50% to support operations across the United States and Canada.
  • Preferred labor relations experience in a unionized manufacturing environment.


Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment.

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