Maintenance Engineer

Description & Requirements

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.

Position Summary

The Mechanical Maintenance Engineer serves as the technical engineering resource for the Mechanical Maintenance organization. The primary mission of this role is to support the safe, efficient, and reliable execution of maintenance activities by providing engineering expertise for mechanical equipment repairs, troubleshooting, outage execution, equipment modifications, and small capital projects.

The Mechanical Maintenance Engineer serves as the technical quarterback for the assigned area, partnering with Operations, Maintenance, Planning, Reliability, and Engineering to safely restore equipment, improve maintainability, reduce downtime, and ensure repairs are executed in accordance with engineering standards and precision maintenance practices.

This position is focused on maintenance execution and is not responsible for long-term reliability program ownership.

Primary Responsibilities

Technical Support

• Provide day-to-day engineering support to Mechanical Supervisors, Planners, and Maintenance Crafts.
• Troubleshoot complex mechanical equipment failures and develop practical engineering solutions.
• Perform engineering calculations and technical evaluations.
• Review OEM documentation, repair procedures, and engineering standards.
• Support emergency equipment failures requiring specialized engineering expertise.
• Interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, fabrication drawings, and equipment documentation.
• Serve as the primary engineering resource during maintenance execution.
  
  

Maintenance Execution

• Develop engineering work scopes for planned and corrective maintenance activities.
• Review complex work orders for technical completeness.
• Develop repair procedures for critical equipment.
• Identify specialty tooling, testing requirements, and contractor support.
• Support precision maintenance practices.
• Provide field engineering support during complex repairs.
• Verify repairs meet engineering specifications before equipment startup.
  
  

Equipment Support

Provide Engineering Support For

• Pumps
• Fans
• Compressors
• Gearboxes
• Bearings
• Couplings
• Hydraulic systems
• Pneumatic systems
• Steam systems
• Pressure vessels
• Piping systems
• Rotating equipment
• Conveyors
• Paper machine equipment
• Stock preparation systems
• Recovery and utility equipment
  
  

Outage Support

• Develop engineering work scopes for shutdowns.
• Support outage planning activities.
• Coordinate engineering support with Operations and Project Engineering.
• Resolve technical issues encountered during execution.
• Support equipment commissioning and startup.
• Verify mechanical readiness prior to returning equipment to service.
  
  

Small Capital Projects

• Identify opportunities to improve safety, maintainability, and equipment performance.
• Develop engineering scopes and cost estimates.
• Manage projects from concept through commissioning.
• Coordinate procurement, contractors, Operations, and Maintenance.
• Track project scope, schedule, and budget.
  
  

Equipment Modifications

• Develop and review mechanical equipment modifications.
• Participate in the Management of Change (MOC) process.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, ASME, API, ANSI, and applicable mill standards.
• Update engineering documentation following modifications.
  
  

Failure Investigations

• Participate in investigations of significant equipment failures.
• Determine immediate technical causes.
• Recommend repair methods and engineering improvements.
• Support Root Cause Failure Analyses (RCFA) as required.
• Escalate chronic or systemic issues to the Reliability Engineer for long-term corrective action.
  
  

Continuous Improvement

• Improve equipment maintainability.
• Reduce repair duration and maintenance costs.
• Standardize repair methods.
• Improve equipment accessibility and safety.
• Support precision maintenance initiatives.
  
  

How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock

• Coordinate daily with Operations, Maintenance, Planning, Reliability, and Engineering to support safe and effective maintenance execution.
• Provide continuous technical guidance to Maintenance Supervisors, Planners, and craftspeople.
• Support and reinforce the Mill Work Management Process by ensuring maintenance work is properly scoped, planned, and technically sound.
• Utilize the JD Edwards (JDE) Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) as the primary tool for reviewing equipment history, developing engineering work scopes, documenting recommendations, and supporting maintenance execution.
• Develop complete engineering scopes of work for planned maintenance, outages, equipment modifications, and contracted mechanical services.
• Coordinate maintenance activities with operating departments to minimize production impact while maximizing equipment availability.
• Develop technical specifications, contractor scopes of work, and cost estimates for maintenance and small capital projects.
• Create contract requisitions in JDE and support contractor management activities through project completion.
• Provide engineering support during outages, emergency repairs, equipment commissioning, and startup activities.
• Complete developmental assignments that broaden technical expertise in mechanical systems, project management, maintenance best practices, and reliability principles.
• Provide temporary support for Maintenance Planner or Mechanical Supervisor responsibilities during planned absences or organizational vacancies.
• Perform other duties and special assignments as required to support department and mill objectives.
  
  

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
• Maintenance schedule support
• Engineering response time
• Mechanical outage performance
• Quality of engineering work packages
• Startup success following repairs
• Small capital project delivery
• Maintenance cost reduction through engineering improvements
• MOC compliance
• Safety performance
  
  

What You Need To Succeed

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Industrial manufacturing experience preferred; pulp and paper or other heavy industrial experience is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting maintenance execution, outage planning, equipment troubleshooting, or capital project implementation is preferred.
  
  

Leadership & Professional Skills

• Demonstrated initiative and a strong desire to grow into positions of increasing technical and leadership responsibility.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships across Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, and Contractors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent planning, organizational, time management, and prioritization skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office and JD Edwards (JDE) or comparable CMMS.
• Willingness to spend the majority of time in the field supporting maintenance execution.
  
  

Leadership Expectations

• Lead through technical expertise, collaboration, and personal example.
• Maintain a visible field presence and actively support maintenance execution.
• Coach supervisors, planners, and craftspeople on engineering best practices and precision maintenance principles.
• Build strong partnerships with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, and Contractors.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
  
  

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

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.