Director, Commercialization for Corrugated R&D

The Opportunity:

The Director, Commercialization for Corrugated R&D is responsible for accelerating the commercialization of new, innovative products, working with our sales teams as well as the members of the New Product Development and Commercial Excellence teams.

You will support profitable sales growth through Smurfit Westrock’s innovation platforms including executing the commercialization plan for new solutions and driving adoption among existing customers and prospects

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock:
* Drive profitable revenue growth with customers and prospects by leveraging WestRock’s differentiated innovation platforms
* Execute the "where to play" business development strategy including target segments and customers for new innovations, leveraging market intelligence and commercial insights

* Execute on the "how to win" approach for new innovations, including creating a go-to-market strategy for new solutions in partnership with marketing, innovation and other functional leads within the business
* Execute new business models with supporting business cases to support commercialization of innovations including third-party manufacturing partnerships and acquisitions
* Navigate a situational approach to selling that ranges from working through existing sales leads for accounts to taking the lead sales role for prospect accounts
* Assist with the onboarding of new customers into the business ensuring effective handover to the account management team
* Partner with sales leads to develop account-level sales strategies for new solutions using WestRock’s sales excellence approach
* In a customer facing capacity, communicate the value of solutions across a range of stakeholders including top shop, back shop and front shop.
* Track and manage the opportunity pipeline and monitor estimated value and timeline of projects
* Feed the voice of the customer back to the innovation team to inform solution enhancements and new solution development

What you need to succeed:
* BS in Business Management or related field required, Graduate degree preferred
* 5-10 years of value-based sales experience preferred
* Corrugated converting process experience strongly preferred
* Must have strong interpersonal skills to engage cross functional internal teams
* Ability to communicate effectively with a range of customer stakeholders across functions and levels (top shop, back shop, front shop)
* Must have strong negotiating skills and ability to find win-win solutions with customers
* Proven portfolio of successful income generating projects
* Self-starter mindset with the ability to work independently without direct supervision
* Proven ability to exercise judgment and solve difficult problems
* Ability to effectively lead client meetings and presentations
* Strong organization skills: ability to multi-task and handle multiple deadlines simultaneously
* Demonstrated ability to work well in a diverse environment
* Ability to understand and creatively apply "new product ideas" to appropriate market opportunities

What we offer:
* Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence.
* Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities.
* An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential.
* Benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401k with match and more!

* A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.