WestRock Company · 2 days ago
Front End Innovation Manager
Georgia, United States
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
10+ years expWestRock Company is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions, seeking a Front End Innovation Manager to drive early-stage innovation. This role involves managing the innovation pipeline, leading ideation workshops, and collaborating with various stakeholders to translate customer needs into viable technical projects.
CommercialManufacturingPackaging ServicesPaper ManufacturingSustainability
Responsibilities
Own and manage the FEI pipeline, guiding opportunity identification and prioritization in alignment with innovation strategy
Facilitate voice of customer (VOC) discovery sessions and engage key internal stakeholders to define unmet needs and innovation whitespace
Translate high-level insights into clearly scoped technical challenges and project charters
Partner with external collaborators (startups, universities, suppliers) to explore open innovation opportunities
Collaborate with Product Development and Commercialization teams to ensure continuity from concept to scale
Track and report on innovation portfolio health, including risk, ROI, and technical feasibility
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required in Engineering, Business Innovation, Packaging Science, or related field
10+ years of experience in innovation, strategy, R&D, or marketing roles within the packaging, CPG, or manufacturing industries
Proven track record in managing early-stage innovation pipelines and translating insights into actionable project charters
Strong understanding of design thinking, DVF framework, customer discovery and VOC methodologies
Experience identifying and evaluating open innovation partnerships with startups, universities, or external collaborators
Excellent communication, facilitation, and storytelling skills to influence cross-functional teams and leadership
Comfortable working in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with a strong bias toward action and learning
Preferred
MBA or advanced degree a plus
Benefits
Comprehensive training and development opportunities
Career growth within a global packaging leader where safety, quality, sustainability and people are fundamental to daily operations
Company
WestRock Company
Smurfit Westrock is the global leader of paper-based packaging solutions.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
WestRock Company has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (7)
2024 (14)
2023 (25)
2022 (8)
2021 (24)
2020 (21)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
unknown2023-09-12Acquired
2015-07-02IPO
Leadership Team
S
Samuel Shoemaker
President, Consumer Packaging
Recent News
2026-01-09
Company data provided by crunchbase