Forward Deployed Engineer
Posted 2 days ago
The role in short
Embeds with Smurfit Westrock plant teams to build and deploy production software, AI and automation integrated with PLC/SCADA systems.
The Opportunity
Smurfit WestRock is seeking a highly motivated Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to identify, develop, and deploy emerging technologies that create measurable operational value across our manufacturing network.
Working at the intersection of manufacturing, automation, software, data, and artificial intelligence, the FDE partners directly with operations, maintenance, engineering, and technology teams to solve real-world industrial challenges.
Unlike traditional engineering or software development roles, the FDE owns the full innovation lifecycle: problem discovery, solution design, deployment, performance measurement, continuous improvement, and enterprise scaling.
The ideal candidate is a technically versatile problem solver who is equally comfortable on a manufacturing floor, writing code, and collaborating with operators to improve plant performance.
How you will impact Smurfit Westrock
Industrial Problem Discovery
- Partner with plant personnel to identify operational, reliability, safety, quality, and productivity challenges.
- Spend time in manufacturing environments to understand processes, equipment, workflows, and constraints.
- Translate operational opportunities into scalable technical solutions and evaluate them based on business impact and implementation feasibility.
Solution Development
- Design and develop solutions using technologies such as artificial intelligence and generative AI, computer vision, Industrial IoT, robotics and autonomous systems, edge computing, advanced sensors and instrumentation, digital twins, industrial analytics, advanced process control, and cloud and data platforms.
- Rapidly prototype and validate concepts.
- Develop software applications, integrations, dashboards, and automation solutions.
Technology Deployment
- Deploy solutions in production manufacturing environments and integrate them with PLCs, DCS, SCADA platforms, historians, industrial networks, and enterprise data systems.
- Troubleshoot issues across hardware, software, controls, and network layers.
- Ensure reliability, maintainability, cybersecurity, and user adoption.
Continuous Improvement and Scaling
- Measure and communicate business results, then refine deployed solutions based on operational feedback.
- Develop standards and best practices that enable enterprise-wide deployment.
- Support replication of successful solutions across multiple facilities.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with operations, maintenance, process and control engineering, OT/IT, data science, technology vendors, and business leadership.
- Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
What you will need to succeed
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, information technology, robotics, automation, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent industrial, military, skilled-trades, or demonstrated technical experience may be considered.
- Experience applying technology solutions in industrial or manufacturing environments.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to work independently in ambiguous and rapidly changing environments.
- Willingness to travel to manufacturing facilities as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in several of the following areas:
- Industrial Technology: Process control, automation systems, PLC programming, DCS, SCADA/HMI platforms, industrial networking, OT architecture, and industrial cybersecurity.
- Software and Data: Python, C#, JavaScript, SQL, API development and integration, data engineering, cloud platforms, and application development.
- Emerging Technology: Artificial intelligence and machine learning, generative AI, computer vision, robotics, edge computing, digital twins, and advanced analytics.
- Operational Excellence: Manufacturing optimization, reliability improvement, asset performance management, continuous improvement, and Lean manufacturing.
Desired Characteristics
The successful candidate will:
- Demonstrate strong curiosity about emerging technologies and passion for solving challenging industrial problems.
- Enjoy building, testing, and deploying solutions.
- Bring a hands-on mindset and willingness to work directly with equipment and systems.
- Learn new technologies quickly and independently.
- Communicate effectively across organizational levels.
- Take ownership from concept through deployment and drive work to completion.
- Balance innovation with operational reliability and safety.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role is measured by the ability to:
- Identify high-value opportunities within manufacturing operations.
- Rapidly develop and deploy practical technology solutions.
- Improve safety, reliability, quality, productivity, and cost performance.
- Drive measurable business outcomes through innovation.
- Scale successful technologies across multiple facilities.
- Become a trusted technical advisor to manufacturing operations.
Why Join the Emerging Technology Team?
This team is focused on transforming manufacturing through the application of advanced technologies. We move quickly, test ideas in real-world conditions, and deliver solutions that create measurable operational impact.
Find the problem. Build the solution. Deploy it. Measure it. Improve it. Scale it.
We're looking for engineers, builders, innovators, and problem-solvers who want to shape the future of manufacturing technology.
Prep for this interview
4 questions likely to come up at Smurfit Westrock, each matched to a line in this posting.
- 1Integrations and APIs
They wrote: “Software and Data: Python, C#, JavaScript, SQL, API development and integration, data engineering, cloud platforms, and application development.”
Walk me through connecting our product to a customer's internal system that has no documentation.
How to answer
Why they ask: This happens weekly in the job. They want a calm, step-by-step method.
- Find who owns the system and get read access to a test environment
- Watch real traffic or logs to learn the data shapes
- Build a thin adapter with logging around every call
- Agree on how failures get reported, and who fixes what
Tip: Talk about finding the owner of the system first. The code is the easy part.
- 2Discovery and scoping
They wrote: “Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.”
A customer says “we want AI in our claims process.” What do you ask in the first meeting?
How to answer
Why they ask: Most FDE work starts this vague. They want to hear you find the real problem before you pick a tool.
- Map the current process: who touches a claim, in what order, with which systems
- Find the slowest or most error-prone step and ask what it costs them
- Agree on one measurable goal (for example time per claim, or error rate)
- Ask what data you can access, and who signs off on security
Tip: Ask about the work, not the technology. Who does it today, how long it takes, what a mistake costs, and how they'd know it got better.
- 3Ownership and working with customers
They wrote: “Ability to work independently in ambiguous and rapidly changing environments.”
Tell me about a project where the requirements kept changing. What did you do?
How to answer
Why they ask: Ambiguity is the norm. They want proof you can keep moving without a clear spec.
- The project and why requirements kept moving
- What you did to pin them down (short demos, written decisions)
- The trade-offs you made to keep shipping
- The result, with a number if you have one
Tip: Show how you reduced the change, beyond how you coped with it.
- 4Travel
They wrote: “Willingness to travel to manufacturing facilities as needed.”
How do you handle being on the road with customers for weeks at a time?
How to answer
Why they ask: Many FDE roles involve regular travel. They check you know what you're signing up for.
- Your past travel or on-site experience
- How you stay productive away from the team
- What travel level works for you, said plainly
Tip: Be honest about what works for you. A mismatch here hurts both sides later.
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