Accounting Mgr. - Freight Audit & Pay

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.

The Opportunity

The Accounting and Finance organization is a mission- and results-driven team that collaborates across the business. We use our technical expertise to manage processes that record, reconcile, and report the enterprise’s financial activity. We alsoprovide financial context when partnering with lines of business, senior and executive management, and the board of directors.

The Freight Audit & Pay team handles over $1 billion in WestRock annual freight payments, ensuring that our carriers are paid timely and accurately. This is accomplished by auditing freight statements and using various systems to correct exceptions timely.

We are seeking a Manager I, Freight Audit and Pay, to oversee freight payable processes across Cass, Int-Ded, CBM, and Rail. This role manages invoice exceptions, accrual support, payment file reviews, process controls, and issue resolution while partnering with internal teams, carriers, sites, third-party providers, and offshore resources.

How you will impact Smurfit Westrock

• Oversee Cass, Int-Ded, CBM, and Rail freight payable workflows to ensure invoices, deductions, audits, approvals, and payments are completed accurately and on time.
• Manage freight payment exceptions and discrepancies, including invoice exceptions, rate discrepancies, aged bills, duplicate payments, missing documentation, BOL mismatches, and carrier disputes.
• Review provider exception reports, identify spikes or trends, obtain support, and drive timely resolution with sites, carriers, procurement, AP, IT, and corporate freight accounting.
• Monitor freight payment email boxes and inquiry queues to ensure items are researched, assigned, followed up on, and closed on time.
• Support month-end accruals, payment file reviews, GL coding, deduction activity, and exception reporting to maintain accurate expense recognition and support internal controls.
• Partner with offshore resources and internal team members to manage workload coverage, issue ownership, service level expectations, and business continuity.
• Identify recurring freight payable issues, research root causes, and drive corrective actions, documentation updates, automation opportunities, and process improvements to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and controls.
• Support SOX compliance and audit activities by maintaining required documentation, following established controls, and assisting with evidence gathering for freight payment processes.
• Partner with Freight Accounting, Logistics IT, and the automation team to identify, automate, and improve freight payment processes.
• Create standardized training for specialists on new processes and system enhancements.
• Train and onboard new Freight Payment team members.

What you need to succeed

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting, management, logistics, or finance is preferred; equivalent experience with five or more years in a freight payables or logistics management role will also be considered.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Strong problem-solving skills, a passion for improvement, and the ability to lead a team of ten or more members, onshore and offshore.
• Ability to multitask and aptitude for process-oriented work.
• Display a sense of urgency and the ability to work in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment.
• (Preferred) Experience with Oracle Transportation Management (OTM), SAP, JDE, Cass, and SNOW, along with ERP, freight payment and reporting, or workflow systems.

What we offer

• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence.
• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities.
• An attractive salary that reflects skills, competencies, and potential.
• A career with a global packaging company where sustainability, safety, and inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of daily work.
• Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment.