Management & Leadership Jobs in Lake Forest, IL (Now Hiring) — 6 open

As a Fortune 500 company, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is an ideas and solutions company.  Our corrugated packaging business seeks to be the leader in helping our customers — large and small — package, transport and display products of all kinds.  Our white paper business delivers Paper With Purpose by providing the highest level of customer service and operational excellence.  We have approximately 15,000 team members in more than 100 locations in the United States that strive to meet the local needs of our customers.  Our mission is to serve the needs of our customers, today and tomorrow, with products and services that exceed expectations for performance and environmental responsibility.

People • Customers • Trust

 

 

• Provide leadership and direction to plant Quality Managers across the PCA network
• Lead corporate quality and food safety initiatives, ensuring alignment with company standards
• Create and support Best Practices and improve quality systems, tools, and KPIs across facilities
• Support and guide plants in implementing best practices and continuous improvement strategies

• Ensure compliance with:
  • ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems
  • GFSI-recognized standards (e.g., FSSC 22000, SQF)
• Drive effective audit readiness and certification success across plants
• Evaluate system effectiveness and implement improvements to strengthen process control  

• Lead and coach teams in structured problem solving (RCCA, CAPA, 8D)      
• Drive systemic solutions using data analysis and trend identification
• Ensure root cause analysis leads to sustainable corrective actions 
• Promote a culture of quality, food safety and continuous improvement across plants  

• Serve as a technical quality expert for strategic customers and cross-plant issues
• Support customer engagements, issue resolution, and performance improvement initiatives
• Strengthen customer confidence through consistent product quality and responsiveness
• Partner with Sales and Operations to support growth and value-added opportunities

• Work closely with:
  • Plant leadership and operations teams
  • Corporate technical, product safety, and development groups
  • Suppliers and external partners
• Lead multi-site and cross-functional improvement teams
• Influence alignment across functions without direct reporting authority

• Mentor and develop plant Quality Managers and quality personnel
• Deliver training programs on quality and food safety systems, auditing, and problem solving
• Build capability in quality, food safety, and continuous improvement across the network
• Strengthen bench strength and succession planning

• Monitor and analyze key quality metrics (e.g., returns, complaints, process performance)
• Use data to prioritize risk and improvement opportunities
• Provide clear and actionable reporting to senior leadership
• Support business decisions with data-driven insights

·        Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Engineering, Quality, or related field (required).

·        10+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, preferably in a multi-site or corporate role. 

·        Strong leadership experience and the ability to influence change across multiple locations.

·        Knowledge of quality and food safety systems such as ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, or SQF; Lead Auditor certification is a plus.

·        Experience with root cause analysis, continuous improvement methodologies, and customer quality metrics such as PPM, OTIF, and incident rate; Lean/Six Sigma certification is a plus.

·        Experience with quality data systems, statistics, and analytics tools such as Power BI, Web Reporting, QI Macros, or similar systems.

·        Professional certifications such as ASQ, PCQI or HACCP are a plus.    

·        Ability to lead teams, build alignment, and communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.

·        Experience developing training and supporting adoption of quality systems and processes.

·        Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

·        Proficiency with Microsoft Office and quality-related systems such as SharePoint, Shopfloor, CIMS, and reporting tools.

·        Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

·        Willingness to travel as needed (20+%) and maintain a valid U.S. driver’s license and Passport.  

• Systems Thinking: Focus on process improvement over isolated fixes 
• Critical Thinking: Question, verify, and risk assess before taking action – especially in high-risk situations 
• Influence Without Authority: Ability to lead across plants and functions
• Customer Focus: Commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality outcomes
• Analytical Mindset: Uses data to drive decision-making
• Coaching & Training: Builds capability across teams
• Continuous Improvement: Drives proactive, not reactive, quality and food safety culture

 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

 

• Starting salary range for position: $129,500-$185,000
• Bonus: Annual – Based upon individual contribution and overall, Company performance. 
• Paid Vacation: Three (3) weeks per calendar year. Pro-rata Vacation during the initial year of hire based upon start date within the calendar year. 

• Paid Holidays.
• Within the first 30 days of employment, an employee (and their dependents) is eligible to enroll in certain benefit coverages -- medical, dental, and vision – and are automatically enrolled in life, AD&D, and disability coverages.
• Upon hire, an employee is automatically enrolled in the 401k plan. The plan offers both pre-tax and Roth contribution options along with employer provided matching contributions.
• Disclaimer: The Compensation and Benefits information in this posting represents PCA’s good faith and reasonable estimate of what it may pay for this position. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

 

PCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified Applicants must apply at careers.packagingcorp.com to be considered.