Design Intern - Spring 2027 at Smurfit Westrock

About the role

As a Design Intern, you’ll be a key part of our design team, helping bring ideas to life through hands-on execution. You’ll assist in developing and preparing POP displays, including plant assembly instructions, white samples, and mockups. You’ll also take ownership of organizing project materials, managing outbound shipments, and maintaining documentation—gaining valuable exposure to Smurfit Westrock’s fully integrated design, manufacturing, and assembly processes while learning about Point of Purchase design.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates Smurfit Westrock values of integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence and contributes positively to collaborative design team culture.
• Achieves customer satisfaction through timely and independent execution and delivery of prototypes, white samples, graphic mock-ups, and instructions.
• Actively participates in team projects and customer demands; contributes to design requests under the supervision of project leads.
• Creates creative and compelling visuals, appropriately leveraging Brand Guide, templates, and other tools.
• Develops experience under the guidance of Design and other colleagues.
• Demonstrates an opportunity mindset, learning from senior Designers and recommending new opportunities for business or team growth.
• Applies basic 3-dimensional thinking in structural design.
• Follows substrate and caliper fit-for-use material guidance from senior designers and leaders.
• Conducts ship testing following testing protocols as directed by senior designers to provide a fit-for-use perspective on packaging designs.
• Supports the execution of graphic visuals, mockups, and instructions with direction from teammates and Design Management.
• Understands basic manufacturing processes and mock-up production workflow.
• Applies Smurfit Westrock Brand Standards in adherence to corporate guidelines.

Requirements

• Actively enrolled in an accredited engineering college/university program.
• Pursuing a degree in Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Packaging, or other related disciplines.
• Interest, willingness, and drive to learn new things; seeks to understand concepts, processes, and ideas within area of functional expertise.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; clearly exchanges thoughts, ideas, and messages through written, verbal, and non-verbal methods.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills; identifies and analyzes problems, generates and evaluates alternative solutions, and makes recommendations.
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload; plans and monitors work to achieve desired results.
• Demonstrates agility, flexibility, and a willingness to modify approaches to achieve results; responds quickly to changing demands and updated information.
• Collaborates effectively with others to complete tasks or achieve common objectives; works through conflict constructively.

Benefits

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