Position Summary
The Planer Mill Superintendent is responsible for the overall day-to-day operation and performance of the planer mill.
This position oversees employees, safety, lumber quality, production, equipment performance, downtime, housekeeping, and coordination with maintenance.
The superintendent must be a hands-on leader who can manage people while maintaining a strong understanding of planer mill equipment and production flow. The goal is to operate the planer mill safely and efficiently while producing a consistent, quality product and meeting production expectations.
This is a day shift position. Monday - Friday
Competitive Salary based on experience
Benefits include: Bonus opportunities, Vacation, 401k with company match, Health insurance, Dental, vision.
Primary Responsibilities
• Direct and supervise planer mill employees throughout the shift and assign manpower based on production needs.
• Manage employee attendance, timekeeping, break coverage, conduct, training, and compliance with company policies.
• Coach and develop employees, communicate expectations clearly, and address performance or disciplinary issues when necessary.
• Enforce safe work practices and immediately address unsafe behavior or unsafe equipment conditions.
• Maintain planer mill housekeeping standards and assign cleanup responsibilities.
• Monitor lumber quality throughout the planer process, including sizes, grades, appearance, and finished-pack quality.
• Make sure physical lumber checks are completed and employees do not rely solely on scanners or automated grading systems.
• Manage production flow and work toward established daily production and board-feet-per-hour goals.
• Monitor planer mill equipment, operating speeds, machine settings, feeds, scanner performance, sorter flow, and packaging operations.
• Identify production bottlenecks and make operating adjustments when appropriate.
• Track equipment downtime and identify recurring causes of lost production.
• Coordinate repairs, equipment priorities, and preventive-maintenance needs with the maintenance department.
• Communicate equipment problems clearly so maintenance understands the issue and its effect on production.
• Coordinate planer mill startup and shutdown activities and make sure equipment is ready for production.
• Balance production speed with safety and lumber quality. Production goals should never be achieved by sacrificing either.
• Review daily production, downtime, quality, staffing, and equipment issues and communicate important information to the Mill Manager.
• Continuously look for ways to improve safety, employee performance, lumber quality, equipment reliability, production rate, and overall planer mill efficiency.
Leadership Expectations
• Be visible and actively engaged on the planer mill floor.
• Lead employees fairly and consistently while holding everyone accountable to established standards.
• Communicate effectively with employees, maintenance personnel, other departments, and management.
• Make timely decisions and take ownership of planer mill results.
• Remain calm and organized when equipment, production, staffing, or quality problems occur.
• Develop employees and build a team that understands safety, quality, production, and equipment expectations.
Preferred Qualifications
• Previous supervisory or leadership experience in a planer mill, sawmill, lumber manufacturing, or industrial production environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of planer mill production processes and industrial equipment.
• Ability to recognize and troubleshoot production and equipment problems and work effectively with maintenance personnel.
• Ability to supervise employees, provide training, resolve problems, and hold employees accountable.
• Strong attention to safety, lumber quality, production performance, and downtime.
• Ability to track and understand production numbers, downtime, employee time, and other operating information.
• Willingness to work the hours necessary to support planer mill production and operational needs.
Success in this position means: maintaining a safe and accountable planer mill team, producing a
consistent quality product, keeping equipment operating reliably, reducing downtime, and meeting production expectations.