Joinery Supervisor

Real Recruitment; Letchworth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Real Recruitment is seeking a Joinery Team Leader in Hertfordshire. The role combines hands‑on veneering and forming with team leadership, planning and shopfloor organisation to visualise and improve WIP. Training on forming processes will be provided, with potential expansion of responsibilities over time.

The position demands solid joinery background and people management skills, plus a proactive approach to continuous improvement and meeting customer expectations.

Qualifications

• From a joinery background with 5–10 years of experience.
• Some knowledge of veneering is desirable.
• Forming process training will be provided.
• Ability to manage people and build rapport within a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of 4–6 covering veneering and forming.
• Plan work in the area and maintain up‑to‑date schedules.
• Prepare veneer in advance by coordinating with other team leaders.
• Support the team to ensure quality and on‑time delivery.
• Keep veneering area tidy and manage veneer stock.

Skills

Team leadership

People management

Planning

Organisation

Veneering knowledge

Job description

This is a fantastic opportunity for a Joinery Team Leader with 5 to 10 years experience with strong man management skills and ideally some basic experience of veneering to join a growing organisation in Hertfordshire.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with some shopfloor management skills to make their mark onto the business because these processes are fairly new to the business and need to be well managed in order to maximise our offers to our customers.

The forming process is something which is out of the ordinary for a joinery company and we do not expect someone who has knowledge of the process. We will provide the training on the forming process which will add to the team leader skills. Based on the success in settling down the processes, it is envisaged to expand the capability of the area by including some elements of joinery assembly.

Both operations are based in the same area and are executed by the same team. The role entails a big part of planning as well as organisation in order to make the work in progress more visual. This is a 50% hands-on role with the rest based on managing the area.

Location: Letchworth Garden City – Hertfordshire

Hours: 8am – 4.30pm Mon – Fri / Overtime Saturdays (1 or 2 per month at time and half)

Skills & Experience:

• The individual we are looking for must be from a joinery background ideally with 5 to 10 years experience.
• Some basic knowledge of the veneering process would be necessary/preferable.
• The knowledge of the forming process is not necessary as full training will be given.
• Candidates must ideally have some people management skill as we do have some strong character individuals in the team.
• Rapport building will be key to deliver the required work.
• This is a chance for someone to make a difference as well as learn new process which would allow the business to widen its offer.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a small team of 4 to 6 people covering the veneering and forming processes
• Plan the work through the area and keep all the schedules up to date.
• Prep the work to be veneered ahead of the veneering itself by co-ordinating with other team leaders in the business in terms of panels readiness as well as identification of the veneer.
• Assist the team across all the veneering processes providing guidance and assistance in making sure that quality and delivery to the next process is up to the business standards.
• Ensure that the veneering area is kept tidy organised, veneer layons are clearly identified and stored correctly. Manage the stock of veneer

Forming

• Forming operation includes the planning of the mould from CAD drawings issued to the team, the gluing of the foam blocks, the cutting of the foam using a wire cutting machine, the forming of the required curves into the press.
• Prep the work to be formed by organising for the mould to be cut and liaising with other team leaders in getting the ply to be cut.
• Assist the team in mould production as well as curved work production
• Ensure that the forming area is kept tidy and organised making sure that all the moulds are clearly labelled and recycled whenever possible.