Timber Processing Manager

Waipapa Pine; Whangarei; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Education Fund

Parental Leave

KiwiSaver employer contributions (4%)

PlaceMakers discounts

Job summary

Waipapa Pine, part of Fletcher Building, is seeking a Timber Processing Manager at its Waipapa site in Northland. You will lead a 26-strong team across the dry mill, kilns, pellet plant and finished goods, driving safe, efficient production and continuous improvement.

This hands-on leadership role requires strong ability to manage production flow, quality, downtime and people performance while building a positive team culture. Join a well-established Northland business with site-wide impact.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in timber processing or similar manufacturing.
• 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience overseeing multiple production lines.
• Strong understanding of production flow and continuous improvement.
• Safety, production and people performance management experience.
• Ability to build credible relationships and hold people accountable.
• Experience with kiln operations or timber drying processes advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership across Waipapa Pine’s secondary processing ops.
• Lead a team of 26 through supervisors and drive safe, efficient production.
• Foster high quality, performance and people outcomes.
• Support frontline leaders, build team capability and resolve challenges.
• Prioritise production and maintain a strong health and safety culture.
• Collaborate with leadership to optimise site performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the site.

Skills

Leadership

Health & safety

Production planning

Team development

Continuous improvement

Education

Manufacturing/trade qualification

Tools

Kiln operations

Job description

Description

Waipapa Pine, part of Fletcher Building, is a well-established producer of high-quality sawn timber products located in Northland, with sites in Waipapa and Whangarei. Over the years, we've had a heavy focus on supporting employment opportunities for the people of Northland. We are now seeking a dedicated and experienced Timber Processing Manager to join our team at our Waipapa site in a permanent, full-time position working a minimum 45 hours per week, Monday - Friday.

About The Role

As our Timber Processing Manager, you'll provide operational leadership across Waipapa Pine’s secondary processing operations, including the dry mill, kilns, pellet plant and finished goods. Leading a team of 26 through your supervisors, you'll be responsible for driving safe and efficient production while ensuring quality, performance and people outcomes are achieved.

This is a practical hands-on leadership role where you'll be visible on the floor, supporting frontline leaders, building team capability, solving operational challenges, managing production priorities and fostering a strong health and safety culture. Working closely with the wider leadership team, you'll play a key role in optimising performance across the site and driving continuous improvement.

About You

You'll be a confident operational leader who thrives in a production environment and knows how to get the best out of people while maintaining clear expectations and high standards.

You're comfortable leading through supervisors, building trust across the workforce, making sound decisions and maintaining fair and consistent accountability standards.

To Be Successful In This Role, You'll Bring

• Proven leadership experience within a timber processing, sawmilling or similar manufacturing environment, ideally with 5+ years in a leadership capacity.
• A qualification or trade related to manufacturing, operations, engineering, timber processing or business would be highly desirable.
• Experience overseeing multiple operational areas, departments or production lines.
• A strong understanding of production flow, plant utilisation, quality, downtime and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated success managing safety, production and people performance outcomes.
• The ability to build credible relationships, hold people accountable and create a positive team culture.
• Experience with kiln operations or technical knowledge of timber drying processes would be highly advantageous.

Benefits

We understand that our people are our greatest asset. As part of the Fletcher Building Group, you will have access to these awesome benefits, including:

• A key leadership role with genuine opportunity to influence site performance and culture.
• The opportunity to lead an experienced team and contribute to the ongoing success of a well-established Northland business.
• An Employee Education Fund for you and your dependents, funding education and development opportunities.
• Generous Parental Leave and an Employee Welfare Fund to support in times of need.
• KiwiSaver employer contributions matched up to 4% of base salary.
• Huge range of discounts at PlaceMakers, Z Petrol, PB Technologies, and many more.
• A stable, positive and inclusive work culture that supports your growth and development.

If you're ready to lead a capable team and make a practical impact in a busy manufacturing environment, we'd like to hear from you.

Studies indicate that some women and people from minority groups may hesitate to apply unless they meet all the criteria. If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement. Our teams thrive on diversity, embracing various nationalities, languages, religions, customs, and lifestyles. We are proud of our diversity and see it as one of the things that make us better together.