Lumber Division Manager

Cooperative-Farmers-Elevator-1; Spirit Lake (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Cooperative Farmers Elevator in Spirit Lake, Iowa, seeks a Lumber Division Manager to lead the Lumber Department, drive profitability, and deliver outstanding customer service while aligning with the cooperative's mission.

You will supervise, market, control inventory, set pricing, and collaborate with leadership to position lumber operations for growth and efficiency across locations.

Qualifications

• Establish and communicate department goals and results to employees.
• Staff the department and delegate workload to meet market requirements.
• Actively support employee growth and annual performance reviews.
• Supervise and perform tasks to increase efficiency and productivity.
• Uphold cooperative policies and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Marketing: develop and implement annual and monthly plans and budgets.
• Increase market share through regular sales efforts and on-site client calls.
• Purchasing: source quality products from approved suppliers and manage costs.
• Resale pricing: set competitive prices aligned with guidelines and objectives.
• Inventory: maintain accuracy, monitor levels, and minimize shrinkage.
• Other duties as assigned by management.

Responsibilities

• To supervise, direct, promote, and coordinate the lumber division to optimize market share and efficiency.
• Oversee supervision, marketing, profitability, reporting, purchasing, pricing, inventory, service and maintenance.
• Maintain a positive attitude that promotes teamwork and a favorable image of the cooperative.

Job description

Description

Cooperative Farmers Elevator

Position Description & Accountability

DATE: August 1, 2026

JOB TITLE: Lumber Division Manager

REPORTS TO: CEO

DEPARTMENT: Lumber

CLASSIFICATION: Full time

Position Objective

To supervise, direct, promote, and coordinate the lumber division in a manner that will optimize the cooperative's market share and savings, improve the cooperative's efficiency, help achieve the cooperative's mission and goals, and result in outstanding customer service.

Position Responsibilities

The lumber department manager's responsibilities include supervision, marketing, profitability and sales, reporting, purchasing, resale pricing, inventory, service, maintenance, and other duties as assigned by management.

The lumber department manager will maintain a positive attitude that promotes teamwork within the cooperative and a favorable image of the cooperative.

Supervision

Supervision involves establishing and communicating department goals and results to employees, staffing the department and delegating the workload, actively supporting employee growth, upholding cooperative policies, and supervising and performing tasks to increase efficiency and productivity.

Requirements

Establish and communicate department goals and results to employees

• Establish department financial goals with assistance from the CEO and CFO
• Conduct annual department strategic planning with staff, CEO and CFO.
• Conduct monthly department planning and reporting meetings to ensure maximum communication, accountability and support of sales efforts
• Drive growth with contractors and customers through in person calls of sales teams and location managers.

Staff department and delegate workload to meet market requirements

• Work with the lumber managers on attracting job applicants, hiring new employees, and on termination decisions
• Assign employee responsibilities and maintain up-to-date job descriptions
• Staff and adjust work force to fit departmental and location needs
• Employ part-time work-sharing arrangements to minimize layoffs and unemployment compensation costs

Actively support employee growth

• Work with HR to assist with orientation for new department employees
• Work with Safety Coordinator to identify in writing annually training needed for individual employees
• Discuss performance annually with each department employee
• Complete a yearly review with each department employee following management approval
• Stimulate and develop positive morale and team spirit that leads to high productivity
• Actively work to increase personal skills and knowledge
• Work with HR to develop and train salespeople and staff to ensure long-term success for the company

Supervise and perform tasks to increase efficiency and productivity

• Work with CFO and Operations leaders to position CFE Lumber Facilities to maximize efficiency of the operations team and location leadership
• Maintain an accurate inventory/accounting system to identify all lumber and their locations
• Provide 3-year capital plan annually
• Strive to reduce expense and improve efficiencies of operations within the lumber division while working with other divisions in sharing people and equipment when possible.

Uphold cooperative policies

• Ensure that department facilities and equipment meet all federal, state, and OSHA regulations
• Collaborate with Safety Director and Operations Leads to establish and maintain department maintenance and safety training and policies
• Actively work with CFE credit manager to ensure customer accounts and keep current and within CFE credit policies. No charging to COD customers.

Marketing

Develop and implement annual and monthly marketing and budget plan

• Implement the following marketing and fiscal budget activities:
• Daily sales journal review
• Weekly price analysis
• Monthly market volume report
• Monthly sales and margin analysis
• Monthly review of divisional performance with CFO
• Quarterly review of divisional performance with CEO
• Set sales and marketing plans for the upcoming month with location mangers
• The annual department budget for sales revenues, expenses and profit projection submitted to CEO and CFO by August 15th yearly.
• Update departmental budget and present to CEO and CFO by March 15th annually
• Determine an advertising expense budget at the beginning of each year; review regularly with the Marketing Manger to ensure budgets are being held.
• Leverage Supplier negotiated programs to promote growth in sales.

Increase market share through regular sales efforts

• Review sales reports monthly with Sales Personnel
• Ensure department staff have adequate training and tools to make successful sales presentations
• Make periodic on-site contacts to assist the sales effort
• Provide Sales Personnel with ideas for potential customers

Purchasing

• Purchasing involves purchasing products for resale.
• Purchase products of quality that will result in a minimum of customer complaints
• Ensure the cost of products will allow for competitive pricing while still meeting the cooperative's financial objectives
• Maximize supplier programs to achieve financial goals
• Buy from only approved suppliers to ensure product quality

Resale Pricing

• Resale pricing involves establishing prices of products and services.
• Set prices that are competitive with industry guidelines and local competitors
• Set prices that allow the cooperative to meet sales and financial objectives

Inventory

• Inventory involves managing inventory levels.
• With conjunction with CFO and Accounting develop and maintain a system for monitoring and controlling inventory levels that results in minimal shrinkage
• Supervise checking of all in-shipments for accuracy against the delivery ticket, proper quantity, price as ordered, and quality
• Strive to maximize turns on inventory
• Clear out obsolete inventories annually
• Maintain accuracy of all inventory products within .5% of actual.
• Resolve customer related discrepancies in inventory or billing

Other Duties

Perform other duties as assigned by management

• Favorable feedback is received from all department managers when assigned to perform or assist with other duties and responsibilities in those departments.
• Attitude consistently mirrors the company image and promotes fellow employee