Next Step - Carpenter

Mel Trotter; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Mel Trotter in Grand Rapids is seeking a capable Carpenter to lead framing and finish work on residential and light commercial projects. You’ll guide crews, read blueprints, and keep sites safe and on schedule.

You’ll balance hands-on carpentry with mentoring, ensure quality from first cut to final touch-ups, and collaborate with stakeholders to remove roadblocks while maintaining high professional standards.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on carpentry experience.
• Experience running job sites or leading crews.
• Strong blueprint reading, layout, and problem-solving skills.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Lead carpentry crews and coordinate day-to-day site progress
• Read blueprints, complete layout, and solve field issues quickly
• Deliver high-quality framing/finish work while maintaining jobsite safety and standards
• Model professionalism, punctuality, and strong jobsite communication

Skills

Carpentry experience

Team leadership

Blueprint reading

Problem solving

Safety awareness

Job description

Our Mission, Lived Daily

Next Step is engaged in work force development and skills training. We are dedicated to serving our program participants' needs, while meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations. We expect an innovative, goal-oriented, eager contributor, who shows a dedicated work ethic. We expect our staff to exhibit empathy, compassion, active listening, to be self-aware, sensitive across racial, class and cultural lines, ethical, and approachable. We look for work habits of punctuality, dependability, accountability, responsibility, cooperation, team participation, integrity, problem solving, and overall positivity. These attributes, combined with the performance of one’s duties and achievement of goals, will be equated with the quality of one’s overall job performance.

Build What’s Next

As a Carpenter, you’ll step into a lead role where your craftsmanship sets the bar—and your leadership helps others rise with it. This position exists to keep projects moving with quality, clarity, and safe, professional execution across residential and light commercial work.

Key responsibilities

• Lead carpentry crews and coordinate day-to-day site progress
• Read blueprints, complete layout, and solve field issues quickly
• Deliver high-quality framing/finish work while maintaining jobsite safety and standards
• Model professionalism, punctuality, and strong jobsite communication

Required qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on carpentry experience
• Experience running job sites or leading crews
• Strong blueprint reading, layout, and problem-solving skills
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

A Day on Site

You start the morning in Grand Rapids by aligning the crew on the plan, then you’re into the build—checking measurements, confirming details, and keeping momentum as conditions shift. Throughout the day, you balance hands-on work with steady guidance, answering questions, coaching in the moment, and keeping standards consistent from the first cut to final touch-ups. You’ll connect with stakeholders to remove roadblocks early, protect a clean and safe workspace, and wrap up by looking ahead—what’s ready tomorrow, what needs materials, and where you can help the team sharpen their skills.