Planer Mill Superintendent

ForestryWorks; Macon (MS); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus opportunities

Vacation

401k with company match

Health insurance

Dental

Vision

Job summary

ForestryWorks is seeking a Planer Mill Superintendent to lead the day‑to‑day operations of the planer mill, overseeing safety, lumber quality, production flow, 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 safely and efficiently while producing a consistent, quality product and meeting

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.

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.

Skills

Leadership

Safety compliance

Production management

Communication

Team supervision

Training

Downtime analysis

Problem solving

Job description

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.