Our client, an established manufacturer in the engineered wood products industry, is seeking a hands-on operations leader to drive plant performance across safety, production, quality, and cost. This is a high-visibility leadership role for an experienced composite panel professional who leads from the floor, builds strong teams, and takes ownership of results. It’s an excellent opportunity for an “A-player” ready to make a lasting impact on a growing organization’s long-term success.
What We Offer:
- A leadership role with direct influence over plant strategy, culture, and performance
- The opportunity to build and shape a high-performing operations team
- Involvement in long-term planning, capacity expansion, and capital improvement projects
- Exposure to executive leadership and cross-functional collaboration with sales, procurement, and corporate teams
- A culture that values accountability, ownership, and visible leadership
- The chance to lead through growth and continuous improvement initiatives
- A role suited to someone who wants to make a measurable, lasting mark on an operation
If You Have:
- 815+ years of leadership experience in the composite panel industry (MDF, particleboard, hardboard, OSB, or similar engineered wood products)
- Direct, hands-on experience within a manufacturing plant environment
- A bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Wood Science, Manufacturing, or a related field (preferred, but not required equivalent industry experience, including knowledge of resin chemistry, will be strongly considered)
- Demonstrated success leading large teams, including supervisors, operators, and maintenance staff
- A hands-on, floor-based leadership style this is not a desk-driven role
- Experience with continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma
- A track record of managing key KPIs, including safety, production throughput, yield, downtime, and cost
- Solid technical knowledge of fiber preparation, resin systems, press operations, and finishing/sanding processes
- Strong business acumen, including budget management, P&L understanding, and data-driven decision-making
You Will Be:
- Leading all aspects of plant operations to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective production
- Driving a safety-first culture and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
- Establishing and monitoring KPIs across safety, quality, production, and cost
- Identifying performance gaps and implementing corrective actions
- Building, coaching, and developing a high-performing leadership team
- Promoting a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous learning
- Leading initiatives to improve throughput, reduce waste, and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
- Partnering with maintenance leadership to strengthen preventive and predictive maintenance programs
- Collaborating cross-functionally with sales, procurement, and corporate leadership to align production with business goals
- Managing plant-level budgets and driving cost control and efficiency initiatives
- Contributing to long-term planning, capacity expansion, and process innovation
- Modeling visible, floor-based leadership with a strong sense of ownership and operational discipline