Job Description Summary
The Senior Director of Manufacturing will oversee the end-to-end production of engineered wood products, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam), the sawn lumber division, and other manufactured products. This role is accountable for all aspects of safety, quality, operations, and human resource management across multiple manufacturing sites. The Senior Director will guide all phases of manufacturing operations and engineering to deliver the highest-quality products. Responsibilities include setting cost and capacity objectives, driving production schedule adherence, improving productivity and efficiency, ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards, and managing annual budgets and overall financial performance. This position serves as a transformational leader, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence. By aligning people, strategy, and culture, the Senior Director will play a critical role in driving business performance and long-term success. This leader connects daily work to Timberlab’s bold vision, inspiring teams and aligning efforts with the broader enterprise goals.
Job Description
Operational Leadership
- Oversee production: Manage and optimize all manufacturing operations for mass timber and sawn lumber products, including production scheduling, quality control, logistics, and supply chain management.
- Implement optimization practices: Lead the implementation of continuous improvement methodologies across all production sites to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
- Manage facilities: Hold full strategic and operational accountability, including budgeting, asset utilization, and workforce planning, strategic and operational management responsibility for manufacturing plants, including budgeting, asset utilization, and resource allocation.
Strategic Planning & Execution
- Support corporate strategy: Work with executive leadership to align manufacturing operations with the overall corporate strategy.
- Vision: Communicates a bold vision and sense of purpose that inspires others and connects their work to the big picture.
- Drive innovation: Stay current with the latest mass timber production best practices and concepts and introduce new technologies to optimize productivity and performance.
- Lead cost reduction: Plan and implement programs for cost reduction, waste reduction, and productivity improvement.
Team & Talent Development
- Lead large teams: Lead and inspire large, cross-functional operational teams across multiple locations.
- Ensure safety: Promote and enforce a strong safety culture and ensure adherence to all plant safety procedures and protocols, such as OSHA.
- Mentorship and Development: Develop talent pipelines and succession plans; mentor emerging leaders and promote professional growth.
Quality & Supply Chain Management
- Manage vendors: Establish and manage programs to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness, and service capabilities of vendors supplying materials to the manufacturing facility.
- Collaborate across functions: Serve as a liaison to supply chain, sales, and sustainability teams to ensure seamless communication and coordinated delivery.
- Champion quality standards: Oversee quality assurance for products to ensure they meet applicable building codes and mass timber standards.
Minimum Skills Or Experience Requirements
- Degree in Engineering, Construction Management or Architectural and/or equivalent experience.
- 15–20 years of manufacturing leadership experience, with significant time spent in a senior role.
- Hands-on experience in operations and supply chain management within the wood manufacturing industry is preferred.
- Experience with Lean process implementation across multiple sites.
- Knowledge of engineered wood products manufacturing and US building codes.
- Strong business acumen, strategic thinking, and team leadership skills.
- Extensive manufacturing experience and a deep understanding of the unique processes, materials, and technology involved in the mass timber industry.