Sawmill Supervisor

Sawmill Supervisor

Position Summary

The Sawmill Supervisor is responsible for leading the safe and efficient processing of logs into quality lumber by supervising a well-trained workforce, promoting a strong safety culture, maximizing production and recovery, minimizing downtime, and ensuring the achievement of production goals.

This position provides leadership by coaching employees on safe and productive work practices, monitoring operational performance, and ensuring maintenance and safety concerns are properly communicated, documented, and addressed.

The Sawmill Supervisor works closely with production, maintenance, quality, and other departments to ensure the smooth operation of the sawmill. Success in this role requires effective leadership, communication, and collaboration to meet production objectives while maintaining high standards of safety, quality, and employee engagement.

Key challenges include meeting production targets, maintaining staffing levels within budget, achieving quality standards, improving equipment reliability, and ensuring alignment across departments through effective communication.

The Sawmill Supervisor has the authority to direct, coach, train, and develop employees while ensuring compliance with company policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements, and all applicable regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Safety

• Promote and maintain a safe work environment by ensuring compliance with all company safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead by example in demonstrating safe work practices and fostering a strong safety culture.
• Identify, communicate, and eliminate workplace hazards through employee involvement and proactive risk assessment.
• Ensure employees receive required safety training and maintain compliance with all safety standards.
• Deliver and reinforce all aspects of the company's safety program in a timely and effective manner.
• Conduct safety meetings, toolbox talks, and ongoing safety coaching.
• Investigate incidents and near misses, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Communicate safety expectations, continuous improvement opportunities, and department objectives during shift meetings.

People Leadership

• Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, and support to hourly production employees.
• Coach, mentor, and develop employees to improve performance and technical skills.
• Conduct employee training, competency evaluations, and performance reviews.
• Ensure employees are treated fairly and consistently in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, company policies, and applicable employment laws.
• Manage attendance, performance, and employee relations issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Foster teamwork, accountability, and employee engagement.
• Participate in workforce planning and staffing to meet operational requirements.
• Promote continuous learning and cross-training to strengthen workforce capability.

Operations

• Lead the shift to safely meet or exceed production, recovery, quality, and efficiency targets.
• Coordinate closely with Maintenance to maximize equipment reliability and minimize downtime.
• Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Maintain familiarity with log inventory, species mix, and product profiles to optimize production.
• Ensure machinery is properly adjusted and operating at optimum settings for quality and recovery.
• Coordinate product flow throughout the facility through effective communication and follow-up.
• Review production data and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Monitor lumber recovery, fiber utilization, and by-product quality.
• Ensure accurate completion of production, downtime, safety, and shift reports.
• Support implementation of operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

Required

• Minimum of three (3) years of manufacturing or production experience, preferably within the lumber or wood products industry.
• Previous leadership experience as a Lead, Relief Supervisor, Foreman, or Supervisor.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree, associate degree, or technical diploma in Forestry, Wood Products, Manufacturing, Engineering Technology, or a related field.
• Knowledge of lumber manufacturing processes, sawmill equipment, optimization systems, and production flow.
• Experience working in a unionized manufacturing environment is considered an asset.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated leadership and team development skills.
• Strong commitment to workplace safety.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven problem-solving, troubleshooting, and critical thinking abilities.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to prioritize work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to build effective working relationships across departments.
• Working knowledge of continuous improvement principles.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to analyze production data and make sound operational decisions.
• Knowledge of manufacturing performance metrics, including productivity, recovery, downtime, and quality.

Working Conditions

• Manufacturing/sawmill environment with exposure to noise, dust, moving machinery, varying temperatures, and outdoor conditions.
• Frequent walking, standing, climbing stairs, and working throughout the facility.
• May require evenings, weekends, holidays, or extended hours based on production demands.
• Must be able to wear all required personal protective equipment (PPE).

Success Measures

Performance in this position will be evaluated based on:

• Safety performance and regulatory compliance
• Production and recovery results
• Product quality performance
• Equipment uptime and downtime reduction
• Employee engagement and development
• Attendance and staffing effectiveness
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Compliance with company policies and procedures

**Bienville Lumber is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status.