Dry End Superintendent

LED FastStart•Plain Dealing, LA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Dry End Superintendent is responsible for the overall leadership, performance and strategic direction of dry end sawmill operations. This includes planer mill, dry kiln, inventory yards, and shipping department. This role provides direct oversight of Dry End Supervisors and ensures that safely, quality, productivity, and financial objectives are consistently achieved. The Superintendent serves as the key operational leader between the General Manager and frontline supervision, ensuring alignment of daily execution with broader mill goals.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED required
5-10+ years of sawmill experience with leadership responsibility in kiln and planer mill operations
Working knowledge of OSHA regulations and safety best practices
Strong communication and problem-solving skills
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Strong knowledge of sawmill equipment and processes
Leadership and management skills
Problem-solving and decision-making ability
Familiarity with production metrics and process improvement methodologies
Must be able to stand 100% of scheduled shift.
Lifting, pushing, prying and dragging heavy materials.
Must be capable of bending, stooping, crawling under or over and occasionally climbing stairs/ladders heights up to 6 or 7 feet.
Abnormal levels of noise due to grinding, chipping, hammering require hearing protection (ear plus) to be always worn.
Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment.
Must be able to lift 50 pounds and work in physically demanding environment.
Position requires manual dexterity, arm-hand steadiness and a safety-minded individual.
Must be able to work in an open environment exposed to extreme temperatures.
Regular presence in industrial and production environments.
This position is designated as a safety sensitive position because it includes as part of the job duties the operating or monitoring of heavy equipment or machinery, as well as working with and around hazardous materials. This position is one in which a lapse of attention could result in injury, illness, or death. For the safety of the incumbent and others, the incumbent must be able to work in a constant state of alertness and concentrate for long periods of time while operating or monitoring heavy equipment or machinery, as well as while working with and around hazardous materials.

Nice To Haves

associate or bachelor’s degree in forestry, wood science, engineering, or related field preferred

Responsibilities

Provide direction, coaching, and accountability to the Dry End Supervisors in executing daily operation to meet targeted goals and alignment to established company culture.
Ensure Supervisor effectiveness in workforce management (attendance, scheduling, discipline), employee development, training, and performance management, and maintaining a productive and engaged workforce.
Conduct regular check-ins, performance reviews, and leadership development for supervisors.
Step in to resolve escalated employee relation issues or complex operational challenges.
Oversee all dry end operations including kiln drying, planing, grading and shipping.
Ensure production schedules, throughput, recovery rates, and quality standards are met or exceeded.
Validate that Supervisors are effectively managing daily activities to meet KPIs.
Optimize workflow between kiln, planer, and shipping to avoid bottlenecks.
Champion a safety-first culture across all levels of the operation.
Hold Supervisors accountable for enforcing safety procedures, PPE usage, and regulatory compliance.
Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental permits, and company policies.
Partner with maintenance teams to ensure equipment uptime.
Schedule preventative maintenance and minimize disruptions.
Identify and address mechanical inefficiencies.
Analyze production data and identify opportunities for improvement.
Oversee performance management systems executed by Supervisors.
Ensure consistent and fair application of attendance policies, discipline processes, and performance evaluations.
Drive workforce planning, staffing levels, and succession development.
Promote a high-performance, accountable, and team-oriented culture.
Partner with Production Manager to develop and manage departmental budgets.
Monitor labor costs, production efficiency, and cost per unit.
Ensure Supervisors operate within budget expectations while maximizing output.
Identify cost-saving opportunities and efficiency improvements.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives across drying, plaining and finishing processes.
Use production data, downtime reports, and KPIs (tracked by Supervisors) to improve kiln cycle efficiency, reduce waste and product degrade, and increase throughput and recovery.
Implement best practices, new technologies, and process enhancements.
Coordinate with Maintenance to ensure uptime of kilns, planers, and finishing equipment.
Ensure Supervisors are properly reporting equipment issues and downtime.
Prioritize and support preventative maintenance programs.
Drive accountability for proper equipment use and care.
Review and validate reports prepared by Supervisors (production, safety, downtime, KPIs).
Provide consolidated performance updates to senior leadership.
Communicate strategic priorities and operational expectations to Supervisors.
Serve as a key liaison between frontline operations and executive leadership.
Ensure finished lumber meets grading standards, moisture targets and customer specifications.
Collaborate with quality control and sales teams to meet market requirements.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Green End, Maintenance, Logistics and Sales.