Planer Machine Operator/Millwright

LED FastStart • Coushatta, LA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Coushatta Forest Products is seeking a Planer Machine Operator/Millwright in Coushatta, Louisiana. This position safely operates and monitors planer mill equipment to process lumber to specified dimensions, grades, and quality standards. It supports efficient production by maintaining consistent machine performance, conducting routine inspections and adjustments, and identifying equipment or product issues before they affect production.

The work is performed in person in a manufacturing plant and a typical sawmill environment. Employees are frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts and moderate-to-high noise levels, depending on the mill area. The job involves frequent standing and walking, handling tools or controls, reaching, climbing stairs, balancing, and bending, kneeling, crouching, or crawling. It requires close, distance, and depth vision, as well as lifting and moving boards and wood pieces; employees may occasionally lift or move up to 30 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help qualified individuals with disabilities perform essential functions.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Proven experience operating industrial machinery in a plant, manufacturing, or production environment.
• Proven experience in industrial machinery installation, maintenance, and repair.
• Knowledge of planer operations and mechanical systems.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and technical manuals.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong skills for interacting with other team members.
• Practical knowledge and application of basic safety practices and power tools.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to perform the physical activities described, including moving boards and wood pieces and occasionally lifting or moving up to 30 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate and monitor planer mill machinery, including the planer, trimmer, edger, tilt hoist, green chain, sorter, and stacker.
• Inspect planed lumber for surface defects, chatter, wane, snipe, and dimension variations.
• Follow Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), and safely clear debris or jams.
• Feed and stage lumber at the correct orientation, rate, and spacing to maintain production flow and prevent jams, misfeeds, or equipment damage.
• Monitor lumber quality, identify defects or variations, and promptly report or remove non-conforming product.
• Complete pre-shift equipment inspections to verify guards, rolls, conveyors, and other components are safe to operate before startup.
• Operate sorting, stacking, and material-handling equipment to organize finished lumber by grade, species, and dimension.
• Maintain production counts, shift logs, downtime records, and quality information for assigned equipment and work areas.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED