Our client is seeking an experienced, hands-on Joinery Department Manager to lead a high-volume timber manufacturing department within an established shopfitting environment. The successful candidate will take responsibility for production output, quality, workflow and team performance, directly managing three Production Supervisors and overseeing a broader workforce of approximately 40 bench hands and production employees.

The department manufactures high-end retail shopfitting units and custom timber fixtures to detailed technical specifications. This position requires strong technical joinery or cabinetmaking expertise combined with proven leadership in a demanding, deadline-driven manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Production and Operations Management

• Plan, schedule and control high-volume joinery production to meet customer delivery deadlines.
• Manage daily workflow and allocate production requirements across supervisors and their teams.
• Set daily and weekly production targets and monitor performance against plan.
• Identify and resolve production bottlenecks before they affect delivery.
• Optimise labour, machinery and available production capacity.
• Oversee equipment utilisation and coordinate maintenance requirements and breakdowns.
• Manage material flow in conjunction with stores, procurement and other operational departments.
• Drive consistent on-time, in-full delivery of completed joinery orders.
• Plan overtime, shifts and weekend production where required.

Quality Control

• Establish and maintain consistently high manufacturing and finishing standards.
• Oversee quality inspections throughout the production process.
• Sign off completed units before dispatch.
• Identify the causes of recurring quality problems and implement corrective measures.
• Minimise rework, rejects, material wastage and avoidable production losses.
• Maintain the finish standards required for premium retail shopfitting environments.

Technical and Drawing Interpretation

• Read and interpret detailed CAD drawings, cutting instructions and technical specifications.
• Review production drawings before manufacturing begins.
• Liaise with the design and drawing office regarding technical queries or discrepancies.
• Apply sound joinery and manufacturing principles to optimise construction methods, cutting lists and panel yields.
• Ensure the correct handling, machining and finishing of materials used within the department, including MDF, chipboard, melamine, laminates, solid-surface materials, glass, Perspex, polypropylene, Duco finishes, 2-Pack / 2K paint finishes and other specialist shopfitting substrates.

Team Leadership

• Directly manage and develop three Production Supervisors.
• Indirectly oversee approximately 40 bench hands and production employees.
• Hold supervisors accountable for productivity, quality and delivery.
• Manage performance, discipline, training and staff development.
• Maintain a productive, disciplined and safety-conscious factory environment.
• Ensure teams are appropriately structured and resourced according to production demand.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with Occupational Health and Safety requirements.
• Maintain appropriate safety standards around woodworking machinery and production equipment.
• Enforce correct PPE usage and safe working practices.
• Ensure appropriate controls are followed when working with dust extraction systems, coatings, paints and other manufacturing materials.
• Ensure machinery is operated safely and incidents are correctly reported and addressed.

Cost and Resource Management

• Manage labour, material and consumable costs within the department.
• Monitor raw-material utilisation and reduce unnecessary wastage and offcuts.
• Monitor production efficiencies and departmental performance.
• Provide regular operational reporting to senior management.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, output and cost efficiency.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum 10 years' experience within joinery, cabinetmaking, shopfitting or high-volume timber manufacturing.
• Proven experience managing manufacturing or production teams in a fast-paced factory environment.
• Experience managing supervisors as well as larger shop-floor teams.
• Strong exposure to deadline-driven, high-volume production.
• Strong ability to read and interpret CAD drawings and technical specifications.
• Excellent understanding of joinery and cabinetmaking construction methods.
• Strong knowledge of high-volume manufacturing principles.
• Experience with production planning and workflow optimisation.
• Strong understanding of material utilisation and cutting efficiency.
• Hands-on knowledge of timber manufacturing machinery, tooling and equipment.
• Extensive knowledge of common shopfitting substrates, finishes and manufacturing techniques.

Advantageous Experience

• Previous experience manufacturing retail shopfitting units, including POS counters, checkout counters, retail wall units, cosmetic counters and displays, jewellery counters, gondolas, bespoke retail fixtures or cabinetry, is highly advantageous.
• A trade test as a cabinetmaker, joiner or equivalent experienced craftsman is preferred.
• A formal qualification in cabinetmaking, joinery, wood technology or a related field would be advantageous.
• Candidates without a formal qualification may still be considered where they can demonstrate significant technical and leadership experience.

Key Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail, quality and finish.
• Strong production leadership ability.
• Confidence in managing supervisors and a large mixed-skill workforce.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing production requirements.
• Calm and decisive approach under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving capability.
• Commercial awareness relating to labour, material usage and productivity.
• Clear communication across production, design and senior management teams.
• Strong accountability for deadlines and production outcomes.
• Practical, hands-on leadership style.

Additional Information

• Factory and production-floor environment.
• Candidates must be comfortable working within a high-volume industrial manufacturing operation.
• Overtime and occasional weekend work may be required depending on production deadlines.
• The position may suit an experienced Joinery Manager, Production Manager, Factory Manager, Cabinetmaking Manager or senior shopfitting production professional with both strong technical craftsmanship and production leadership experience.

If you meet the requirements and would like to be considered for this opportunity, please submit your application through the link provided. Only candidates who meet the role requirements will be contacted.