Sawmill Manager

SUMMARY:

An established timber processing operation is seeking an experienced Sawmill Manager to be responsible for the overall management and performance of the sawmill operation, ensuring that timber is processed safely, efficiently and profitably while meeting production, quality and customer requirements. The successful candidate will provide strong operational leadership across the sawmill, ensuring that production targets are consistently achieved while maintaining high standards of housekeeping, safety, quality and productivity.

POSITION INFO:

Minimum requirements for the role:

• Must have a National Senior Certificate (Matric); A qualification in Forestry, Wood Technology, Sawmilling, Mechanical Engineering, Production Management or a related field would be advantageous
• Minimum 5–8 years' experience in sawmill operations, timber processing and related is critical
• Must have at least 3 years' management or supervisory experience in a production environment
• Experience with production planning, maintenance, quality and cost control is essential
• Mechanical aptitude would be highly advantageous
• Strong knowledge of sawmill production processes and timber conversion is essential
• Must have experience managing production teams and industrial equipment
• Strong understanding of occupational health and safety requirements
• Experience in a rural or remote operational environment would be advantageous

• Taking full operational responsibility for the day-to-day management of the sawmill.
• Developing and implementing operational plans aligned with production and commercial objectives.
• Managing the complete production process from receipt of logs through to sawing, sorting, grading, stacking, drying and dispatch, where applicable.
• Ensuring optimal utilisation of available timber, machinery, labour and other resources.
• Monitoring operational performance and implementing corrective action where required.
• Identifying opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste and increase profitability.
• Establishing and maintaining efficient operating procedures and production standards.
• Developing production schedules in line with timber availability, customer requirements and sales forecasts.
• Ensuring production targets are achieved in terms of volume, recovery, quality and turnaround times.
• Monitoring daily, weekly and monthly production against planned targets.
• Analysing production losses, downtime, recovery rates and machine utilisation.
• Ensuring the efficient flow of timber through all stages of production.
• Optimising cutting patterns and sawing methods to maximise timber recovery and minimise waste.
• Coordinating production requirements with procurement, forestry, sales, logistics and other relevant departments.
• Ensuring finished products are available for dispatch according to agreed schedules.
• Managing the efficient utilisation of incoming logs and timber resources.
• Monitoring timber recovery and conversion rates.
• Minimising sawdust, offcuts, slab waste and other production losses.
• Ensuring appropriate sorting and utilisation of different log sizes, species and grades.
• Working closely with timber procurement and forestry teams to ensure suitable raw material availability.
• Monitoring log quality and identifying issues affecting production and recovery.
• Investigating and addressing abnormal timber losses or declining recovery rates.
• Taking responsibility for the availability and reliability of all sawmill equipment.
• Ensuring preventative maintenance programmes are implemented and maintained.
• Monitoring equipment performance and downtime.
• Coordinating planned maintenance and repairs to minimise disruption to production.