Process Engineering Manager

About the role

The Lumber Manufactory (TLM) is building the future of sustainable lumber with next-generation sawmill technology. We design and operate state-of-the-art modular sawmills that produce high-grade dimensional wood products with greater efficiency and less waste. Backed by leading investors including Cantos, Slow Ventures, Susa Ventures, Banter Capital, Humba Ventures, and Ravelin Capital.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize material flow from log intake through primary breakdown, secondary processing, drying, surfacing, and finished goods staging, minimizing handling, rehandling, and queue buildup between operations
• Develop and maintain mill layouts for sawmills, planer mills, panel plants, or engineered wood facilities, incorporating equipment footprints, log/cant/lumber flow paths, green chain and dry chain configurations, and trim/sort systems
• Determine primary and secondary breakdown equipment requirements including headrigs, frame saws, gang saws, and define optimal sequencing to maximize recovery and throughput
• Evaluate and specify automation and optimization systems such as scanning and optimization technology (log, cant, and lumber optimizers), PLC-controlled sort systems, and automated stacking and strapping lines
• Lead line balancing and bottleneck analysis across the mill, from the log deck and debarker through the green chain, kiln scheduling, dry mill, and shipping, ensuring equipment utilization is matched to production targets
• Conduct and oversee time studies and production flow analyses to establish standard work, crew sizing, and shift capacity targets across mill departments
• Partner with maintenance, production, and dry kiln teams to plan and execute major equipment installations, mill reconfigurations, and capacity expansion projects with minimal downtime
• Apply lean principles to wood products manufacturing environments, identifying waste in lumber handling, sort and stacking operations, trim optimization, and grade flow
• Lead capital project development for mill modernization initiatives, including scanning upgrades, automated grading systems, and materials handling improvements; manage vendor selection, installation, and commissioning
• Own and maintain mill flow diagrams, equipment layout drawings, and standard operating procedures; update documentation as equipment, products, or processes change
• Manage and develop a team of process and industrial engineers embedded across mill departments; align priorities with production management and senior leadership
• Adapt to changing priorities and support team and operational needs as they evolve

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline
• 8+ years of process or industrial engineering experience in wood products manufacturing (sawmill, planer mill, OSB, LVL, plywood, MDF, or similar environments)
• Hands-on experience with mill layout design and material flow planning, including green end and dry end configurations, lumber handling systems, and sort/stacker integration; proficiency in layout tools such as AutoCAD
• Familiarity with scanning and optimization systems and how optimizer settings translate to recovery and grade yield outcomes
• Experience evaluating and implementing automation in mill environments, including PLC-controlled sort lines, automated stackers, kiln tracking systems, and MES/production reporting platforms
• Proficiency in time study methods, OEE analysis, and capacity modeling applied to high-volume, continuous-flow wood processing
• Understanding of kiln drying operations and how drying schedules, kiln capacity, and green inventory management interact with mill flow
• Knowledge of lumber grading rules and how product mix and grade targets influence equipment sequencing and line design
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across mill operations, construction and installation teams, maintenance, forestry/procurement, and sales teams

Benefits

We Offer Competitive Compensation And Comprehensive Benefits, Including 100% employer-paid health coverage for employees and dependents (medical, dental, and vision)100% employer-paid life insurance and disability coveragePaid time off and company holidays