Director of Millwork Operations
Moulder Master | Department Head | Hands-On Operations Leader
Madison Mill | Ashland City, Tennessee
If you have a passion for exceptional millwork, this is the job you have been waiting for.
Madison Mill is hiring a Director of Millwork Operations to lead one of the most capable specialty moulding operations in North America. More than a dozen Weinig moulders. A fully equipped grinding and tool room. A team of 10 to 15 skilled operators producing thousands of profiles — from bulk retail items to one-of-a-kind custom work — for customers that range from marquee big-box retailers to mom-and-pop hardware stores. We are looking for a master of the craft and a real leader to take it to the next level.
We have invested in the equipment. We have the customer base. We have a 65-year-old American manufacturing brand that people are proud to work for. What we need is a partner who can bring deep moulder expertise to bear in this department — make what we already do better and help us tackle future product challenges we have never addressed.
If that is you, keep reading.
Why Madison Mill
For more than 65 years, our customers have trusted us to make exceptional wood products — dowels, mouldings, tool handles, closet rods, garden stakes, drying racks, and hundreds of other items that put real wood into people's hands and homes around the world. We are growing. We are investing in our equipment, our facility, and our people. And we are building a team of craftsmen-leaders who take pride in the work and want to be measured on results.
We are American-made and Tennessee-crafted. We are handshake people — we keep our commitments and we expect the same. We are problem-solvers, not problem-finders. We measure twice, cut once. And we have fun doing what we do.
For the right candidate, this is a chance to step into a senior, high-impact role with the autonomy, equipment, and team to do the best work of your career — and a company that will back you with real training, real tools, and a real seat at the table.
The Role
This is a senior, hands-on role for a craftsman-leader. You will own the daily performance of the Millwork Department and the long-term capability of our moulding operation. You will set up, run, troubleshoot, and maintain the world's best moulders. You will grind knives, build profiles, and solve problems nobody else on the team can solve. You will lead, train, and develop a great team of operators. And you will bring new ideas, new methods, and new product capabilities into our shop.
You will report directly to the CEO and operate as a peer to the heads of our other production departments. You are not just a department supervisor — you are a leader of the business, with a real seat at the table.
Key Activities and Responsibilities
Lead the Millwork Department
- Own daily operations — safety, quality, output, schedule, and cost — for the entire millwork floor;
- Manage the safe operation of the department's machinery, tooling, facilities, and personnel;
- Build, develop, and lead a team of 10 to 15 millwork operators — determine staffing, set priorities, assign tasks, approve timecards, train, coach, and conduct performance reviews;
- Cultivate a positive, professional working environment committed to excellence;
- Coordinate department start-up and shut-down and enforce standards in close collaboration with our other departments.
Master the Equipment
- Set up, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain our production equipment (Weinig moulders, framesaws, veneer splitters and more) to meet exacting product specifications and delivery deadlines;
- Own knife grinding, profile development, and tooling preparation for both standard and custom moulding patterns — including base, crown, face frame, stiles and rails, dowels, and more;
- Run and maintain the grinding and tool room: organize, inventory, sharpen, store, and integrate new tooling; ensure the right components are available when needed and inspected upon receipt;
- Direct and perform machine maintenance, troubleshoot complex issues, and implement a preventative maintenance program;
- Make capital equipment recommendations for items needing replacement or new capability.
Drive Production Performance
- Plan, schedule, prioritize, and expedite all millwork jobs in line with the plant's overall production plan;
- Translate customer specifications and delivery dates into an executable production schedule, and work to satisfy both;
- Drive department KPIs — safety, uptime, labor efficiency, output, waste, and quality — and report on them clearly to plant leadership;
- Identify production capacity and risks to delivery commitments early, and act on them;
- Track and procure department material inventory; oversee weekly, monthly, and annual cycle counts and reconcile exceptions.
Quality and Continuous Improvement
- Monitor the quality of the department's output and implement corrective actions to maintain consistently high standards;
- Visually inspect finished mouldings for defects and own the closed-loop process when something is wrong;
- Develop processes that reinforce accuracy through redundancy, checks, and audits;
- Keep documentation current; build routines that drive continuous improvement;
- Bring new methods and ideas into the department — help us tackle product challenges we cannot currently address;
- Collaborate across departments on improvement initiatives and problem solving.
Run It Like a Business
- Control departmental expenses, including consumables, to budget;
- Manage purchase orders, vendor relationships, and tooling procurement;
- Use our IT systems — including Asana, email, and Microsoft Office — to plan work, communicate priorities, and track results;
- Perform other duties and special projects as required to support the success of the business.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of hands-on experience operating moulders — Weinig strongly preferred — and 8+ years overall in woodworking, millwork, or a comparable precision manufacturing trade;
- Demonstrable expertise in knife grinding, profile development, and quick changeovers across hardwood and softwood species;
- Experience leading or mentoring others in a production environment — formal supervisory experience preferred;
- Strong mechanical aptitude across hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical (analog and digital) systems; familiarity with sophisticated woodworking equipment (Weinig, Locatelli, Timesavers, and similar) preferred;
- Comfortable reading CAD drawings, profile specs, sketches, and routing documents to produce parts to spec; confident with a tape measure, calipers, micrometer, and stopwatch;
- Comfortable with email and Microsoft Office, and willing to learn task management tools (Asana) and other digital systems we use to run the business;
- Strong written and verbal communication — able to lead a team meeting, write a clear procedure, and have a real conversation with a customer when needed;
- Holds or willing to earn a forklift operator's license;
- Spanish-language ability a plus;
- High school diploma or equivalent required; formal technical training, skilled trades certifications, or other degrees a plus but not required;
- Must be willing and able to perform physical labor in a manufacturing environment, including standing and walking through a full shift, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
- Formal technical training (Weinig schools, journeyman programs, etc.) is a plus, and we will invest in additional training for the right candidate.
Skills We Are Looking For
- High capability with hands-on execution in a fast-paced environment;
- Ability to produce quality work within tight timeframes while managing several priorities simultaneously, and to motivate a team to do the same;
- Command of detail — confident catching defects, off-spec setups, and unsafe acts before they become problems;
- Ability to escalate issues appropriately and lead group meetings as the functional expert;
- Maintains composure and leads by example in challenging situations;
- Hungry to keep learning — seeks out new techniques, equipment knowledge, and process improvements;
- Enforces compliance with company controls and SOPs without making it personal.
Qualities We Are Looking For
- A strong internal standard of excellence — high attention to detail and uncompromising integrity;
- Team player — conducts themselves as a leader of the business, not just the department;
- Process-minded — builds repeatable systems instead of one-time fixes;
- Action-oriented and entrepreneurial — focused on business outcomes;
- Effective problem-solver who anticipates issues and recruits the help required to solve them — does not look the other way or wait for someone else;
- Confident working with and upgrading existing infrastructure and resources;
- Embraces continuous improvement — open to coaching, and never satisfied with yesterday's best;
- Ownership mindset — meets commitments and deadlines without being chased;
- Wants more responsibility over time;
- Lives our values: shares joy in the work, keeps handshake commitments, and leaves things better than they were found.
The Details
Status: Full-time, salaried
Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Targeting $85,000 to $115,000 base salary, plus a meaningful performance-based bonus tied to department results.
Benefits: Health insurance, paid time off, formal technical training as required, and ongoing professional development support
Relocation: Relocation assistance available for the right candidate
Schedule: Salaried leadership role. The Director must be present and engaged throughout plant production hours and will routinely work beyond a single shift to support the team, the schedule, and the customer. Consistent, full-time, on-site attendance is essential.
Physical Setting: Manufacturing plant in Ashland City, Tennessee
Work Location: On-site, in person
About Madison Mill
Based in Ashland City, Tennessee, Madison Mill is a leading manufacturer of specialty millwork. We make hundreds of items — dowels, mouldings, tool handles, closet rods, garden stakes, housewares like wooden drying racks, tiny button plugs, and many more. Wood products are special, and we are proud to put exceptional woodwork into people's hands and homes all around the world. Our craftsmen bring joy to craft projects, parades, gardens, and kitchen tables — and so much more.
Madison Mill hardwood products have been the trusted foundation for DIY creators and woodworking pros for nearly 65 years. Like an Appalachian forest, our roots run deep. Passionate about our products, our people, and our community — we are American-made.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Experience:
- Moulder: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
