The posting
We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Joinery Department Manager to lead a high-volume timber manufacturing department within a well-established shopfitting environment.
The successful candidate will take full responsibility for production output, quality, workflow and team performance across the joinery department. You will manage three production supervisors and oversee a broader production workforce of approximately 40 bench hands.
This is a demanding, deadline-driven position suited to a highly experienced joinery or cabinetmaking professional who combines strong technical craftsmanship with proven production leadership.
The environment produces high-end retail shopfitting units including point-of-sale counters, checkout counters, wall units, cosmetic units, jewellery counters, gondolas and other custom timber fixtures manufactured to detailed technical specifications.
Key Responsibilities
Production & 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 impact 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 high finish standards expected within premium retail shopfitting environments.
Technical & 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 correct handling, machining and finishing of materials used within the department.
Materials may include:
- MDF
- Chipboard
- Melamine
- Laminates
- Solid-surface materials
- Glass
- Perspex
- Polypropylene
- Duco finishes
- 2-Pack / 2K paint finishes
- 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 culture.
- Ensure teams are appropriately structured and resourced according to production demand.
Health, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with Occupational Health & 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 & 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
Experience
- 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.
- Previous experience manufacturing retail shopfitting units will be highly advantageous.
Relevant products could include:
- POS counters
- Checkout counters
- Retail wall units
- Cosmetic counters and displays
- Jewellery counters
- Gondolas
- Bespoke retail fixtures and cabinetry
Qualifications
- Trade-tested cabinetmaker, joiner or equivalent experienced craftsman preferred.
- 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.
Technical Skills
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
- 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.
Key Competencies
- Exceptional eye for detail, quality and finish.
- Strong production leadership ability.
- Confident managing supervisors and a large mixed-skill workforce.
- Highly organised and able to prioritise competing production requirements.
- Calm and decisive under pressure.
- Strong problem-solving capability.
- Commercial awareness around labour, material usage and productivity.
- Clear communicator across production, design and senior management teams.
- Strong accountability for deadlines and production outcomes.
- Practical, hands-on leadership style.
Working Conditions
- Full-time, on-site position based on the East Rand.
- 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.
Ideal Candidate
This opportunity would suit an experienced Joinery Manager, Production Manager, Factory Manager, Cabinetmaking Manager or Senior Shopfitting Production Professional who has progressed through the trade and understands both the craftsmanship and operational disciplines required to run a high-performing joinery department.
The strongest candidate will be someone who can walk onto the factory floor, understand the drawings and manufacturing process, identify production or quality problems quickly, and lead supervisors and craftsmen to deliver quality work at volume and on deadline.
