Finish Mill Manager

Finish Mill Manager Lead Machinist | Working Leader | Hands-On Department Lead Madison Mill | Ashland City, Tennessee If you take pride in running machines well, making exceptional products, and leading your team to get the job done, this is the job for you. Madison Mill is hiring a Finish Mill Manager to lead our Finish Mill department — one of the most varied and interesting production environments in specialty wood products. Turnings and dowels. Tool handles and closet rods. Coated and uncoated. Tiny button plugs and big garden stakes. A wide range of specialized machinery — sanders, lathes, drilling and shaping equipment, finishing lines — producing hundreds of different items for customers from marquee big-box retailers to mom-and-pop hardware stores. We are looking for a hands-on craftsman-leader who can run the machines, lead the team, and own the results. This is a working leadership role. You will lead this department from the floor, not from an office — setting up machines, running difficult jobs, coaching operators in real time, and keeping the schedule on track. You will plan, prioritize, and report from the same place you do the work. 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 up into department leadership while staying close to the craft you love — and a company that will back you with real training, real tools, and real support. The Role This is a hands-on role for a craftsman-leader who runs the department from the floor. You will own the daily performance of the Finish Mill — safety, output, quality, schedule, and cost — and you will own it from the same place the work happens. You will set up and run machines yourself, especially the difficult setups and the tricky troubleshooting. You will coach operators in real time, on the floor, on the machine. You will plan production, manage tooling and consumables, track results, and keep the Production Manager informed about what's working and what isn't — all without ever losing touch with the work itself. You will report to the Production Manager and operate as a peer to the other department leads on our production floor. Key Activities and Responsibilities Run the Machines Set up, operate, and troubleshoot the variety of machines in our Finish Mill department — including sophisticated equipment from manufacturers like Locatelli, Timesavers, and Weinig; Take on the difficult setups and complex troubleshooting personally — you are the technical authority in the department; Master the setup, operation, and maintenance of new equipment as we add capability; Read CAD drawings, sketches, and prints to produce parts to spec — sizes, shapes, dimensions, hole sizes, and finish requirements; Direct and perform machine maintenance, troubleshoot complex issues, and help implement a preventative maintenance program. Lead the Team Lead a team of Finish Mill operators from the floor — coach them on the machines, set priorities, assign work, and conduct performance reviews; Determine staffing needs and approve timecards; Train operators on safe and effective machine operation — hands-on, on the equipment, in real time; 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. Run Production Plan, schedule, prioritize, and expedite all Finish Mill jobs in line with the plant's overall production plan; Translate customer specifications and delivery dates into an executable production schedule; Drive department KPIs — safety, uptime, output, waste, and quality — and report on them clearly to the Production Manager; Identify production capacity and risks to delivery commitments early, and act on them; Track and procure department material inventory; oversee 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; Develop processes that reinforce accuracy through redundancy, checks, and audits; Organize, inventory, and maintain machine tooling — ensure components are available when needed and inspected upon receipt; Keep documentation current; build routines that drive continuous improvement; Collaborate across departments on improvement initiatives and problem solving. Run It Like a Business Control departmental expenses, including consumables, to budget; 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 4 years of hands-on experience in a woodworking or comparable precision manufacturing trade; Demonstrated mastery of machine setup, operation, troubleshooting, and basic maintenance; Strong mechanical aptitude across hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical (analog and digital) systems; Familiarity with sophisticated woodworking equipment (Locatelli, Timesavers, Weinig, and similar) preferred; Experience leading, training, or mentoring others in a production environment — formal supervisory experience preferred but not required; Comfortable reading CAD drawings, sketches, and prints to produce parts to spec; confident with a tape measure, calipers, 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 communicate clearly with the Production Manager; Holds or willing to earn a forklift operator's license; Spanish-language ability a plus; High school diploma or equivalent required; associate's degree, formal technical training, or skilled trades certifications 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 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; 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, hourly

Compensation:

$20 to $29 per hour, commensurate with experience and skill, plus eligibility for performance-based bonus tied to department results.

Benefits:

Health insurance, paid time off, formal technical training as required, and ongoing professional development support

Schedule:

Plant production runs 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday, and 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM Friday — long weekends every week. Consistent, full-time attendance is essential. Overtime opportunities may be available as needed.

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:

$20.00 - $29.00 per hour

Benefits:

Health insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Application Question(s): Do you have at least 4 years of hands-on experience in a woodworking or a comparable precision manufacturing trade? Can you demonstrate mastery of machine setup, operation, troubleshooting, and basic maintenance?

Work Location:

In person