Production Manager

JOB TITLE:

Production Manager

REPORTS TO:

Director of Operations; FLSA: Exempt

JOB PURPOSE/SUMMARY:

We refer to the manufacturing branch of Angel City Lumber (ACL) as The Honoring Branch. This is where the rubber meets the road in carrying out our mission: to reconnect Angelenos to their LA trees. We accomplish this mission by manufacturing the wood from our fallen LA trees through sawmilling, drying wood, dressing wood, minor fabrication, and warehousing.

The Production Manager is the captain of the entire Honoring Branch. They are responsible for setting and keeping the pace and momentum of the branch, ensuring that at every stage of production the team works efficiently, safely, and with pride. This role is central to moving the needle on ACL’s revenue, manufacturing goals, and overall operational health.

This role requires a practical, hands-on leader who can anticipate challenges, respond decisively, and guide the team through shifting priorities. The Production Manager maintains a clear view of the entire operation, coordinating people and processes to keep production on schedule.

The ideal candidate is experienced, level headed, solutions-driven, someone who rallies people around goals, makes informed decisions with confidence, and turns challenges into opportunities for progress.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

This section contains a description of the duties and responsibilities assigned to the Production Manager. These describe the fundamental nature of the job which occupy a large portion of the role:

• Oversee and execute wood drying: wood kiln loading and unloading, ensuring proper sequencing, drying efficiency, and safe handling.
• Maintain warehouse organization: staging of raw materials and finished goods, general housekeeping, and material storage.
• Material management: perform truck loading and unloading for pickups, deliveries, transfers between departments, pickups, drop-offs, and ensure timely and accurate movement of materials and finished products.
• Tracking and reporting of inventory
• Identify and implement new interdepartmental production processes to increase efficiency and throughput based on daily monitoring and reporting of productivity by department
• Ensure production of projected quantities of products
• Maintain compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment and safety regulations, reviewing policies and practices as required to maintain compliance.
• Maintain an appropriate professional appearance and demeanor in accordance with company policies.
• Keep commitments and keep the Project Manager informed of work progress, timetables, and issues.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Production Manager role directly supervises responsibility for all personnel in the Honoring Branch. This includes oversight of the Milling, Drying, Carpentry, and Warehouse teams.

• Review jobs during pre-estimation stages to advise on production methods, tooling requirements, and accurate time expectations.
• Lead, support, and hold accountable each department to ensure consistent safety, productivity, and craftsmanship.
• Daily communication with the production staff regarding the jobs in progress, expected timelines, and required processes.
• Provide on-the-floor leadership, problem-solving assistance, and guidance to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and to ACL’s standards.
• Monitor employee data collection and analyze results to ensure productivity aligns with company goals.
• Participate in and lead interviews, hiring decisions, and onboarding for production team members.
• Conduct performance evaluations, corrective actions, and disciplinary procedures as needed.
• Approve employee timecards and requests for time off.
• Oversee scheduling, assignments, and day-to-day workflow for all production departments.
• Foster a respectful, bilingual work environment where communication is clear and inclusive for both English- and Spanish-speaking team members.

Below is a table listing the broad Production Manager job duties in accordance with their importance and/or frequency in which they are performed in order to assist you in estimating the percent of time:

Duties -- % of time -- Hours/Week

Supervision & Direction -- 35% -- 14 hours

Floor Support & Equipment Oversight -- 25% -- 10 hours

Warehousing & Logistics -- 20% -- 8 hours

Scheduling and Planning -- 15% -- 6 hours

Updating Management and Reporting -- 5% -- 2 hours

ATTENDANCE:

The Production Manager role is a full-time position and requires floor presence day-in and day-out.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS :

• High school diploma or GED required; technical or trade school training preferred.
• 4 years of experience in a production, fabrication, or manufacturing environment, including at least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Strong working knowledge of wood manufacturing processes, including milling, drying, surfacing, and finishing.
• Proven ability to lead a team on the production floor—maintaining pace, safety, and morale while meeting deadlines.
• Hands-on experience operating and maintaining shop machinery such as sawmills, planers, sanders, forklifts, and kilns.
• Ability to troubleshoot equipment issues and coordinate repairs to minimize downtime.
• Experience with warehouse organization, material handling, and truck loading/unloading.
• Fluency in both English and Spanish to ensure clear communication with all team members and to maintain safety and workflow efficiency.
• Comfortable reviewing jobs prior to estimation to assess production methods, tooling needs, and time requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to hold team members accountable while maintaining trust and respect.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and lead a diverse team.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with a track record of meeting production deadlines.
• Mechanical aptitude and the ability to learn, operate, and maintain manufacturing equipment safely.
• Proficient problem-solving and critical thinking skills with the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.
• Comfortable balancing hands-on production work with leadership and administrative duties.
• Capable of developing efficient workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and improving production processes.
• Commitment to quality, safety, and teamwork.
• Ability to act with professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Regularly required to stand, walk, climb, bend, stoop, lift, and carry materials up to 100 pounds.
• Frequently operates forklifts, pallet jacks, and other shop equipment.
• Regular exposure to a workshop environment with wood dust, machinery noise, and variable temperatures.
• Must be able to perform physical work on the production floor as well as administrative duties in an office setting.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
• The Production Manager works primarily in a shop and yard environment, with regular exposure to moving mechanical equipment, forklifts, and wood-processing machinery. The role involves frequent standing, walking, lifting, and coordination of physical tasks alongside the production team. Temperatures can vary due to outdoor and kiln operations, and the noise level is typically moderate to high.
• This position occasionally requires short periods of office-based work for scheduling, reporting, and communication, but the majority of time is spent on the production floor and in the yard.

COMPENSATION:

• $28 per hour
• Health care benefits
• Two weeks paid vacation
• Retirement plan benefit

All of the information contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this classification, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the duties and/or work assignments of all positions, without advance notice, and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.