Finishing Manager

The Finishing Manager is responsible for overseeing all operations within the Finishing Department, including both Paint and Stain. This role ensures that finishing processes run efficiently, safely, and consistently to deliver high-quality cabinet finishes that align with company standards and customer expectations.

The Finishing Manager leads with a servant-minded approach, supporting Finishing Supervisors and employees in Paint and Stain to achieve success, grow professionally, and uphold the company’s values of respect, accountability, and teamwork.

This role is primarily focused on leadership, oversight, and continuous improvement. The Finishing Manager’s main responsibility is to guide, coach, and support the finishing team, while ensuring that day-to-day production activities and improvement efforts are carried out effectively by the team.

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership & People Development

• Lead the Finishing Department with a servant-minded approach, focusing on enabling the success of Finishing Supervisors and finishing staff.
• Build and maintain respectful, positive relationships with all team members in Paint and Stain.
• Provide clear direction and daily oversight to Finishing Supervisors, ensuring alignment with production goals, quality standards, and lean objectives.
• Identify and develop future leaders within the Finishing Department through coaching, training, and succession planning.
• Drive accountability while balancing empathy and fairness, creating an environment where employees feel valued, heard, and supported.
• Engage employees in problem-solving and improvement activities, encouraging them to identify waste and suggest better ways of working.

2. Finishing Operations Oversight

• Oversee all finishing operations, including preparation, staining, painting, sealing, sanding, and final touch-up.
• Ensure finishing processes are executed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with all safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Monitor workflow, staffing, and scheduling within Paint and Stain to meet production targets and delivery deadlines while minimizing bottlenecks and work-in-progress (WIP).
• Evaluate finishing methods, materials, and equipment; recommend and implement improvements to increase efficiency, quality, and consistency.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment throughout the Finishing Department using visual controls and 5S practices.
• Manage relationships with finishing-related vendors (e.g., coatings suppliers), utilizing vendor resources, holding them accountable to agreed processes, standards, and performance expectations.
• Oversee and direct the activities of the onsite vendor technician, ensuring their work supports plant priorities, quality requirements, and continuous improvement goals.

3. Quality & Process Control

• Establish and uphold clear quality standards for all finished products leaving the department.
• Work closely with the Product Readiness Manager/Team, Production, and Engineering to resolve finishing issues, defects, and rework through structured problem-solving methods (e.g., 5-Why, Root Cause Analysis).
• Standardize finishing processes and work instructions across Paint and Stain to ensure consistent color, sheen, and finish quality.
• Track finish quality metrics (defects, rework, scrap) and drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce variation and waste.
• Support standard work documentation and regular audits to ensure adherence and stability of processes.

4. Team Training & Development

• Ensure all finishing employees are properly trained on processes, equipment, safety procedures, and quality standards.
• Develop and maintain training materials, SOPs, and checklists for Paint and Stain operations, incorporating lean best practices into standard work.
• Cross-train employees where appropriate to increase flexibility, coverage, and resilience within the department.
• Provide regular feedback, coaching, and performance evaluations for employees and Finishing Supervisors.
• Train and coach team members on basic lean concepts (waste identification, 5S, visual management, standard work).

5. Collaboration & Communication

• Partner closely with the Plant Manager and other department supervisors (Machining, Assembly, Logistics, Product Readiness, etc.) to ensure smooth production flow into and out of Finishing.
• Communicate production priorities, schedule changes, and quality expectations clearly and consistently to the Finishing team.
• Provide input on plant-wide capacity planning, line balancing, and workflow design from a finishing perspective.
• Collaborate with key vendors to schedule onsite support, trials, and technical visits, ensuring vendor activities align with production schedules and improvement priorities.
• Support the Vice President of Operations and Plant Manager in aligning finishing processes and standards across all company facilities, including lean and continuous improvement practices.
• Share best practices and lessons learned from St. Marys’ Finishing Department with counterparts in other KC, and Maple Hill locations to drive consistency and improvement.

6. Continuous Improvement, Lean & Culture

• Champion a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and respect within the Finishing Department.
• Lead the application of lean principles in the Finishing area, including:
  • Identifying and eliminating the eight wastes (transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over-processing, defects, and underutilized talent) in daily operations.
  • Implementing and sustaining 5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) in booths, prep areas, and material storage.
  • Supporting flow and pull where appropriate to reduce WIP, shorten lead times, and improve responsiveness.
• Facilitate or participate in kaizen / improvement events focused on:
  • Reducing defects, rework, and touch-up
  • Improving color-change/set-up times
  • Optimizing material usage (stain, paint, solvents)
  • Improving ergonomics and safety in high-frequency tasks
• Use basic lean/CI tools to manage and improve performance, such as:
  • Visual management boards for safety, quality, delivery, and cost metrics
  • Daily or weekly tier meetings / huddles to review performance and prioritize actions
  • 5-Why and root cause analysis for recurring problems
• Encourage employees to view their roles in finishing as a career path with growth potential, involving them in:
  • Suggestion systems or idea boards
  • Improvement teams and trials of new methods or equipment
• Promote and model the company’s values and lean mindset in all daily interactions and decisions, ensuring that improvements are:
  • Safe
  • Sustainable
  • Standardized and documented

• Proven leadership experience in a manufacturing or production environment, preferably in cabinetry, wood products, or a related finishing-intensive industry.
• Direct knowledge of finishing operations (stain, paint, sealers, topcoats, color matching, surface preparation, etc.).
• Strong people management skills with demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop employees and supervisors.
• Experience applying lean manufacturing / continuous improvement principles (e.g., 5S, standard work, waste reduction, visual management, basic problem-solving tools).
• Experience managing vendor relationships, including utilizing vendor technical resources, holding vendors accountable to process and quality standards, and coordinating onsite vendor support.
• Solid understanding of production scheduling, workflow, and quality control in a high-mix, custom manufacturing environment.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Commitment to servant leadership and building a strong, positive team culture.
• Familiarity with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements related to finishing materials and processes (e.g., VOCs, PPE, ventilation).