What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Custom Cabinet Maker / Woodworker position at Palmer Creative LLC?
Lead Custom Cabinet Maker / Woodworker
Palmer Creative LLC – Elko New Market, MN
Full-Time | $32–$38/hr depending on experience
Palmer Creative is looking for an experienced Lead Custom Cabinet Maker / Woodworker to join our growing custom woodworking and cabinetry shop.
We build a little bit of everything — custom kitchens, built-ins, vanities, entertainment walls, storage solutions, architectural woodworking, and plenty of one-off projects that require figuring things out along the way.
This position requires real cabinetmaking and custom woodworking experience. General construction, framing, trim carpentry, or handyman experience by itself is not enough for this role. We’re looking for someone who has actually built cabinetry, casework, furniture, built-ins, or similar detailed shop-built work.
This is not an entry-level or assembly-line position. We want someone who knows their way around a cabinet shop, is confident in their abilities, enjoys solving problems, and can take a drawing, sketch, measurements, or general direction and run with it!!
Basically, we want someone we can hand a project to and hear:
“I’ve got it.”
What we're looking for
- Several years of hands-on cabinetmaking or custom woodworking experience
- Ability to build custom cabinetry from start to finish
- Strong understanding of cabinet construction, joinery, doors, drawers, hardware, face frames, and installation
- Comfortable reading drawings, sketches, measurements, and cut lists
- Experience with plywood, hardwoods, MDF, veneers, and finished materials
- Experience with wood finishing, including stains and clear coats
- Spray finishing experience preferred, but not required for the right candidate
- Comfortable with on-site cabinet and custom woodworking installation
- Ability to scribe, level, fit, trim, troubleshoot, and make field adjustments
- Strong attention to detail and pride in producing a furniture-quality finished product
- Creative thinker who can solve problems without needing step-by-step direction
- Able to help lead, teach, and train other members of the shop
- Organized, dependable, and able to keep projects moving
Important experience requirement
If your background is primarily framing, general construction, remodeling, or basic carpentry, this probably isn't the right position unless you also have substantial cabinetmaking or furniture-building experience.
We need someone who understands tight tolerances, cabinet layout and construction, drawers and slides, hinges, doors, reveals, hardware, finishing, and the level of precision required for high-quality custom work.
Who will do well here
Someone who genuinely enjoys building cool stuff and takes ownership of what they build.
You should be comfortable making decisions, figuring out construction details, solving unexpected problems, and working independently without someone standing over your shoulder.
We also want someone who thinks beyond just getting the project done — using good shop practices, efficient build methods, smart material usage, and thoughtful planning to reduce wasted time and materials while maintaining a high standard of quality.
Ideally, you enjoy being involved in the whole process — fabrication, finishing, and onsite installation — and understand how decisions made in the shop affect the final installation.
This is a lead role, so you'll also help set the standard for quality and efficiency in the shop, answer questions, share what you know, and help less-experienced team members improve.
What we build
- Custom kitchens and cabinetry
- Built-ins and entertainment centers
- Vanities, mudrooms, and storage systems
- Custom furniture and woodworking
- Architectural and finish woodworking
- Unique one-off projects
- And occasionally something we've never built before
If you like variety, enjoy solving problems, take pride in craftsmanship, and would rather build custom work than the same cabinet 100 times, you'll probably like it here.
Full-time position based in Elko New Market, MN.
$32–$40/hr depending on experience and skill level.
To apply, send us a brief overview of your cabinetmaking/custom woodworking experience along with a few photos of cabinetry, furniture, built-ins, or other custom woodworking you've personally built.
We'd much rather see what you can do than read a perfectly polished résumé.
Pay: $32.00 - $38.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Experience:
- Cabinet Making: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
Salary : $32 - $38