Graveyard Layup & Softwoods Mentor

Job DetailsJob Location: States Industries Corporate Office - Eugene, OR 97402Position Type: Full TimeTravel Percentage: NoneJob Shift: Graveyard  The Graveyard Layup & Softwoods Production Mentor provides day-to-day floor leadership, training, technical expertise, and operational support for the Layup and Softwoods Departments during Graveyard shift. The Softwoods area includes Core Prep, veneer drying, material handling, veneer preparation, and associated production equipment and processes. The Layup area includes veneer preparation and assembly, spreaders, layup operations, presses, material handling, and associated production equipment and processes. The Mentor works closely with the responsible Value Stream Manager(s) to execute established priorities and support achievement of departmental goals for safety, quality, production, on-time delivery, labor utilization, waste, training, equipment performance, and continuous improvement. This position serves as a hands-on leader and subject matter expert on the manufacturing floor and is expected to actively support production while developing employees, reinforcing standards, identifying problems, and driving improvements. The Mentor plays a key role in training and employee development using Training Within Industry (TWI) principles and Job Instruction (JI) methods. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Ensure all employees work in a safe, productive, and quality-focused manner and follow established safety policies, procedures, and work practices. Serve as a floor-level leader, trainer, and technical resource for employees within the Layup & Softwood Departments. Support the VSMs in achieving departmental goals for safety, quality, production, on-time delivery, labor utilization, waste, cost, and employee development. Coordinate employees, work assignments, equipment, and material flow throughout the shift to support production requirements and customer needs. Monitor production performance and adjust work priorities or resources as needed to maintain efficient product flow. Work directly in critical production areas when needed to support production requirements, quality, training, or staffing needs. Monitor product quality throughout the manufacturing process and take appropriate action when products do not meet established specifications or quality standards. Serve as a primary quality control resource on the manufacturing floor, helping employees understand and consistently meet internal and customer quality requirements. Softwoods Operations Develop and maintain strong working knowledge of Softwoods processes and equipment, including: Core Prep Veneer drying and dryer operations Veneer preparation and handling Material staging and movement Applicable mobile equipment Quality requirements associated with veneer and core materials Monitor the availability and condition of veneer and core materials needed to support Layup production. Coordinate Softwoods production priorities with Layup requirements to ensure the appropriate material, quantity, quality, and mix are available when needed. Monitor material flow through Softwoods and proactively address shortages, bottlenecks, quality concerns, or equipment issues that could affect downstream production. Monitor veneer and core quality and ensure questionable or nonconforming material is appropriately identified and addressed. Support efficient dryer and Core Prep performance and communicate downtime, quality, material, or equipment concerns requiring VSM or Maintenance follow-up. Maintain effective organization, housekeeping, material storage, and staging within Softwoods work areas. Layup Operations Develop and maintain strong working knowledge of Layup processes and equipment, including: Veneer preparation and assembly Layup operations Spreaders Press operations Glue application and related processes Material handling Associated Layup equipment and processes Monitor production flow through Layup and take appropriate action to maintain established production priorities. Ensure required veneer and other materials are available to support the planned production schedule. Coordinate production activities to minimize unnecessary WIP, waiting, handling, and production interruptions. Monitor product quality throughout Layup and take appropriate action when products or processes do not meet established specifications. Support falldown reduction by identifying recurring quality losses, process failures, material issues, or work-practice concerns. Participate in cause and corrective action and root cause analysis related to quality, falldown, downtime, waste, and other production issues. Coordinate with Maintenance regarding equipment issues, downtime, TPM, and recurring equipment concerns affecting production. Leadership & Employee Support Serve as a primary quality resource on Graveyard shift for Layup and Softwoods employees. Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of customer specifications, grading requirements, finish requirements, and quality expectations applicable to both departments. Reinforce quality standards at the point of production and coach employees when standards are not consistently achieved. Identify recurring quality losses, defects, rework, or process failures and communicate trends to the appropriate VSM and Quality resources. Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action related to safety, quality, production, downtime, waste, and other operational concerns. Maintain a thorough understanding of Training Within Industry (TWI) principles and the States Industries training process. Train new and existing employees using Job Instruction (JI) methods and established training standards. Develop, review, and maintain accurate Job Breakdown Sheets (JBS) and other training materials for areas of responsibility. Conduct routine observations and audits to ensure employees continue to perform work according to established standards following training. Support development of a flexible, cross-trained workforce capable of responding to changing production and staffing requirements. Promote team building, accountability, communication, and cooperation between Layup, Softwoods, other departments, and shifts. Provide timely coaching and feedback when employee performance, conduct, attendance, safety, or other concerns are identified. Reinforce company expectations consistently and professionally. Support appropriate documentation of employee performance or conduct concerns and work with the responsible VSM and Human Resources as appropriate. Promote a positive work environment and consistently support the expectations and policies outlined in the States Industries Employee Handbook. Focus on elimination of waste and ensure improvements made within the departments are maintained and sustained. Complete assigned administrative responsibilities, including applicable Paycom activities, training records, production documentation, quality records, inventory transactions, and departmental reporting. Maintain working knowledge of inventory and production transactions within D365 ERP and other applicable manufacturing systems. Communicate significant operational, employee, safety, quality, or equipment concerns to the appropriate VSM or other leader. Maintain required forklift certification and safely operate applicable material handling equipment. Perform other duties as assigned. Key Performance Indicators: Performance in the Layup & Softwoods Mentor position may be evaluated using the following measures: Safety: Compliance with safety requirements, participation in safety initiatives, timely identification and correction of unsafe conditions, and support of a strong safety culture. Quality: Reduction in quality losses, defects, rework, mismanufactured product, and falldown; consistent achievement of customer and internal quality specifications. Production: Achievement of established production targets and effective use of available labor and equipment. Downtime: Identification, tracking, communication, and follow-up of equipment and process downtime, with emphasis on reducing recurring downtime. Continuous Improvement: Participation in and completion of Kaizen, 5S, TWI, and other improvement initiatives that positively impact safety, quality, productivity, waste, or cost. Waste and Consumables: Effective monitoring and control of manufacturing consumables, waste, rework, and material loss. Shift Communication: Accurate and timely communication between shifts regarding production, quality, maintenance, staffing, and other operational concerns. Team Development: Demonstrated ability to coach employees, build teamwork, reinforce expectations, and support a positive and accountable work environment. Documentation: Accurate and timely completion of required production, quality, training, inventory, Paycom, and other assigned documentation.   Qualifications  EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Minimum of two years of manufacturing experience required. Experience in plywood, wood products, panel processing, sanding, saw operations, repair/putty processes, or a related manufacturing environment preferred. Prior experience as a lead, mentor, trainer, or other formal or informal leadership role preferred. Associate degree or technical education preferred; bachelor's degree is a plus. Relevant manufacturing experience, technical knowledge, leadership experience, and demonstrated job performance may be considered in lieu of formal education. Ability to effectively prioritize and coordinate work across multiple manufacturing areas simultaneously. Experience with Lean manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, TWI, continuous improvement, and structured problem-solving preferred. Strong working knowledge of manufacturing processes, equipment, quality standards, and material flow. Demonstrated leadership, coaching, communication, and team-building skills. Ability to operate or become qualified to operate all applicable equipment within the SCP area. Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to recognize and communicate equipment or process concerns. Working knowledge of D365 ERP, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Paycom, and other applicable manufacturing systems. Forklift certification required or must be obtained within the timeframe established by the Company.   WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is performed primarily in an industrial manufacturing environment with regular exposure to moving mechanical equipment, machinery, forklifts, wood products, adhesives, chemicals, dust, and other conditions common to plywood manufacturing. The employee may be exposed to noise, heat, cold, dust, fumes, odors, and changing environmental conditions throughout the workday. Work requires regular presence on the manufacturing floor and the ability to move between work centers and production areas throughout the shift. The position requires the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and strict compliance with all company safety requirements. The employee must be able to safely work around chemicals and follow applicable SDS and chemical-handling procedures. The position requires interaction with employees, supervisors, Maintenance, Quality, and other departments in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The Mentor is expected to maintain flexibility and respond to changing production, quality, training, staffing, and equipment needs throughout the shift. Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the position. The position may require work outside the employee's regularly scheduled hours based on production, training, staffing, or operational needs.