Wood Mill Manager – Wood Mill – Parker Knoll
WHO ARE SOFA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL?
Sofa Brands International is a market leader, with a turnover of close to £70m, and home to four unique sofa brands: Duresta, Parker Knoll, G Plan, The Lounge Co.
Our range of contemporary and classic styles reflect the individual needs and lifestyles of our customers and can be found in 600 retail outlets across the UK. Sofa Brands International has a collective heritage of over 500 years’ experience in the industry. With a wealth of design, manufacturing, sales, and marketing talent, we are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to British-made, handcrafted furniture.
At the heart of the group lies great British design and craftsmanship. Every piece of furniture from SBI’s four brands is made by hand in purpose-built factories in Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire. The group excels in combining the best of traditional furniture making methods with cutting-edge techniques.
At Sofa Brands International, we work hard to offer the best in the industry and we’re the largest manufacturer of quality sofas in UK. Our employees are the lifeblood of SBI; the group currently employs 650 people.
Job Overview
The Wood Mill Manager is responsible for leading and managing all wood mill operations within an upholstery manufacturing environment. This role ensures the efficient, safe, and cost-effective production of high-quality frames to support upholstery production, while driving performance, continuous improvement, and team development.
As a key team member of the team, the role holder’s key duties will be but not limited to:
Production & operations
- Oversee all wood mill operations, including cutting, machining, assembly, and frame preparation.
- Ensure production output meets business requirements in terms of volume, quality, and delivery timelines.
- Develop and manage production plans in line with business and upholstery demands.
- Monitor performance against KPIs and take corrective actions where necessary.
- Optimise workflow, layout, and resource allocation to improve efficiency.
Leadership & people management
- Lead, manage, and develop the wood mill supervisor and wider team.
- Set clear objectives and performance expectations across the department.
- Conduct 1 2 1 meetings with the wider team.
- Support succession planning, training, and development of employees.
- Foster a positive, high-performance culture focused on accountability and teamwork.
- Manage employee relations matters, including performance, attendance, and conduct.
Quality management
- Ensure all frames meet required company quality standards and specifications.
- Establish and maintain robust quality control processes within the wood mill.
- Work closely with upholstery, quality and design and development teams to reduce defects and rework.
- Analyse quality data and implement improvements to drive consistency.
Health & safety
- Take overall responsibility for health & safety within the wood mill.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and internal policies.
- Promote a strong safety culture and ensure safe systems of work are in place.
- Lead incident investigations and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
- Ensure all machinery is operated and maintained safely.
Materials, machinery & cost control
- Oversee the efficient use of timber, materials, and consumables to minimise waste.
- Manage stock levels in collaboration with stores and procurement.
- Ensure machinery is maintained, and downtime is minimised.
- Control departmental costs and contribute to budget planning.
Continuous improvement
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, quality, and efficiency.
- Implement lean manufacturing principles and best practices.
- Identify opportunities for process optimisation, cost reduction, and waste elimination.
- Lead improvement projects within the wood mill.
- Provide monthly reports on waste in the wood mill and frames department.
Communication & collaboration
- Work closely with production, upholstery, planning, and supply chain teams.
- Communicate departmental performance, challenges, and improvements to senior management.
- Ensure clear communication of priorities and expectations across the team.
- Support cross-functional alignment to achieve overall production goals.
Qualifications & Skills - required:
- Significant experience in a wood mill, joinery, or furniture manufacturing environment.
- Proven experience in a management or senior supervisory role.
- Strong understanding of wooden frame construction for upholstered furniture.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams.
- Strong organisational, planning, and problem-solving skills.
- In-depth knowledge of health & safety within a manufacturing setting (NEBOSH).
Qualifications & Skills - preferred:
- Experience within upholstery or furniture manufacturing.
- Qualification in Wood Machining, Joinery, Engineering, or Manufacturing.
- Experience with lean manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience managing budgets and operational KPIs.
Diversity
At Sofa Brands International, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our people, our customers, and our wider community that we live in.
Sofa Brands International is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We will never discriminate against any applicant or employee based on age, race, colour, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship, marital status or civil partnership/union status, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by applicable country or local laws.
We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can support you appropriately.
Pay: £42,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Canteen
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
