About the role The Operations Manager owns the entire CHW production facility. You are accountable for what comes in, what happens to it, what goes out, and the people who make it happen. You report directly to the Director and Founder and sit at the centre of CHW's operational performance.

Uniquely, you will work alongside the R&D; division responsible for developing the technology that underpins everything CHW makes. This means you will understand the process from the ground up, contribute operational insight that feeds directly back into product and process development, and be part of conversations that most operations managers in traditional manufacturing never get near. The knowledge you build here is specific, proprietary, and not replicable elsewhere.

You will step into a business that is scaling. The systems, processes, and rhythms that a mature operation takes for granted are still being built here. You will play a direct role in building them.

Key responsibilities

- Oversee and manage all production operations including the Digital Production Unit (DPU), horizontal band-saw, multi-ripping, dressing, profiling, finishing, and all associated processes.

- Manage production scheduling to meet customer commitments and maintain on-time delivery performance.

- Drive continuous improvement in throughput, yield efficiency, and waste reduction across all production processes.

- Develop, document, and embed standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the facility.

- Directly manage production staff, including rostering, performance management, and professional development.

- Foster a positive, respectful workplace culture consistent with CHW's values, with particular attention to the No Ego Policy standard.

- Conduct regular one-on-ones and contribute to a performance framework that supports individual growth alongside business outcomes.

- Support the execution of CHW's Chain of Custody certification (FSC® and PEFC) under the administration of the CoC Administrator,



ensuring all obligations are met through the production process from raw material intake to finished product dispatch.

- Maintain all WHS obligations across the facility in accordance with South Australian workplace health and safety legislation.

- Own the operational budget, tracking expenditure against agreed monthly and annual targets.

About you

- Demonstrated experience in production or operations management within a timber, joinery, panel products, or closely related engineered materials setting.

- Direct people management experience, including performance management and team development.

- Operational budget accountability and financial literacy at a production management level.

- Strong understanding of WHS obligations in a manufacturing environment.

- Demonstrated experience working within a certified quality or chain of custody system (PEFC, FSC, ISO, or equivalent).

- Familiarity with CNC production environments, including understanding of workflow, throughput, and scheduling.

- Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or equivalent structured process improvement experience.

- Experience in a growth-stage business where operational processes were still being established, not simply inherited.

- Builder mindset: comfortable creating structure and process rather than simply operating within established systems.

- Honest and direct: able to surface problems early, speak plainly, and accept accountability without defensiveness.

About us

Crafted Hardwoods (CHW) is an Adelaide-based manufacturer of Solid Engineered Hardwood (SEH). We are bringing a world-first innovation to the Australian and New Zealand market: a proprietary engineered hardwood system that combines structural performance, zero-formaldehyde manufacturing, and industry-leading environmental credentials.

We are a young, ambitious business with a 10-year growth horizon. Everyone on the team is here because they believe what we are building matters: for the Australian manufacturing sector, and for global sustainability. We are not a steady-state operation. We are building something that has not been done before.

📌 Operations Manager (North Plympton)
🏢 Crafted Hardwoods
📍 North Plympton