Technical Manager

THE OPPORTUNITY:

We are seeking a Technical Manager to lead innovation, product quality, and process performance within a single, highly flexible mill capable of adjusting machinery to produce a wide range of products and sizes. This is a hands-on technical leadership role responsible for ensuring the operation remains aligned with evolving technology, customer expectations, and industry standards.

You will lead technical trials, support new product development, and optimize product cost models to maximize value-added production. Working closely with Production, Maintenance, and Product Quality & Technical teams, you will influence day-to-day operations while providing indirect leadership to a team of Process Engineers, Specialists, and Coordinators. You will also engage externally with regulators, certification bodies, suppliers, and research partners to ensure compliance, support innovation, and drive continuous improvement.

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY:

• Championing and modeling core organizational values including safety, respect, integrity, collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Actively participating as a member of the Product Quality & Technical leadership group.
• Leading the technical department in achieving operational goals, performance metrics, and strategic objectives.
• Identifying, supporting, and implementing innovative ideas and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with organizational priorities.
• Providing leadership and oversight for all aspects of the Quality Management System as part of the plant leadership team.
• Overseeing budgeting, workforce planning, and staffing activities for the Quality department.
• Leading, mentoring, and developing Quality department personnel through coaching, training, feedback, and performance management.
• Ensuring employees are properly trained in safe work practices and remain compliant with regulatory and company safety standards.
• Promoting and maintaining a strong safety culture in accordance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Supporting the implementation, execution, and continuous improvement of the site Quality Management System (QMS).
• Ensuring quality manuals, SOPs, control plans, check sheets, and related documentation are maintained, updated, and consistently followed.
• Ensuring all required process and product verification testing is being completed in compliance with third-party certification and accreditation requirements.
• Maintaining the accuracy and integrity of quality data collection, analysis, and reporting systems.
• Ensuring process instrumentation and measurement systems are calibrated, verified, and optimized to effectively monitor critical product and process variables.
• Investigating customer complaints and product quality concerns while implementing effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Fostering and promoting a culture of continuous improvement throughout the operation.
• Collaborating with plant leadership on operational improvement initiatives and long-term capital planning opportunities.
• Developing and executing plant quality objectives aligned with broader business goals and operational priorities.
• Leading the planning, execution, and technical reporting of process trials, research and development activities, and new product initiatives.
• Optimizing product quality and manufacturing costs by managing process parameters, raw material usage, production rates, and product formulations.
• Building and maintaining strong professional relationships with certification agencies, customers, suppliers, contractors, and other external stakeholders while upholding organizational values and standards.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Wood Science, Wood Products Processing, Engineering, Forestry, Manufacturing, Quality, or a related technical discipline, or a technical/trade diploma with relevant manufacturing or quality experience.
• Minimum 5+ years of post-graduate experience in process engineering, quality, manufacturing, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, including exposure to plant-level quality oversight and production environments.
• Experience in OSB or Engineered Wood Products (EWP) manufacturing environments and/or familiarity with APA quality standards is considered an asset.
• Relevant quality certifications (e.g., ASQ CQE/CQA, Quality Technician, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, ACQT Level II) are considered assets.
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems (QMS), including ISO 9000 standards.
• Experience with inspection, testing, process control practices, and application of Statistical Process Control (SPC), Design of Experiments (DOE), and R&D methodologies.
• Ability to interpret and apply technical standards, procedures, and regulatory/code requirements (e.g., ASTM standards considered an asset).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to implement and oversee plant-level quality systems, policies, and procedures.
• Experience monitoring quality performance, compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to provide technical direction and lead quality initiatives within operations.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, leading, coaching, and developing diverse and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to influence and drive initiatives without direct authority.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

COMPENSATION:

• $102,000 to $136,000/year