Supervisor of Workshop; Bench Joiner Supervisor

Position: Supervisor of Workshop (Bench Joiner Supervisor)
Location: Clayton-le-Moors

The Workshop Supervisor (Bench Joiner Supervisor) is responsible for leading the workshop producing bespoke, made-to-measure furniture for lodges
, ensuring all furniture is:

• Built on time
• Built to quality
• Repeatable in process
• Built to budget

The role combines hands‑on bench joinery expertise with leadership, planning, and quality control to deliver consistent, high‑quality lodge furniture across multiple projects.

Supervision & Leadership

• Supervise, coordinate, and motivate a team of bench joiners and workshop staff
• Allocate work and set daily and weekly priorities to ensure furniture is built on time to lodge production and installation schedules
• Provide hands‑on leadership, training, and technical guidance
• Maintain high workshop standards, performance, and discipline

Bespoke Furniture Production

• Oversee the manufacture of bespoke, made‑to‑measure lodge furniture, including kitchens, wardrobes, bedroom furniture, seating, and fitted units
• Ensure all furniture is built to quality, meeting drawings, specifications, tolerances, and finish standards
• Support and carry out complex bench joinery tasks as required
• Ensure consistency of construction methods and finishes across lodge projects

Production Planning & Workflow

(Built on Time / Built to Budget)

• Plan and manage workflow to meet agreed deadlines and installation dates
• Coordinate materials, fittings, and finishes to avoid delays and downtime
• Monitor productivity, labour efficiency, and material usage to ensure work is built to budget
• Identify and resolve production issues that may impact time, cost, or quality

Quality Control

(Built to Quality)

• Implement and maintain quality control processes throughout production
• Inspect work in progress and completed furniture prior to dispatch
• Ensure corrective actions are taken where standards are not met
• Minimise rework, waste, and defects

Repeatability & Continuous Improvement

(Can We Repeat?)

• Develop and enforce repeatable build processes and standard methods for lodge furniture
• Work with design and CAD teams to improve clarity of drawings and standardisation
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability
• Support continuous improvement to ensure successful repeat builds across multiple lodges

Health, Safety & Housekeeping

• Enforce health and safety policies and safe systems of work
• Ensure safe operation of machinery and correct use of tools
• Maintain a clean, organised, and efficient workshop environment
• Report and address safety, machinery, or maintenance issues

Administration & Reporting

• Track production progress against programme, quality, and budget
• Provide regular updates to management against the four quadrants:
• Built on Time
• Built to Quality
• Can We Repeat
• Built to Budget
• Assist with stock control and material planning

Skills & Experience Required

• Proven experience as a bench joiner producing bespoke, made‑to‑measure furniture
• Experience supervising or leading a joinery or furniture workshop team
• Strong understanding of furniture construction, fittings, finishes, and tolerances
• Ability to read and interpret detailed technical and CAD drawings
• Experience managing production schedules, quality standards, and costs
• Strong organisational, leadership, and problem‑solving skills

Qualifications (Desirable)

• NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Carpentry & Joinery or Furniture Making
• Supervisory or leadership training
• Health & Safety certification

Personal Attributes

• Strong commitment to craftsmanship and quality
• Practical, hands‑on leadership style
• Commercial awareness and cost‑conscious mindset
• Process‑driven with a focus on repeatability
• Ability to manage multiple lodge projects concurrently

Working Hours

• Monday – Thursday: 7:30am – 4:30pm
• Friday: 7:30am – 1:30pm
• 40 hours per week

Salary

• £20 per hour

Benefits

• Company pension
• Provided with the best tools and machinery
• Uniform
• Opportunity to progress and earn more
• 8 hour shift
• Overtime available
  
  Monday to Friday

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