Director of Wood Reuse

Landforce

About this Position

Landforce is looking to fill the newly created role of Director of Wood Reuse. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build an urban woody biomass campus in conjunction with our workforce development program. Because of our dual people and planet mission, the person in this position will have the unique opportunity to use their wood reuse skills and knowledge both for environmental benefit and to support people using this training opportunity to create a better future for themselves and their families. Ideal candidates will be deeply familiar with the safe operations of lumber production, curious about how to successfully recreate production systems within an urban environment and have a deep sensitivity to the structural inequalities and traumatic experiences that have often impacted our crew members’ lives.

The campus will ultimately include, at a minimum, a sawmill, wood drying center, and biochar production, and will be integrated into existing Landforce programming. You will be responsible for working closely with the Landforce Executive Director, our technical advisors and advisory board, and other senior staff to execute our business plan in a phased approach. Once the campus is up and running, you will be primarily responsible for directing the Wood Reuse Program, supervising staff, and ensuring that the program meets its desired goals.

Position Description

Objective

The person in this position will be primarily responsible for establishing and running Landforce’s urban woody biomass campus, including sawmill, drying center, biochar production, etc. Initially the position will be focused upon working closely with the Executive Director to purchase equipment, identify and establish a wood reuse site, build relationships with arborists, municipalities, and lumber market partners, establish safe operational procedures, and create a wood reuse curriculum for workforce development participants. The Director of Wood Reuse (DWR) will also work collaboratively with a consultant team of technical assistants and other senior Landforce staff. Ultimately the DWR will assume responsibility for directing the program, running a self-sustaining business, hiring and supervising the Yard Operations Manager, and incorporating our workforce development participants into wood reuse operations. We are interested in hiring someone who has considerable experience with wood reuse and who also has a sensitivity towards the crew members we hire and the skills and experiences they bring with them.

Responsibilities

The essential functions of the job include but are not limited to the following:

Establishing the Urban Woody Biomass Campus

  1. Assist the Executive Director in identifying and gaining site control over an appropriate sawmill location.
  2. Work with consultants to create a site plan for the build-out of the campus (i.e. sort yard, milling, drying center, biochar production area) and establish an operations plan, including an equipment procurement and facility staffing roadmap, as needed, purchasing all necessary equipment including sawmill, kiln, skidsteer, shed, etc.
  3. Assist the Executive Director, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and consultants in raising any outstanding funding needed to purchase remaining equipment, secure & develop site, and hire knowledgeable staff.
  4. Along with our Director of Strategic Partnerships & Executive Director, build relationships with arborist companies, local municipalities, utility companies, etc. to create a flow of trees into the sawmill.
  5. Along with our consultants build a network of potential wood buyers at various grades.
  6. Along with our consultant team, establish appropriate metrics to measure our business success and environmental impact.
  7. Be a consistent role model for the development of professional level Landforce crews and leaders, stressing safety, high standards of behavior, quality results, and enthusiasm for the work, our partners, and the neighborhoods in which our crews live and work.
  8. Work with the Executive Director, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Communications Manager to create a communications identity and plan, including website, logo, and all social media accounts.
  9. Ultimately, alongside the Executive Director, hire and supervise Yard Operations Manager who will oversee day to day operations of the sawmill.
  10. Ensure that Landforce crews, Site Supervisors, and Program Managers have the necessary professional level skills to successfully and safely fulfill contracts by creating a curriculum and ensuring it is taught at a high standard.

 

Directing the Functioning Program (post-establishment)

  1. Maintain and build relationships with suppliers and buyers.
  2. Ensure all staff, including Crew Members, know and practice safe tool use, prioritize safe worksites, and establish safe processes by developing policy, teaching appropriate skills (or ensuring they are taught), and ensuring policies are compliant with MUW, OSHA, and other standards and regulations that are practiced universally.
  3. Provide daily support to managers in ensuring quality and budget performance, monitoring budget and operating metrics, and working with the wood reuse team to diagnose and improve processes, procedures, and performance as necessary.
  4. Execute the strategic program & capital budget, ensuring effective use of the budget through asset allocation and participating in Profit & Loss meetings to ensure effective deployment of funds.
  5. Supervise the Yard Operations Manager and support their role in developing optimal equipment utilization, equipment maintenance, and labor and material costs as well as mentoring, supervising, and evaluating Crew Members.
  6. Work closely with the Workforce Development team to ensure the wood reuse business engages in healing-centered practices and does not retraumatize our participants.
  7. Assist Director of Workforce Development and Director of Strategic Partnerships to build employer partnerships for our participants to transition to when leaving Landforce.
  8. Ensure thorough root cause investigations of all injuries and incidents, following-up with consistent discipline and re-training.
  9. Manage all wood reuse invoices and payments in cooperation with our Director of Operations.
  10. Help Executive Director build, create, fund, and monitor annual budget, including grant writing and reporting on wood reuse needs.
  11. Participate in regularly scheduled crew, staff, and Director-level meetings.
  12. Supervise the completion of all necessary Landforce paperwork and documents.
  13. Adhere to organization policy, procedures and the professional code of ethics.
  14. Perform other assigned duties as required for the success of the organization.

About LandForce: Landforce, an employment social enterprise, combines workforce development and environmental stewardship to restore and maintain land and green space while helping individuals get back to work. By providing professionally skilled crews who can assist in environmental management we are able to construct, maintain and rehabilitate trails, vacant lots, green stormwater infrastructure, and natural habitats. At the same time, we support our Crew Members’ passion to become strong employees for Landforce and future employers through training, career coaching, and other supports. This meaningful transitional employment builds skills and confidence for individuals that have historically been excluded from the workforce. Our Urban Wood Reuse Program will play the same role for our crew members while also contributing to our region’s sustainability. 

Landforce is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

How to Apply

All interested persons can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to Ilyssa Manspeizer, Ph.D., Executive Director, at [email protected]. Please write “Director of Wood Reuse” in the email subject line. Our intention is to have the role filled by June 2024.