Joinery Foreman Team Lead

ABOUT US

We're a growing joinery and commercial carpentry company with something to prove. We've got the skills, the vision, and the ambition to become one of the most respected joinery teams in the industry — and we're building that culture right now.

Our recent pipeline tells the story: Telstra's flagship Melbourne CBD store, hotel fit-outs, retail spaces, schools, office environments, wine bars — we're working on projects that matter. And we're not slowing down. New machinery is arriving this year, our lean transformation is delivering real results, and our team is evolving.

We're not a traditional factory. We're collaborative, results-driven, and we invest in our people as much as we invest in our processes.

THE ROLE

We're looking for a Joinery Foreman / Joinery Lead who's as comfortable with a set square as you are building a team.

You'll lead our team of 5 joiners and a machinist — managing day-to-day operations, quality, and workflow while staying hands-on with the work. You'll coordinate with our Production Manager and Drafting team, keeping everything flowing smoothly from design to delivery. But this isn't just about managing. It's about building.

What you'll actually do:

•         Lead and mentor our joinery team — setting standards, solving problems, and building culture on the floor

•         Stay involved in the craft — work on complex projects, troubleshoot solutions, and model the standard you expect

•         Drive lean continuous improvement — you won't just follow processes, you'll help shape them and coach your team to do the same

•         Upskill yourself alongside our lean coaches and bring that knowledge back to your team

•         Collaborate across production and drafting to keep projects moving

•         Foster safety, quality, and a workplace where people actually want to show up

ABOUT YOU

You're a skilled tradesperson (joinery/carpentry background essential). You've got leadership experience or the natural ability to lead — you don't need the title to make it happen. You're hands-on, detail-focused, and you care about quality.

But here's what really matters: You've got a lean mindset.

You're curious about how things work and how they could work better. You see inefficiency and want to fix it. You're open to learning new ways of doing things and, more importantly, you're willing to teach others. You believe that continuous improvement isn't a one-time project — it's how you work.

You're collaborative and approachable. You communicate clearly. You're not afraid to ask questions or admit when you don't know something. You build trust with your team.

You've got fire in your belly. You want to work somewhere with momentum, somewhere that's building something real.

Essential:

•         Minimum 10 years joinery experience

•         Proven team leadership or mentoring experience

•         Lean experience or genuine openness to learning lean methodologies

•         Trade qualification (or equivalent demonstrated experience)

•         Valid driver's license

Ideal:

•         Experience in a factory or manufacturing environment

•         Familiarity with CNC machinery

•         Background in continuous improvement initiatives

WHAT YOU GET

Immediate:

•         Competitive salary (based on experience)

•         A leadership role with real autonomy

•         Tools and systems to do the job well

•         A team that's invested in doing good work

•         Ongoing upskilling with our lean coaches

What's coming:

We're building a rewards culture. Incentives and team rewards tied to hitting targets and budgets are coming. We're still defining the shape of that — and we want your input on making it meaningful.

The bigger picture:

You're not just filling a role. You're helping build the culture and capability of a team that's going somewhere. The standards you set, the people you develop, the processes you improve — that becomes the foundation for everything that follows.

WHY MELWOOD

We're 18 months into our lean journey. The factory looks different. The flow is better. Our processes are tighter. Our standards are clearer. And we're just getting started.

We've got major projects locked in across commercial spaces — schools, offices, hotels, retail. We're investing in new machinery. We're serious about this.

But we're not about process at the expense of people. We want a factory where your team knows what they're working toward, where quality means something, where improvement is everyone's job, and where hitting targets actually gets celebrated.

APPLY

If this resonates — if you're looking for a role where you can lead, learn, and build something real — we want to talk to you.

Send us your resume and a note about why you're interested. Tell us about a time you've improved a process, led a team through change, or just made something work better than it was.

We'll be in touch.