Production Lead / Lead Woodworker

ChopValue Boston

55 Roland Street

Charlestown, MA 02129

Date Posted:

May 30, 2025

Region:

Eastern Massachusetts

Category:

Production/Design

Type:

Full-Time

Production Lead / Lead Woodworker

Description:

The Production Lead / Lead Woodworker is a critical business partner to the Founder, ensuring that our Boston manufacturing team operates efficiently and delivers on production targets. This role is a unique opportunity to build and lead a team of 5-7 individuals in the ChopValue Microfactory concept, w we transform over 120,000 chopsticks every week into innovative new products.

This role is responsible for the end to end oversight of manufacturing including: collection of recycled chopsticks, material production, woodworking, quality control, fulfillment and delivery of finished goods.

We are looking for a driven and skilled woodworker, with manufacturing experience, who can lead through example. T must be a strong balance of independent leadership and willingness to work together with both the Franchisor and the Founder to ensure that the business will thrive. T is room to grow with thepany and to help scale our East Coast operation over the next 1-2 years.

The successful candidate is a strong operations leader and experienced woodworker that is energized by a fast-paced environment and excited by growth and change. The role requires keeping an eye on the big picture and multiple workstreams, while also working alongside the team and contributing on individual projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Generally this job is split ~ 80% working on the shop floor vs. ~20% planning/administrative. As we grow and scale, this balance will shift closer to 60/40.

Production Planning & Woodworking

Supervise and schedule the shop team, with daily shop meetings, task delegation, tracking of goals and productivity

Monitor and ensure quality at all parts of the process: recycling operation, tile production, woodworking, order fulfillment

Create and maintain production plans 3-6 months in advance; adjust and re-prioritize regularly as new orderse in

Ensure best shop practices are being met, including safety in accordance with OSHA and internal guidelines, cleanliness,anization

Maintain machinery, equipment, and ensure adequate inventory of consumables

Act as Lead Woodworker, ensuring the high quality of standard and custom projects:

Read product specifications and translate this into daily tasks for the woodworking team

Plan and assign daily tasks to ensure that all orders arepleted on time

Adapt and execute lean manufacturing methodologies with a focus on eliminating waste; improve process and boost operational excellence

Work alongside the team as an individual contributor as needed

Leadership & Management

Communicate and collaborate with the Founder daily, with full ownership of microfactory metrics, capacity, headcount, inventory counts, and scheduling

Collaborate with Franchise/Headquarters regularly to ensurepliance to corporate manufacturing processes (e.g. SOS and SOPs) for product quality/consistency, safe practices, and reporting KPIs

Build, maintain, and manage team performance including: hiring, training, development, feedback, etc. to ensure consistent attendance, performance and work quality

Drive team retention by creating and maintaining a shop culture that encourages growth and development, listens to feedback, and maintains accountability

ABOUT US

ChopValue Boston is an independently owned franchise of a global brand that diverts used chopsticks from local landfills and re-manufactures them into carbon negative products: gifts, furniture, interior features. Each year we divert 20 tons of material from local landfills. We have been in production since Sep 2022 and have achieved an impressive growth trajectory from t. We are a small and collaborative team of 7, and we work daily to balance quality work with flexibility to amodate life's needs. We are seeking an enthusiastic leader who s these qualities and values, and can help bring thepany to its next phase of growth. We sell both standard and custom products through emerce and directly business to business (B2B sales). We are a certified woman - and minority-ownedpany in MA and Boston.

BENEFITS INCLUDE

11 paid holidays

Paid time off accrual up to 3 weeks in first two years and 4 weeks tafter

Access to 401k program after 6 months

Employee discount

Access to shop after hours for personal projects

Please see this short video for a good sense of who we are and what we do: instagram/p/Cs4V-NrAXh_/

Qualifications:

Minimum 1 years supervisory experience, ideally in manufacturing/production environment

Minimum 3 years experience as a skilled woodworker ofmercial products

Demonstrated leadership experience in driving team performance and on-time delivery ofmitments

Growth mindset - always looking to learn new skills and grow as an individual; seeks out feedback and incorporates it

Thrives in a fast-paced environment, energized by daily curve balls/problems to solve

Collaborative and supportive leadership style with strong listening skills and demonstrated track record of coaching/mentoring of others

Strong track record for attention to detail and data-driven decision-making

Experience translating strategy into tactics and driving team performance

Comfort with spreadsheet design and use (e.g. Google Sheets or Excel)

Previous experience in startup, or lean manufacturing a plus

Passion for sustainability, innovation, and the circular economy