Wood Procurement Manager

Position Summary

To provide the quality and quantity of wood required to sustain the Shuqualak, MS OSB (Oriented Strand Board) plant at the lowest possible delivered cost.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Establishes and administers wood procurement strategy and policies. 
• Responsible for efficient and accurate wood payment procedures
• Develops and maintains contracts and working relationships with landowners, independent suppliers, brokers, government, and other outside agencies that can affect our ability to obtain wood.
• Safely operates motor vehicles to travel to landowners, independent suppliers, brokers, etc.
• Maintains knowledge of harvesting and delivery costs through conventional methods and technological advances to reduce costs.
• Works with the Plant Controller to account for and categorize wood costs.
• Develops and maintains merchandising strategy for wood purchased that is not used in OSB production.
• Controls inventory levels to reduce costs. 
• Contacts wood industries to secure fiber swaps.
• Responsible for establishing procedures and systems in conjunction with the accounting department to receive, account for, and inspect incoming wood supplies.
• Supervises the Wood Inspectors to ensure wood quality and efficient scaling procedures.

Principles Duties and Responsibilities Cont.

• Make recommendations to the Production Manager for proper woodyard operations regarding turnover, methods of wood hauling, and storage.
• Maintains an orderly flow of wood through the yard to the mill.
• Works with plant personnel to establish and maintain purchased wood specifications. 
• Is familiar with quality problems in the mill as they relate to raw material.
• Reports regularly to the Plant Manager regarding short-term (6 months) wood supply and pricing.
• Develop present and future wood procurement plans.
• Maintains high public and industry relations, encouraging sound forestry practices.
• Responsible for woodyard waste disposal for the plant - Work will include developing disposal methods and sites, and organizing and supervising such work, all in an environmentally acceptable manner.
• Work with the Environmental and Safety Manager as necessary to ensure that such disposal is in accordance with corporate policy.
• Responsible for safety procedures and enforcement in the woodyard.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Performs general physical activities that require considerable use of arms and legs, movement of the whole body, and multi-limb coordination.

Requirements and Preferred Competencies

• B.S. degree in Forestry or related field
• 3- 5 years of wood purchasing experience preferred
• Knowledge of wood hauling, delivery, receiving, wood inspections, scaling, wood inventory, and payment systems
• GPS (global position system) knowledge a plus
• Computer skills are required.

Major Challenges

• To maintain a budgeted inventory and stabilized wood supply sufficient to run the plant without interruption.
• To provide quality wood supply at the lowest possible cost
• To provide merchandising and/or fiber swaps for species of wood purchased and not to be used in the OSB process, yielding the best possible return to the plant.
• Maintain knowledge of competitor activities that impact wood availability and costs.