Description

ABOUT THE ROLE

World Tree is scaling its Paulownia timber program and is hiring a Lumber Operations Manager to build and run the end-to-end operation — from standing-tree harvest through processing, warehousing, and delivery to buyers. This is a high-ownership, ground-floor leadership role at an agroforestry company with a rapidly growing distributed grower network across the USA and Latin America.

The Director will own four interconnected program areas: coordinating harvest and milling operations, building a warehousing and distribution network, managing third-party scouting of mature Paulownia stands available for acquisition or contract harvest, and serving as an operational resource for the sales and marketing teams. The right candidate combines hands-on timber operations experience with strong program management instincts and the entrepreneurial energy to build systems that don't yet exist.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Paulownia Lumber Harvest and Processing — Program Management

• Own the full harvest-to-lumber workflow: coordinate with World Tree's grower network to schedule and execute timber harvests, from pre-harvest tree assessment through felling, bucking, transport, and delivery to processing facilities.
• Identify, evaluate, and contract with sawmill operators and kiln-drying facilities capable of processing Paulownia; manage vendor relationships and negotiate pricing and capacity agreements.
• Develop and enforce harvest quality standards — log grade specifications, defect tolerances, minimum diameter requirements — to consistently meet target lumber grades based on NHLA guidelines.
• Build a harvest scheduling system that optimizes across grower readiness, buyer demand signals, processing capacity, and seasonal logistics constraints.
• Track lumber yield by grower site, log grade, and processing vendor; identify yield improvement opportunities and feed data back into grower and harvest guidance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable timber harvesting regulations across operating states and countries; maintain documentation for chain-of-custody and sustainability certifications as required.
• Coordinate with World Tree's grower success team to support growers through the harvest process, including site access planning, equipment coordination, and post-harvest site restoration expectations.

Paulownia Lumber Warehousing and Distribution — Program Management

• Design and operate a distributed warehousing strategy that positions processed Paulownia lumber near key buyer markets across the USA.
• Source and manage relationships with third-party logistics (3PL) providers, regional warehouses, and LTL/FTL freight carriers; negotiate rates and service agreements.
• Build and own inventory management processes that track lumber SKUs (species, grade, thickness, width, length, drying status) across multiple warehouse locations, with real-time visibility into available stock.
• Manage order fulfillment from buyer purchase order through shipment and delivery confirmation; coordinate directly with sales to align available inventory with committed orders.
• Develop KPIs and reporting for warehousing and distribution operations: fill rates, days of inventory, freight cost per MBF, on-time delivery, and damage rates.
• Plan for capacity expansion as lumber volume scales; evaluate owned vs. leased warehouse options in strategic markets.

3rd Party Paulownia Stand Scouting — Program Management

• Build upon and manage World Tree’s scouting program to identify mature Paulownia stands outside World Tree's grower network that are candidates for contract harvest or timber purchase arrangements.
• Evaluate scouted opportunities for commercial viability — timber quality, harvest economics, logistics feasibility, and landowner deal structure — and present recommendations to leadership.
• Build relationships with landowners, farm managers, and rural real estate brokers in target geographies to generate a pipeline of scouting leads.
• Maintain scouting database to track leads, site assessments, outreach status, and closed harvest agreements.
• Collaborate with World Tree's forestry teams to coordinate scouted harvest opportunities with the broader supply strategy.

Sales Support

• Serve as the operational point of contact for the sales team: translate buyer inquiries into accurate availability windows, lead times, and freight cost estimates.
• Participate in key customer conversations where supply chain specifics — lumber grade, drying status, packaging, volume minimums, and delivery terms — are central to closing deals.
• Develop and maintain a sales support toolkit: grade and species cut sheets, packaging and bundling specs, and sample availability.
• Alert sales leadership proactively to supply constraints, lead time changes, or inventory surpluses that affect deal structuring or pricing.

Additional Responsibilities

• Establish and enforce Paulownia lumber quality standards across all processing vendors — moisture content, dimensional tolerances, grade-out rates, and appearance — monitor output against customer specs, and drive corrective action when issues arise.
• Oversee kiln-drying specifications with attention to Paulownia's fast-drying properties; hold processing vendors accountable for equipment maintenance, uptime, and yield recovery benchmarks.
• Build and manage the lumber supply chain team as operations scale, including setting performance goals, conducting evaluations, and maintaining a strong culture of safety and accountability across all field and processing activities.
• Develop and manage the annual operating budget for the lumber supply chain; track and report KPIs across cost per MBF, yield recovery, freight cost, and contribution margin by product line; contribute to long-term capacity planning as the grower network matures.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience in timber supply chain, lumber operations, or forest products logistics, with at least 3 years in a program management or leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end lumber supply chain operations, including harvest coordination, mill and kiln-drying vendor management, warehousing, and freight logistics.
• Direct experience working with growers, landowners, or timber sellers, including negotiating harvest agreements and coordinating field operations across multiple sites.
• Track record of building operations systems, workflows, and vendor networks in a scaling or startup-stage business.
• Bachelor's degree in forestry, supply chain management, agricultural business, operations management, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency with inventory management and supply chain software (e.g., ERP systems, WMS platforms, or equivalent tools); comfort adopting new technology stacks.
• Strong working knowledge of lumber grading standards (NHLA and/or export standards), kiln-drying specifications, and common lumber defects and their market implications.
• Ability to read and interpret timber cruise and stand assessment data; familiarity with GIS tools or mapping platforms for spatial scouting work is a plus.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and data tools (Excel, Google Sheets) for supply/demand modeling, cost analysis, and operational reporting; experience with data visualization or BI tools is a plus.
• Working knowledge of freight logistics: LTL and FTL rate structures, carrier management, Incoterms, and BOL documentation.

Professional Competencies

• Builder mentality: thrives in environments where infrastructure, processes, and vendor relationships need to be created from scratch with limited guidance.
• Strong cross-functional communicator: able to translate complex supply chain realities into clear, actionable information for sales, marketing, and leadership audiences.
• Data-driven decision maker: naturally tracks KPIs, builds simple models to evaluate tradeoffs, and uses data to continuously improve operations.
• Highly organized with strong project management instincts: able to manage multiple concurrent workstreams, vendors, and deadlines without losing detail.
• Entrepreneurial and self-directed: comfortable setting priorities and moving work forward independently in a remote, fast-moving company environment.
• Collaborative and relationship-oriented: skilled at building trust with growers, vendors, buyers, and internal teammates across different cultures and geographies.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

The following qualifications are not required but will strengthen a candidate's application:

• Experience with Paulownia, lightweight hardwoods, or tropical/exotic species supply chains.
• Familiarity with agroforestry, silvopasture, or plantation forestry business models.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Experience with FSC, SFI, or other chain-of-custody certification programs.
• Background in furniture, millwork, cabinet, or architectural wood products markets — understanding of buyer specs, grade expectations, and purchasing cycles.
• Experience sourcing lumber from or selling into export markets, including understanding of phytosanitary requirements, heat treatment certification (ISPM 15), and export documentation.
• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) and comfort integrating supply chain data with sales workflows.
• Experience managing remote or field-based teams across multiple geographic regions.

ABOUT WORLD TREE

World Tree is an agroforestry company on a mission to plant, grow, and harvest high-value, fast-growing timber trees at scale. Our flagship species is the Paulownia — a remarkable tree that reaches harvest maturity in as little as 8–10 years, sequesters significant carbon, requires minimal inputs, and produces lightweight, high-strength timber prized for furniture, millwork, and specialty wood products.

We work through a distributed grower network: landowners across the USA and Latin America plant and tend Paulownia trees on their properties, and World Tree provides trees, agronomic support, and access to a developing timber market. As our oldest grower sites reach harvest maturity, we are building the downstream supply chain infrastructure — harvest, processing, warehousing, and sales — to bring Paulownia lumber to market at scale. 

This is an early-stage, high-impact role at a company with a compelling environmental and commercial story. You'll be one of the first people to move Paulownia through a commercial supply chain in the United States, building the playbook along the way.

COMPENSATION & ROLE DETAILS

Employment Type: Full-time, exempt

Location: Remote (Southeast US); travel to grower sites, mills, & warehouses required

Travel: ~ 25-35% to grower sites, processing facilities & warehouses

Reports To: Chief Operation Officer

Compensation: Competitive base salary commensurate with experience; performance bonus; equity participation

Benefits: Health, dental & vision insurance; 401(k) with match; PTO