Sawmill Head Saw Filer

Vanderwell is an Alberta, family-owned company operating in northern Alberta for more than 80 years. We have a modern sawmill, planer mill, and pellet mill facilities, which produce dimensional lumber, wood pellets, shavings, and chips for wholesale customers.

We’re a major employer in the local region, with more than 150 employees working throughout the operation -- mill production, sales & shipping, woodlands, truck and mobile equipment shops, and administration. Contract and part-time employees are also employed in mill production, maintenance, transportation, and seasonal activities.

Vanderwell offers stable, long-term employment which provides our employees with a good standard of living. We offer competitive wages with a full benefits plan, as well as optional RSP plans.

We are currently looking to hire a Sawmill Head Saw Filer for our manufacturing facilities in Mitsue Industrial Park. Job duties include:

• Reinforces safe work practices, identifying and correcting safety behavior and hazards, and ensuring proper safety training for the saw filing team.
• Performs precise tasks such as sharpening teeth (filing), shaping gullets (gumming), adjusting cutting widths (fitting), and leveling and tensioning (benching) all types of saws, including circular saws, bandsaws and knives.
• Diagnoses sawing defects (e.g., vibration, heat distortion) and works with mill operations to solve cutting performance issues and maximize equipment reliability.
• Establishes and enforces quality control standards within the filing shop to ensure consistent and high-quality lumber production.
• Troubleshoots, maintains, and calibrates precision saw filing machinery, including automated CNC grinders, stretchers, and specialized measuring instruments.
• Changes saws and knives in all machines as well as assists maintenance in sawmill floor alignments.

Working Conditions:

• Exposed to noise, dust, falling debris, moving machinery, weather extremes, splinters, slipping and tripping hazards.
• Lifting heavy, awkward objects and climbing on equipment may be required.
• Required use of PPE appropriate for the task and working conditions.

Must have:

• Advanced knowledge of saw mechanics, metallurgy, and the functionality of various sawmill machines (e.g., Cutoff Saws, Barkers, Canters, Head Rigs, Edgers, Trimmers, Chippers, Planers).
• Excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills to diagnose complex issues and implement effective solutions quickly.
• A valid provincial or inter-provincial Journeyperson Saw Filer certification.
• Proven safety leadership and strong interpersonal skills for communication, conflict management, and mentoring junior staff.

If this position sounds like a fit for you, please apply directly through the portal. We thank all candidates for their interest; only candidates selected to advance in our recruitment process will be contacted.