How to Apply to UFP Industries

10 min read Last updated March 7, 2026 96 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Apply directly through UFP's Workday portal (ufpi.wd503.myworkdayjobs.com/ufpi) and filter by location carefully — the same role title appears at dozens of facilities, and each location hires independently under UFP's decentralized model.
  • Quantify your manufacturing impact with specific metrics — production volumes, quality rates, safety records, and process improvements are the language UFP hiring managers speak and what differentiates competitive applicants.
  • Name specific equipment, certifications, and software you've used (CNC, forklifts, flexographic presses, ArtiosCAD, SolidWorks) to pass both Workday's keyword screening and the hiring manager's quick resume scan.
  • Emphasize your safety track record in your resume and during interviews — UFP's safety-first culture means this is not a checkbox item but a genuine core value that influences hiring decisions at every level.
  • Signal your desire to grow within UFP by highlighting past promotions, training roles, or leadership moments — the company's promote-from-within philosophy means they're hiring not just for today's role but for your next one.
  • Prepare for practical, conversational interviews focused on real-world scenarios — rehearse specific stories about operating equipment, solving production problems, improving processes, and working effectively with a team.
  • Double-check all auto-parsed data after uploading your resume to Workday — errors in job titles, dates, or employer names can create confusion and undermine an otherwise strong application.

About UFP Industries

UFP Industries (NASDAQ: UFPB), headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of wood and wood-alternative products in North America. Originally founded in 1955 as Universal Forest Products, the company rebranded in 2020 to reflect its expansion beyond traditional lumber into composites, engineered plastics, corrugated packaging, and other advanced materials. UFP operates through three primary business segments — UFP Retail Solutions, UFP Industrial, and UFP Construction — serving markets that range from home improvement retail giants to industrial packaging clients and large-scale commercial builders. With approximately 15,000 employees spread across more than 200 facilities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, UFP Industries has built a reputation for its decentralized, entrepreneurial culture. Plant managers and local leaders often operate with significant autonomy, which means individual locations can feel more like tight-knit teams than outposts of a Fortune 500-level enterprise. This structure attracts people who value ownership over their work and the ability to make a visible impact. UFP's culture emphasizes safety, continuous improvement, and promoting from within. Many of the company's senior leaders started on manufacturing floors, which creates a tangible sense of upward mobility. The company consistently invests in training programs, lean manufacturing initiatives, and employee development. For job seekers drawn to hands-on manufacturing, logistics, design engineering, or operations leadership, UFP Industries offers the stability of a publicly traded company with the agility and culture of a much smaller organization — a combination that drives strong employee retention across its network of facilities.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Find Openings on UFP's Workday Careers Portal

    Navigate to UFP Industries' dedicated Workday-powered careers portal at ufpi.wd503.myworkdayjobs.com/ufpi. Use the location filter aggressively — with 200+ facilities, UFP posts roles across dozens of states and countries, and the same job title (e.g., Assembler I, Machine Operator I) may appear at multiple sites. You can also filter by job family or keyword to narrow results from the 380+ active listings.

  2. 2
    Create Your Workday Candidate Profile

    Workday will prompt you to create an account before applying. You can sign in with LinkedIn, Google, or a standard email. Take time to complete your profile thoroughly — Workday stores your information across all UFP applications, so any future applications will auto-populate. Upload your resume during this step, and Workday's parser will attempt to pre-fill employment history fields.

  3. 3
    Complete the Online Application Form

    After selecting a role, you'll complete UFP's Workday application form. This typically includes employment history, education, skills, and role-specific screening questions. For manufacturing roles like Machine Operator or Assembler, expect questions about shift availability, physical requirements, and relevant equipment experience. For roles like Structural Designer or Project Coordinator, you may encounter questions about software proficiency or project management experience. Review parsed resume data carefully — Workday's parser can misplace dates and job titles.

  4. 4
    Screening and Initial Review

    UFP's HR team and local hiring managers review applications, often prioritizing candidates whose profiles match screening criteria set within Workday. Because UFP operates a decentralized model, the hiring manager at the specific plant or office typically has significant input at this stage. Response times vary — high-volume manufacturing roles may move quickly (within days), while specialized design or coordination roles may take one to two weeks for initial contact.

  5. 5
    Phone or On-Site Interview

    For production and assembly roles, UFP commonly conducts a single on-site interview at the facility, sometimes combined with a plant tour so you can see the working environment firsthand. For salaried and professional roles (Project Coordinator, Structural Designer), expect a phone screen with HR followed by one or two interviews with the hiring manager and possibly a team lead. UFP's interview style tends to be practical and conversational rather than heavily structured or behavioral-framework heavy.

  6. 6
    Skills Assessment or Practical Evaluation

    Depending on the role, UFP may incorporate a hands-on skills evaluation. Flexographic Press Operators and Machining Crew Leaders, for instance, may be asked about specific equipment knowledge, safety protocols, or troubleshooting scenarios. Structural Designers working with corrugated packaging may need to demonstrate CAD proficiency or discuss past design projects in detail. Not every role includes this step, but manufacturing-focused positions frequently do.

  7. 7
    Offer, Background Check, and Onboarding

    UFP Industries typically extends offers contingent on a background check and, for many plant-based roles, a drug screening and physical assessment consistent with manufacturing industry standards. Once cleared, onboarding includes safety training — a major emphasis across all UFP facilities — along with role-specific training. Many new hires report that the onboarding process is thorough, reflecting UFP's strong safety culture and investment in getting employees up to speed before they hit the production floor.

Resume Tips for UFP Industries

critical

Mirror UFP's Job Description Language Exactly

UFP's Workday system ranks candidates partly on keyword alignment. If a posting says 'Flexographic Press Operator' or 'corrugated packaging,' use those exact terms — not close synonyms like 'flexo printing tech' or 'cardboard packaging.' Pull specific phrases from the job posting's requirements and responsibilities sections and weave them naturally into your experience bullets. This is especially important for specialized roles in UFP's Industrial and Construction segments where terminology is precise.

critical

Lead with Manufacturing Metrics and Safety Record

UFP Industries is a metrics-driven manufacturer that takes safety extremely seriously. Quantify your impact: units produced per shift, defect reduction percentages, machine uptime improvements, or days without safety incidents. A bullet like 'Operated CNC router producing 400+ components per shift with 99.2% quality pass rate and zero recordable safety incidents over 18 months' speaks UFP's language far more effectively than 'Responsible for operating machinery.' If you've participated in lean manufacturing, Kaizen events, or 5S initiatives, feature those prominently.

critical

Highlight Equipment and Software by Name

For machine operator and press operator roles, list specific equipment you've operated — CNC machines, forklifts (include certification type), saws, routers, flexographic presses (number of colors/stations), and palletizers. For design roles, name your CAD software (SolidWorks, ArtiosCAD for corrugated, AutoCAD). Workday's screening filters can match on these specifics, and UFP hiring managers scanning resumes will immediately recognize relevant equipment experience. Create a dedicated 'Equipment & Certifications' section if you have extensive hands-on experience.

recommended

Use a Clean, ATS-Compatible Format

Workday's resume parser handles straightforward formatting best. Use a single-column layout with standard section headers (Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications). Avoid tables, text boxes, graphics, columns, and headers/footers — Workday frequently misreads or ignores content placed in these elements. Save your file as a .docx or PDF (Workday accepts both), but .docx tends to parse more reliably. Keep fonts standard (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman) and use consistent date formatting throughout.

recommended

Showcase Advancement and Leadership Readiness

UFP Industries is known for promoting from within, and hiring managers actively look for candidates who show growth potential. If you've ever been promoted, trained new team members, led a crew, or taken on additional responsibilities, make this unmistakably clear. For a role like 'Machining Crew Leader,' demonstrating that you've progressed from operator to trainer to informal leadership positions tells a story UFP values deeply. Use phrases like 'selected to train incoming operators' or 'promoted to shift lead within 8 months.'

recommended

Include Shift Flexibility and Physical Capability Details

Many UFP roles specify shift requirements (1st shift, 2nd shift, rotating) and physical demands (lifting 50+ lbs, standing for extended periods, working in variable temperatures). Address these directly in your resume — either in a brief summary statement or a dedicated section. A line like 'Available for 1st and 2nd shift schedules; experienced in physically demanding warehouse and production environments' removes a potential screening hurdle before it arises. This is especially relevant for Assembler, Material Handler, and Machine Operator positions.

nice_to_have

Tailor for UFP's Three Business Segments

Understanding which UFP segment your target role falls under helps you tailor your resume with precision. UFP Retail Solutions deals with decking, fencing, and outdoor living products — reference home improvement or retail distribution experience. UFP Industrial focuses on packaging (corrugated, protective) — highlight packaging design, fulfillment, or industrial manufacturing. UFP Construction covers trusses, wall panels, and concrete forming — mention framing, structural assembly, or construction materials. Even a brief mention of relevant industry context signals that you understand where you'd fit within the company.

nice_to_have

Keep Your Resume to One or Two Pages

For hourly production roles (Assembler, Material Handler, Machine Operator), a strong one-page resume focused on relevant experience and certifications is ideal. For salaried or specialized roles (Project Coordinator, Structural Designer), two pages are acceptable if the content is substantive. UFP hiring managers at the plant level review high volumes of applications — concise, scannable resumes with clear bullet points and quantified achievements stand out over dense paragraphs of text.

ATS System: Workday

UFP Industries uses Workday Recruiting, one of the most widely adopted enterprise ATS platforms, hosted on their dedicated Workday tenant (ufpi.wd503). Workday parses uploaded resumes to pre-fill application fields, uses configurable screening questions to filter candidates, and allows hiring managers to search candidate pools by keywords, skills, and qualifications. Your application data lives in UFP's Workday environment permanently, meaning you can apply to multiple UFP roles without re-entering your information.

  • Always review and correct Workday's auto-parsed resume data — the parser frequently misassigns job titles, dates, and company names, and hiring managers may see this parsed data before they open your actual resume file.
  • Use exact keywords from the job description in both your resume and the manually entered fields — Workday's search and screening functionality relies heavily on keyword matching against the job requisition.
  • Avoid special characters, graphics, tables, and multi-column layouts in your uploaded resume — Workday's parser strips or misreads complex formatting, potentially losing critical content.
  • Complete every field in the application form, even optional ones — partially completed profiles may rank lower in Workday's candidate relevancy sorting, and some hiring managers filter out incomplete applications.
  • Upload your resume as a .docx file for optimal parsing accuracy, though Workday also accepts PDF — if using PDF, ensure the text is selectable (not a scanned image) so the parser can extract content.
  • Apply to specific roles rather than submitting a general interest profile — Workday routes applications by requisition, and UFP's decentralized model means each facility's hiring manager reviews applications for their specific location and role.

Complete Workday Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Interviewing at UFP Industries reflects the company's practical, no-nonsense manufacturing culture.

Expect direct conversations focused on what you can do, what you've done, and whether you'll thrive in a hands-on, fast-paced production environment. The atmosphere is typically more relaxed than corporate interview processes at other large companies — plant managers and shift supervisors tend to value authenticity and straightforwardness over polished interview performance. For hourly production roles (Assembler, Machine Operator, Material Handler), the process is commonly a single on-site interview lasting 30 to 60 minutes, often conducted by the shift supervisor or plant manager. Many facilities include a walk-through of the production floor so you can see the work environment, equipment, and pace of operations. This tour is also an informal evaluation — hiring managers observe whether you seem comfortable in a manufacturing setting and engaged with the work happening around you. For skilled and salaried positions (Flexographic Press Operator, Structural Designer, Project Coordinator, Machining Crew Leader), expect two rounds. A phone or video screen with HR or a recruiter typically covers your background, salary expectations, availability, and basic qualifications. The second round is an on-site or virtual interview with the hiring manager and possibly one or two team members. Technical questions are common — you may be asked to walk through how you'd set up a press run, troubleshoot a machine jam, or approach a corrugated packaging design challenge. Culture fit signals that UFP interviewers commonly look for include: a strong work ethic, comfort with physical and fast-paced work, a team-first attitude, and genuine interest in learning and growing within the company. Mentioning your safety awareness unprompted makes a strong impression — safety is deeply embedded in UFP's operational DNA. If you've solved problems on the fly, improved a process, or taken initiative without being asked, these are stories worth preparing. UFP's entrepreneurial culture prizes people who see what needs doing and act. Finally, showing familiarity with UFP's products — whether that's decking at a home improvement store, industrial packaging, or engineered wood components — demonstrates that you've done your homework and are genuinely interested in the company, not just any manufacturing job.

What UFP Industries Looks For

  • Demonstrated commitment to workplace safety — UFP tracks safety metrics rigorously and expects every employee to prioritize safe practices above production speed
  • Hands-on manufacturing or production experience, particularly with wood products, packaging, corrugated materials, or related building/industrial products
  • Reliability and shift discipline — consistent attendance and punctuality are non-negotiable in UFP's production environments where team output depends on full crew staffing
  • Initiative and problem-solving mindset — UFP's decentralized, entrepreneurial culture rewards people who identify inefficiencies and act to fix them without waiting for top-down direction
  • Willingness to learn and grow within the company — UFP heavily promotes from within and actively seeks candidates who view entry-level production roles as the start of a longer career path
  • Team orientation with strong communication skills — production lines, assembly operations, and project coordination all require seamless collaboration across shifts and departments
  • Technical proficiency relevant to the role — whether that's operating CNC machines, running flexographic presses, designing corrugated structures in CAD, or safely operating forklifts and material handling equipment
  • Adaptability in a physically demanding environment — comfort working on your feet for extended hours, in variable temperatures, and with the pace demands of a high-output manufacturing operation

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does UFP Industries typically take to respond after I submit an application?
Response times at UFP Industries vary significantly by role type and facility. High-volume hourly positions like Assembler, Material Handler, and Machine Operator often move quickly — many applicants report hearing back within a few days to one week, especially when a facility has urgent staffing needs. Skilled and salaried roles such as Structural Designer or Project Coordinator may take one to three weeks for an initial response as hiring managers coordinate availability. If you haven't heard back within two weeks for a production role or three weeks for a professional role, it's appropriate to follow up through the Workday portal or by contacting the facility's HR representative directly.
Do I need to submit a cover letter when applying to UFP Industries?
UFP's Workday application does not always require a cover letter, and for hourly production roles (Assembler, Machine Operator, Material Handler), most hiring managers focus primarily on your resume and application responses rather than a cover letter. However, for salaried professional roles — particularly Project Coordinator, Structural Designer, or management positions — a brief, targeted cover letter can help you stand out. If you include one, focus on why you're interested in UFP specifically (mention the relevant business segment), your most relevant experience, and your alignment with UFP's safety-focused, entrepreneurial culture. Keep it under one page.
What format should my resume be in when applying through UFP's Workday system?
Upload your resume as a .docx file for the best parsing results in Workday. While PDF is also accepted, Workday's text extraction tends to be more reliable with .docx format. Critically, ensure your resume uses a single-column layout with standard section headers and no tables, text boxes, or graphics — Workday's parser struggles with complex formatting and may omit or scramble important content. After uploading, always review the auto-populated fields in the application form. Workday frequently misassigns dates, job titles, and company names, and this parsed data may be what UFP recruiters see first.
Can I apply to multiple UFP Industries positions at the same time?
Yes, and Workday makes this straightforward — your candidate profile saves across applications, so you won't need to re-enter all your information each time. Given UFP's 200+ facilities and 96+ open openings, applying to multiple relevant roles at different locations is a practical strategy. However, tailor each application where possible: if one role emphasizes forklift operation and another emphasizes assembly, adjust your resume's emphasis accordingly. Hiring managers at each facility review applications independently, so applying to the same role at different locations won't create conflicts. Just be mindful of geographic feasibility and shift availability requirements.
Does UFP Industries hire candidates without prior manufacturing experience?
UFP Industries does hire entry-level candidates for several role types, particularly Assembler I, Material Handler, and some Machine Operator I positions. These roles commonly list requirements like 'previous manufacturing experience preferred but not required' and emphasize trainability, reliability, and physical capability. UFP invests in on-the-job training and has a strong culture of developing employees from the ground up — many current leaders started with no manufacturing background. If you lack direct experience, emphasize transferable skills like physical stamina, attention to detail, teamwork, mechanical aptitude, and any experience in fast-paced or physically demanding environments such as warehousing, construction, or landscaping.
What should I expect during an on-site interview at a UFP facility?
On-site interviews at UFP facilities are typically practical and straightforward. You'll likely meet with the shift supervisor, plant manager, or both in an office setting for a conversational interview covering your experience, availability, and fit for the role. Many facilities include a production floor walk-through where you'll see the equipment, workspace, and pace of operations — treat this as part of the interview, as hiring managers observe your comfort level and engagement. Wear closed-toe shoes and be prepared for a manufacturing environment (noise, temperature variation, moving equipment). For skilled roles, expect technical questions about specific equipment or processes. The entire visit commonly lasts 45 minutes to an hour.
Does UFP Industries offer remote or hybrid work options?
The vast majority of UFP Industries' roles are on-site at manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, or project locations — production, assembly, machine operation, and material handling inherently require physical presence. Some corporate and professional roles based at UFP's Grand Rapids headquarters or regional offices may offer hybrid flexibility, but this varies by team and function. Roles like Structural Designer might have partial remote flexibility depending on the facility, though many design roles still require regular on-site collaboration with production teams. Check each job posting's location designation within Workday for specifics, and ask directly during the interview process if flexibility is important to you.
How can I make my application stand out for a Machine Operator or Press Operator role at UFP?
Three things differentiate strong operator applications at UFP: specific equipment experience, safety credentials, and quantified output. Name every relevant machine you've operated — CNC routers, panel saws, flexographic presses (specify stations and color capabilities), molders, laminators, and packaging equipment. List your certifications explicitly (OSHA 10/30, forklift, lockout/tagout training). Then quantify: pieces per shift, changeover times, scrap reduction, or uptime percentages. Also mention any experience with quality inspection, preventive maintenance, or lean manufacturing practices — UFP values operators who go beyond just running equipment to understand the broader production process and contribute to continuous improvement.
Does UFP Industries promote from within, and what does career growth look like?
Internal promotion is a hallmark of UFP Industries' culture and one of its strongest selling points. The company's decentralized structure creates leadership opportunities at the plant level that might not exist at more centralized manufacturers. A common trajectory starts with an entry-level role like Assembler or Machine Operator, advances to a Crew Leader position, and can progress to shift supervisor, production manager, or plant manager over time. UFP also offers cross-functional movement — production employees sometimes transition into quality, maintenance, logistics, or sales roles. During interviews, expressing your interest in long-term growth within UFP resonates strongly with hiring managers who themselves often followed similar paths.

Sample Open Positions

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 96 open positions at UFP Industries

Related Resources

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Sources

  1. UFP Industries Careers Portal — UFP Industries / Workday
  2. UFP Industries - About Us — UFP Industries
  3. UFP Industries Company Reviews and Interview Insights — Glassdoor
  4. UFP Industries Investor Overview - Business Segments — UFP Industries