Paint Supervisor

We work a "9/80" schedule-- 9 hours a day / 80 hours every 2 weeks; we are closed every other Friday

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Paint Supervisor to lead and manage our paint and coating operations in a defense manufacturing environment. This position is responsible for supervising paint personnel, maintaining production schedules, ensuring coating processes meet customer and quality requirements, and maintaining a safe, organized, and efficient paint operation.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in industrial painting, aerospace/defense coatings, corrosion prevention, surface preparation, and paint-process control, with the ability to lead a team while also working closely with Production, Quality, Engineering, Materials, and Planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise, train, and develop paint department employees.
• Plan and assign daily paint work based on production priorities and work-order requirements.
• Monitor paint department capacity, labor hours, schedules, and production performance.
• Ensure work is completed according to drawings, specifications, work instructions, and customer requirements.
• Ensure proper surface preparation before painting, including cleaning, sanding, blasting, masking, and other approved preparation methods.
• Control and verify paint mixing, thinning, application, flash times, cure times, and environmental conditions.
• Ensure proper handling and application of primers, topcoats, chemical coatings, corrosion-resistant coatings, and specialty coatings.
• Understand and enforce coating manufacturer requirements and applicable military/defense specifications.
• Maintain proper paint booth, equipment, spray-gun, ventilation, and curing practices.
• Ensure proper recording of paint batch numbers, lot numbers, expiration dates, mix ratios, application information, and other required documentation.
• Work closely with Quality to resolve coating defects, adhesion problems, corrosion issues, rework, and nonconformances.
• Assist with paint adhesion testing, cross-hatch testing, bonding/adhesion evaluations, thickness measurements, and other required inspections.
• Identify coating-process problems and develop corrective actions before they affect production schedules.
• Ensure paint materials are properly stored, controlled, labeled, and within shelf life.
• Coordinate with Materials and Purchasing to prevent paint, primer, solvents, masking materials, and other coating supplies from becoming production shortages.
• Maintain accurate work-order documentation and ensure required paperwork is completed before work moves to the next operation.
• Monitor paint rework and scrap and identify opportunities to reduce both.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe paint area.
• Enforce company safety requirements, PPE requirements, hazardous-material handling procedures, and environmental regulations.
• Ensure employees follow approved processes rather than using unauthorized chemicals, materials, or preparation methods.
• Participate in production meetings and communicate paint-related schedule risks early.
• Work with Engineering and Quality when specifications, drawings, coating systems, or repair methods are unclear.
• Support audits and maintain compliance with applicable ISO, customer, defense, and quality-system requirements.
• Lead by example and maintain accountability for attendance, productivity, workmanship, and adherence to procedures.

Required Experience

• 5+ years of industrial, aerospace, defense, or other high-specification painting/coating experience.
• 2+ years of supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of:
• Industrial spray painting
• Primer and topcoat systems
• Corrosion prevention
• Surface preparation
• Abrasive blasting and/or mechanical preparation
• Masking and paint-line preparation
• Paint mixing and application
• Coating thickness requirements
• Paint adhesion and coating defects
• Experience reading and following engineering drawings, specifications, work instructions, and process documentation.
• Experience working in a quality-controlled manufacturing environment.
• Ability to understand and follow military, customer, and manufacturer coating specifications.
• Strong understanding of paint-process troubleshooting and rework.
• Ability to supervise employees while maintaining production accountability.

Defense/Aerospace Experience Preferred

Candidates with experience working with specifications and coating systems commonly used in defense or aerospace manufacturing are strongly preferred.

Experience with requirements involving:

• MIL-SPEC coatings
• Corrosion-control systems
• Zinc-coated or galvanized substrates
• Aluminum and steel surface preparation
• Epoxy primers
• Polyurethane topcoats
• Chemical-resistant coatings
• CAR/Nonconformance processes
• First Article requirements
• Traceability and lot control
• Paint adhesion testing
• Coating thickness inspection
• Environmental controls
• Customer or government inspections

Leadership Expectations

The Paint Supervisor is expected to be a working leader, not simply an administrator. The supervisor should be comfortable spending significant time on the production floor, understanding what the painters are working on, identifying problems early, and helping employees find solutions.

The successful candidate will:

• Hold employees accountable for quality and productivity.
• Communicate clearly with Production, Quality, Engineering, and Management.
• Identify schedule problems before they become missed deadlines.
• Make decisions based on approved processes and specifications.
• Stop work when a process or material is questionable and obtain the appropriate approval before proceeding.
• Train employees to understand why a process is required, not simply tell them what to do.
• Maintain high standards for workmanship and documentation.

Education / Certifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Technical training in industrial painting, coatings, corrosion control, or a related field preferred.
• NACE/AMPP, SSPC, or similar coating certification is a strong plus.
• OSHA, hazardous-material, or safety training is a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in a manufacturing/paint-shop environment.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to wear required PPE, including respirators when required.
• Ability to occasionally lift and handle paint materials and equipment.
• Ability to work around solvents, coatings, paint fumes, and industrial equipment in accordance with required safety procedures.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who has actually run a paint operation, not simply someone who has experience spraying paint.

The ideal candidate understands that in defense manufacturing, paint is a controlled manufacturing process. Surface preparation, materials, environmental conditions, mixing, application, cure time, documentation, inspection, and traceability all matter.

A candidate who has worked in defense, aerospace, military vehicle, aircraft, specialized equipment, or other high-specification manufacturing would be especially valuable.

Notice pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act:

Any job offer is contingent upon completion of a criminal background check. Wenzlau Engineering will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Wenzlau Engineering is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act/.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $95,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person