Paint Chemist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary

The Paint Team Manager is responsible for leading all paint operations at Cummins Clean Fuel Technologies (CCFT), ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, productivity, and employee development. This position oversees paint booth operations, surface preparation, paint application, color matching, paint mixing, coating performance, and final finish quality for fuel system components, structures, and assemblies.

The successful candidate will bring extensive experience in commercial vehicle, truck, heavy equipment, fleet, or industrial painting environments and possess deep technical knowledge of coating systems, paint chemistry, color formulation, and the preparation of aluminum and steel substrates. This leader will work closely with Production, Quality, Engineering, and Safety teams to ensure products meet CCFT's customer and manufacturing standards.

Essential Responsibilities

Paint Department Leadership

• Lead and supervise all paint department personnel, including painters, prep technicians, and paint booth operators.
• Develop employee skills through training, coaching, and performance management.
• Establish daily production priorities and staffing requirements to meet production schedules.
• Foster a culture focused on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance reviews and support employee development plans.

Technical Paint Operations

• Manage all paint booth activities from surface preparation through final finish inspection.
• Serve as the department subject matter expert for paint systems, coating processes, and finishing techniques.
• Oversee paint mixing, color matching, viscosity control, and material usage to ensure consistency and minimize waste.
• Troubleshoot and resolve paint-related issues including adhesion failures, fisheyes, orange peel, runs, contamination, blistering, and curing defects.
• Ensure compliance with paint manufacturer specifications and engineering requirements.

Surface Preparation

• Oversee preparation of aluminum and steel components prior to painting.
• Ensure proper cleaning, sanding, grinding, masking, pretreatment, and primer application processes.
• Verify substrates meet coating requirements for adhesion, corrosion resistance, durability, and appearance.
• Establish and maintain standard work instructions for all preparation and painting processes.

Quality Assurance

• Ensure all painted components meet CCFT quality standards and customer specifications.
• Perform inspections for color consistency, gloss, coverage, film thickness, surface finish, and overall appearance.
• Monitor paint process capability and implement corrective actions when quality issues arise.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to investigate root causes and prevent recurring defects.
• Maintain paint quality documentation and inspection records.

Production & Continuous Improvement

• Drive efficiency improvements within paint operations.
• Monitor labor productivity, throughput, and paint material utilization.
• Reduce rework, scrap, and paint waste through process optimization.
• Participate in Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Support production planning and scheduling to ensure on-time delivery performance.

Safety & Environmental Compliance

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, environmental, and CCFT safety standards.
• Enforce proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Oversee safe handling, storage, and disposal of paints, solvents, and hazardous materials.
• Conduct regular safety observations and department audits.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable environmental permits and regulations.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in commercial truck, vehicle, heavy equipment, fleet, or industrial painting operations.
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing paint environment.
• Strong knowledge of paint chemistry, coating systems, and paint application methods.
• Proven experience with color matching, paint mixing, and paint system troubleshooting.
• Experience preparing and painting aluminum and steel substrates.
• Working knowledge of paint booths, curing systems, spray equipment, and mixing systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical data sheets.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in automotive, commercial vehicle, truck body, heavy equipment, or industrial manufacturing.
• Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement experience.
• OSHA safety training or certification.
• Experience with 5S, Kaizen, and Root Cause Analysis methodologies.
• Paint manufacturer certifications or advanced coatings training.
• Experience with ERP and manufacturing systems.

Key Performance Metrics

• First-pass yield and paint quality performance.
• Paint rework and defect reduction.
• On-time completion of production schedules.
• Paint material utilization and waste reduction.
• Department labor productivity.
• Safety performance and incident prevention.
• Employee training and retention.

Core Competencies

• Leadership & Team Development
• Paint Systems Expertise
• Color Matching & Paint Mixing
• Aluminum & Steel Surface Preparation
• Quality Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Manufacturing Operations
• Safety & Environmental Compliance
• Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis

Ideal Candidate: A hands-on manufacturing leader with strong commercial vehicle or industrial paint experience who can lead a team, manage technical coating processes, optimize paint booth operations, and deliver world-class quality standards that support CCFT's commitment to operational excellence.