Paint Supervisor - 1st Shift

About the role

Panelmatic is seeking an experienced Paint Supervisor to oversee the day-to-day operations of the paint and finishing department. The Paint Supervisor will provide hands-on leadership to paint personnel while ensuring painting activities are completed safely, efficiently, and according to customer specifications, project requirements, and Panelmatic quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, train, and provide daily direction to painters and paint department personnel.
• Assign and prioritize daily work based on production schedules, project requirements, and department workload.
• Monitor employee productivity, work quality, attendance, and adherence to safety procedures.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and support to paint personnel.
• Train employees on proper painting techniques, equipment operation, surface preparation, and Panelmatic standards.
• Assist with onboarding and training new paint department employees.
• Provide coaching and feedback to employees to support performance and development.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, safety, and a positive work environment.
• Communicate daily production priorities and project requirements to department personnel.
• Escalate employee, production, quality, equipment, or scheduling concerns to the appropriate Production Manager.
• Oversee daily painting and finishing activities for custom control panels, metal buildings, enclosures, and fabricated components.
• Review drawings, specifications, work orders, and work instructions to verify required colors, coatings, finishes, and application requirements.
• Ensure proper surface preparation, including grinding, sanding, cleaning, masking, stripping, and polishing.
• Ensure primers, paints, coatings, and finishing materials are properly prepared and applied.
• Monitor paint mixtures, viscosity, chemical ratios, and coating thickness to ensure consistent results.
• Operate and oversee spray guns, pumps, mixing equipment, and other painting tools.
• Perform hands-on painting and finishing work as needed to support production.
• Ensure proper masking and protection of components and areas that should not receive paint.
• Coordinate workflow within the paint department to maintain production schedules and project timelines.
• Monitor work in progress and identify potential delays or production bottlenecks.
• Communicate material shortages, equipment issues, and other production concerns to management.
• Assist with rework, touch-up, and refinishing activities when required.
• Inspect completed work for quality, appearance, durability, coverage, and compliance with project specifications.
• Identify painting defects such as runs, sags, uneven coverage, overspray, poor adhesion, contamination, or improper finish.
• Troubleshoot paint and finishing issues and determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Coordinate and perform rework or refinishing when products do not meet quality requirements.
• Ensure painting and finishing work meets Panelmatic quality standards before moving to the next stage of production.
• Communicate quality concerns and recurring issues to Production and Quality personnel.
• Assist with final inspections and preparation of completed products for customer or quality inspection.
• Ensure employees follow all company safety policies, procedures, and required PPE standards.
• Promote safe operating practices throughout the paint department.
• Ensure proper ventilation is maintained during painting operations.
• Ensure employees properly handle, store, and dispose of paint, coatings, solvents, and other hazardous materials.
• Monitor proper use of respirators and other required PPE.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment.
• Address unsafe work practices immediately and communicate significant safety concerns to management.
• Support compliance with applicable environmental, safety, and company requirements.
• Monitor the condition and operation of spray guns, pumps, mixing equipment, ventilation systems, hoses, and other paint equipment.
• Ensure equipment is properly cleaned, maintained, and stored.
• Identify and report equipment malfunctions and maintenance needs.
• Monitor paint, coatings, solvents, PPE, and other department supplies.
• Communicate material shortages to management to prevent production delays.
• Ensure tools and equipment are returned to their proper locations.
• Coordinate with Production, Quality, Engineering, and other departments to resolve production and quality issues.
• Communicate department progress and project status to Production Management.
• Assist with maintaining accurate production and quality records.
• Support improvements to painting processes, efficiency, quality, and workflow.
• Help reduce material waste, rework, and production delays.
• Assist in maintaining department organization and production readiness.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• 3+ years of industrial painting or manufacturing experience.
• Previous lead or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of industrial painting, surface preparation, and coating application.
• Experience with spray painting equipment and industrial coating systems.
• Ability to read and understand drawings, specifications, work orders, and production instructions.
• Knowledge of paint mixing, viscosity, chemical ratios, and coating requirements.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Ability to troubleshoot painting and finishing defects.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to train, coach, and provide direction to employees.
• Ability to prioritize work and manage multiple projects in a production environment.
• Ability to work effectively with Production, Quality, Engineering, and other departments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience painting electrical control panels, fabricated metal products, or industrial equipment.
• Experience managing a paint booth or finishing department.
• Knowledge of OSHA safety standards related to industrial painting and chemical handling.
• Experience working with powder coating, epoxy coatings, or specialty industrial finishes.
• Experience working in a custom manufacturing environment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, HSA, term life, AD&D, STD, LTD.
• 100% medical premium paid for by Panelmatic for the employee-only level medical coverage.
• 80% paid for by Panelmatic and 20% paid for by the employee on all other level medical coverage.
• 401K, profit sharing, and ESOP contributions.
• Scholarships, educational reimbursement, paid volunteerism, and paid personal and professional development provided.
• PTO and paid holidays provided.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Competitive wages.
• Family-friendly environment with average employee tenure above five years.