Archived listing. The details below describe a past opening.
PAINT MANAGER – Industrial Pipe Fabrication The Paint Manager is a key leadership position in our industrial pipe fabrication facility, responsible for overseeing all surface preparation, coating, and painting operations for fabricated pipe spools, fittings, skids, and assemblies destined for oil & gas, chemical, power, and marine applications. This role ensures that all coating systems deliver superior corrosion protection, meet stringent customer specifications (including NACE, SSPC, and project-specific requirements), and align with aggressive production schedules. The Paint Manager leads the coatings team, optimizes processes, maintains full regulatory compliance, and partners closely with Fabrication, Quality Control, and Project Management to deliver defect-free, on-time coated products that protect assets in harsh operating environments.
Responsibilities:
- Lead and supervise the daily activities of the paint/coatings crew, including blasters, applicators, and inspectors, to achieve production targets while maintaining the highest quality standards for pipe spool and assembly coatings.
- Develop and execute detailed coating schedules that integrate with fabrication and shipping workflows, prioritizing critical path projects and optimizing booth utilization and cure times.
- Oversee all surface preparation (abrasive blasting, power tool cleaning), coating application (airless spray, plural-component systems), and curing processes for internal and external pipe coatings, linings, and topcoats.
- Ensure full compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, including VOC emissions, hazardous waste handling (paint-related), confined space entry for internal pipe coating, and OSHA/NACE standards.
- Collaborate with Quality Control, Welding, and Maintenance teams to inspect surface profiles, coating thickness (DFT), adhesion, holiday detection, and overall finish; lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for any defects.
- Train, mentor, and certify paint team members on proper techniques, new coating systems, safety protocols, and equipment operation.
- Maintain accurate digital and physical records of surface prep data, batch/lot traceability, material usage, inspections, and hazardous waste disposal in accordance with ISO/API quality systems.
- Troubleshoot paint defects such as runs, blistering, peeling, orange peel, or adhesion failures.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce material waste, overspray, rework, and cycle times while enhancing coating durability and throughput.
- Manage inventory of paints, thinners, abrasives, and consumables; partner with Procurement to qualify suppliers, control costs, and ensure material shelf-life compliance.
- Monitor and report on coatings department budget, labor efficiency, material utilization, and key performance metrics (Paint quality and defect rates, Production throughput, On-time delivery performance, Material utilization and waste reduction, Safety performance and incident rates, Labor productivity, Equipment uptime) first-pass yield, on-time completion, safety incidents).
Minimum Qualifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent required; technical or vocational training in industrial coatings or manufacturing preferred.
- Minimum 7– years of hands-on experience in industrial painting/coatings, with strong emphasis on pipe, structural steel, or fabricated assemblies for energy/chemical industries.
- At least 5 years in a supervisory or lead role.
- Active NACE/AMPP or SSPC coatings inspector certification (e.g., CIP Level 1 or higher).
In-depth knowledge of surface preparation (SSPC/NACE standar