Paint Prepper

Job Title: Industrial Paint Prepper

Job Description

Join a fast-paced production environment preparing custom fire trucks for high-quality industrial painting. This role focuses on detailed paint preparation, finishing work, and decal application, ensuring each truck meets exacting standards for quality and appearance.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive paint preparation on fire trucks, including sanding, grinding, masking, and taping surfaces to ensure they are fully ready for painting.
• Use spray guns and sanding equipment to prepare metal and other surfaces according to established specifications and quality standards.
• Apply masking and taping accurately to protect non-painted areas and achieve clean, precise paint lines.
• Climb underneath trucks and work from rolling ladders to access all areas of the trucks and booms, including elevated and confined spaces.
• After painting, carry out the final tear-down process by removing all tape and masking materials and completing final details and touch-ups.
• Install and align custom decals on fire trucks, ensuring proper placement, adhesion, and a clean, professional appearance.
• Use shop math and measurements to mark, align, and verify components and decal positioning.
• Operate or learn to operate forklifts and other material-handling equipment as needed to move trucks, parts, and materials safely.
• Follow all safety protocols, including proper use of masks or respirators, and adhere to guidelines for working in a dusty environment with sanding equipment.
• Maintain a high level of productivity to meet mandatory production numbers, shipping deadlines, and overtime requirements when needed.
• Perform repetitive, physical tasks while standing for 8–12 hours per shift in a high-demand, high-pressure environment.
• Communicate clearly with team members and supervisors to coordinate workflow, clarify instructions, and report issues.
• Use and maintain personal basic tools, keeping them in good working order and available for daily tasks.
• Demonstrate reliable attendance and consistent work habits to support team performance and production goals.

Essential Skills

• At least 6 months of paint preparation experience in an industrial paint environment or auto body paint prep, OR a minimum of 2 years of experience in a shop environment with mechanical knowledge.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with hands-on mechanical experience in a shop or production setting.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds consistently throughout the shift.
• Ownership of basic hand tools and the ability to bring and use them at work.
• Experience operating a forklift or the ability and willingness to learn forklift operation.
• Solid, continuous work history with no significant unexplained gaps.
• Excellent reading skills to follow written instructions, measurements, and safety guidelines.
• Strong verbal communication skills to coordinate tasks and work effectively within a team.
• Proficiency in paint preparation techniques, including sanding, masking, taping, and grinding.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, numbers-driven production environment with mandatory deadlines and overtime when required.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Detailing experience, particularly in automotive or industrial finishing, is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with shop math for measurements, layout, and alignment.
• Experience with painting or paint prep in a manufacturing or fabrication environment.
• Ability to work safely on ladders, around large equipment, and underneath vehicles.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality, precise work.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and production demands while maintaining accuracy and speed.

Why Work Here?

Employees work in a large, quality-focused operation that emphasizes precision and craftsmanship. The organization invests in cross-training and actively promotes from within, offering clear pathways for advancement from entry-level roles into leadership positions. Team members benefit from strong benefits, opportunities for overtime for those who want additional hours, and performance-based pay increases. The culture values safety, reliability, and continuous improvement, and offers flexibility in scheduling and start times where possible, creating an environment where dedicated employees can grow their skills and build a long-term career.

Work Environment

The role is based in a very busy, large production facility that prioritizes safety and quality. The paint building operates at a fast pace with high demand, creating a pressure-filled environment where meeting production numbers and shipping deadlines is essential. Work is physical and repetitive, with standing for 8–12 hours per day and frequent lifting, climbing, and reaching. The environment is numbers-driven, and overtime is mandatory at times to ensure required trucks are completed and shipped. You will work with sanders and other paint prep tools throughou…