Manager, Paint

Job DetailsJob Location: ECOPLASTIC AMERICA - Register, GA 30452Position Type: Full TimeKey Responsibilities: Lead and manage all Paint Department operations, ensuring achievement of production, quality, cost, delivery, and safety objectives. Direct and supervise Paint Process Engineering, Production, and Technical Support activities to ensure stable and efficient manufacturing operations. Develop departmental strategies, annual objectives, and operational plans aligned with company business goals. Manage daily paint shop operations, including coating application, robotic painting systems, pretreatment, curing processes, paint circulation systems, and material management. Establish departmental KPIs and monitor operational performance through data analysis, implementing corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives. Lead process optimization efforts to improve productivity, first-pass yield, OEE, labor efficiency, coating quality, and equipment utilization. Oversee painting process development, validation, line balancing, capacity planning, and new product launches. Ensure proper control of paint materials, including inventory management, viscosity control, mixing ratios, material consumption, VOC management, and waste reduction. Lead troubleshooting activities for paint defects, equipment failures, and production issues while implementing permanent corrective and preventive actions. Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, PFMEA, SPC, Control Plan, and Root Cause Analysis methodologies throughout the department. Collaborate closely with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Customer Quality teams to achieve operational excellence. Manage capital investment projects, equipment upgrades, process improvements, and facility expansion projects for the Paint Department. Ensure compliance with all environmental regulations, OSHA requirements, hazardous chemical handling procedures, and company safety standards. Develop, implement, and maintain departmental SOPs, work instructions, process standards, and engineering documentation. Prepare and manage departmental budgets, including labor costs, paint material consumption, maintenance expenses, and capital expenditures. Monitor department financial performance and identify cost reduction opportunities while maintaining product quality and customer requirements. Lead customer audits, internal audits, and support customer issue resolution related to paint quality and manufacturing processes. Recruit, mentor, coach, develop, and evaluate engineers, supervisors, technicians, and production personnel while building leadership capability throughout the organization. Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, employee engagement, and operational discipline. Present departmental performance reports, KPIs, improvement initiatives, and strategic plans for executive leadership. Support overall manufacturing operations to ensure customer requirements, production schedules, launch timing, and on-time delivery commitments are consistently achieved. QualificationsQualifications: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field preferred. Minimum 8–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience in automotive or industrial manufacturing environments preferred. Minimum 5 years of direct experience in paint process engineering, coating systems, or automated paint shop operations strongly preferred. Extensive hands-on experience with robotic painting systems, automated coating equipment, and paint process optimization. Strong technical knowledge of paint materials, coating technologies, surface preparation, curing systems, and paint defect analysis. Proven experience leading complex process improvement projects in high-volume manufacturing environments. Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, and structured problem-solving methodologies. Experience managing capital projects, equipment upgrades, new process launches, and manufacturing process validation activities. Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Strong commitment to safety, environmental compliance, and operational excellence.   Benefits Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)  401(k) Plan  Paid Time Off (PTO)  Relocation Support (if applicable) EEO Statement SECO Ecoplastic America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We make all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and multilingual candidates. If you need reasonable accommodation during the application process, please inform Human Resources.