Painter

The Painter prepares and finishes aircraft components, assemblies, tooling, and related production hardware in accordance with engineering drawings, work instructions, quality requirements, and customer specifications. This position performs surface preparation, masking, mixing, application, curing, touch-up, and inspection activities to produce durable, consistent, and mission-ready finishes.

Working closely with Production, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, and EHS, the Painter maintains safe and controlled coating processes, accurate material and batch records, proper equipment condition, and high standards for appearance, adhesion, coverage, thickness, and workmanship.

• Prepare composite, metal, and other approved surfaces by cleaning, sanding, abrading, filling, sealing, and performing other specified preparation methods
• Mask and protect aircraft components, openings, interfaces, hardware, markings, and no-paint areas in accordance with drawings and work instructions
• Mix, reduce, catalyze, strain, and prepare primers, paints, coatings, sealants, and related materials using approved ratios, methods, and pot-life controls
• Apply primers, topcoats, protective coatings, markings, and finishes using spray guns, brushes, rollers, or other approved equipment
• Set up and operate paint booths, spray equipment, ventilation systems, curing equipment, and related tools safely and effectively
• Control coating thickness, coverage, color, gloss, texture, cure, adhesion, and overall appearance to meet engineering and quality requirements
• Perform touch-up, blending, defect correction, and rework within authorized procedures and document completed work
• Inspect surfaces and finished parts for runs, sags, pinholes, fisheyes, contamination, poor adhesion, orange peel, overspray, masking defects, and other nonconformities
• Use approved measuring and inspection equipment to verify wet- or dry-film thickness and other specified coating characteristics
• Read and follow engineering drawings, specifications, work instructions, technical data sheets, safety data sheets, travelers, and production schedules
• Maintain material identification, lot and batch traceability, expiration and shelf-life controls, mix records, cure records, and other required documentation
• Handle, store, label, and dispose of paints, solvents, coatings, hazardous materials, and waste in accordance with EHS procedures and applicable regulations
• Maintain clean, organized, and FOD-controlled paint, preparation, mixing, storage, and curing areas
• Clean and maintain spray guns, hoses, pumps, booths, fixtures, respirators, and other paint equipment; report maintenance or calibration needs promptly
• Coordinate with Quality for in-process and final inspections and promptly report defects, damaged parts, process deviations, or unclear instructions
• Support process qualification, first-article builds, new-product introduction, continuous improvement, and corrective-action activities
• Meet production, quality, safety, and delivery expectations while protecting sensitive aircraft surfaces and components
• Perform other duties as assigned

• High school diploma or GED
• 2+ years of industrial, automotive, aviation, marine, military, composite, or manufacturing paint experience
• Hands-on experience with surface preparation, masking, mixing, spray application, curing, touch-up, and finish inspection
• Ability to read and follow drawings, work instructions, specifications, technical data sheets, and safety data sheets
• Working knowledge of paint ratios, viscosity, pot life, flash time, cure requirements, film thickness, and common coating defects
• Ability to safely use spray equipment, sanding and preparation tools, measuring equipment, and required personal protective equipment
• Strong attention to detail and ability to produce consistent, high-quality finishes
• Ability to maintain accurate production, material, batch, and traceability records
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a schedule-driven manufacturing environment
• Ability to work assigned shifts and occasional overtime or weekends based on production requirements
• Must qualify as a U.S. Person under applicable ITAR/EAR regulations

• Aerospace, aircraft, UAV, defense, or military coating experience
• Experience painting composite structures, fiberglass, carbon fiber, aluminum, or other aerospace materials
• Experience with two-part polyurethane, epoxy primers, chemical-resistant coatings, camouflage patterns,…