Summary/Objective:
This position owns daily and short-term production scheduling, supervises shop personnel, coordinates priorities with other departments, and ensures work complies with customer specifications, manufacturer requirements, company procedures, applicable industry standards, and the requirements necessary to maintain the company's NSF certification. The manager oversees abrasive blasting, industrial painting, and the application of Induron Ceram Apure PL90 and similar high-performance lining systems, primarily inside fabricated fittings ranging from 4 inches through 36 inches.
Duties/Responsibilities:
- Lead and supervise painters, coating applicators, blasters, leads, and temporary personnel within the Paint Department.
- Develop and manage production schedules for surface preparation, coating application, curing, inspection, repair, and product release.
- Establish priorities based on workload, customer delivery requirements, staffing, material availability, and equipment capacity.
- Coordinate with Production, Project Management, Quality, Maintenance, Purchasing, Warehouse, and Shipping to resolve scheduling and operational issues.
- Optimize labor, equipment, and workflow to meet production and customer requirements.
- Oversee blasting, lining, and protective coating application, ensuring compliance with specifications, quality standards, and customer requirements.
- Monitor surface preparation, environmental conditions, coating application, curing, inspection, testing, and repair activities to ensure product quality.
- Maintain required production, inspection, traceability, and quality records, including documentation supporting NSF certification.
- Support NSF audits, corrective actions, and certification compliance; identify and escalate nonconforming materials or products.
- Train, coach, qualify, and evaluate employees while promoting cross-training and skill development.
- Manage inventories of coatings, abrasives, PPE, and production supplies.
- Coordinate maintenance, calibration, and repair of department equipment and tools.
- Maintain organized work areas and proper material identification, handling, and status control.
- Enforce safety, environmental, respiratory protection, confined space, and PPE requirements.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Strong leadership, communication, employee development, and accountability skills.
- Ability to manage production schedules and priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Knowledge of protective coatings, abrasive blasting, corrosion control, coating inspection, repair methods, and coating applications for complex fittings and geometries.
- Ability to read and interpret drawings, work orders, coating specifications, technical data sheets, safety data sheets, and inspection requirements.
- Working knowledge of quality systems, material traceability, document control, and NSF-certified product requirements.
- Experience with spray application equipment, blasting systems, compressors, ventilation systems, coating inspection instruments, and holiday detection equipment.
- Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office; ERP and production scheduling software experience required. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central preferred.
- Ability to work hands-on in a manufacturing environment to monitor operations, coach employees, and resolve production issues.
Education and Experience:
- High school diploma or equivalent required; associate's or bachelor's degree in manufacturing, industrial technology, operations, or a related field preferred.
- Five or more years of experience in industrial coatings, protective linings, pipe/fitting coatings, or similar manufacturing operations.
- Three or more years of supervisory experience leading production employees in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
- Experience with production scheduling, workforce planning, work order prioritization, backlog management, and cross-functional coordination.
- Experience with epoxy coatings, immersion-service coatings, and internal pipe or fitting linings preferred.
- AMPP CIP Level 1 (or equivalent NACE/SSPC coating inspection certification) required, or ability to obtain certification within 12 months of hire.
- Additional coatings, blasting, safety, forklift, respirator, or confined-space certifications preferred.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to work in an industrial manufacturing environment, including exposure to heat, cold, dust, noise, coatings, and blasting operations.
- Ability to wear required PPE and respiratory protection and visually inspect coatings for defects.
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, reach, climb ladders or scaffolding, and safely access work areas in an industrial manufacturing environment.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and safely handle materials with assistance or mechanical devices as needed.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Freedom Waterworks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
