Paint Process Engineer
Location: Wentzville, MO
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite
Contract: 12 Months – Extension or Direct Hire Possible
Pay Rate: $48–$51/hour
Benefits: PTO + Optional Benefits
Schedule: Rotating 12-Hour Shifts | Days & Nights
Overtime: Required
Position Overview
We are seeking a Paint Process Engineer to support a high-volume automotive paint manufacturing operation in Wentzville, MO. This is a hands-on engineering role that combines process engineering, equipment troubleshooting, automation support, and technical leadership.
The ideal candidate will have strong mechanical aptitude and the ability to troubleshoot manufacturing equipment from both an engineering and hands-on perspective. You will work closely with production, maintenance, quality, engineering, skilled trades, contractors, and suppliers to keep equipment running safely and efficiently while driving continuous improvement.
This role effectively combines three areas of responsibility: providing technical leadership to manufacturing personnel, owning the reliability and maintenance of assigned equipment, and understanding the engineering principles behind the equipment and processes.
Key Responsibilities
Manufacturing Process & Equipment Support
- Develop, evaluate, maintain, and improve manufacturing processes and equipment within automotive paint operations.
- Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and process-related equipment issues.
- Identify root causes and implement corrective actions to improve safety, quality, throughput, reliability, and cost.
- Support equipment uptime and provide hands-on technical support during production.
- Evaluate tooling, equipment, and manufacturing processes for improvement opportunities.
- Support capital equipment improvements, upgrades, and new technology implementation.
- Analyze process performance and manufacturing data to identify opportunities for improvement.
Paint Automation & Controls
- Support highly automated automotive paint and sealer operations utilizing FANUC robotics and related manufacturing equipment.
- Troubleshoot robotic systems, PLCs, process controls, pumps, motors, and other automated equipment.
- Support robot programming, maintenance, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
- Work with maintenance, engineering teams, contractors, and automation suppliers to resolve technical issues.
- Support paint, sealer, pretreatment/e-coat, and other finishing processes.
- Utilize process-control data to improve paint application, equipment performance, and product quality.
Production & Technical Support
- Respond to equipment breakdowns, process issues, and production concerns.
- Independently troubleshoot problems and drive them through resolution.
- Coordinate personnel, materials, equipment, and technical resources to support production requirements.
- Provide technical assistance, coaching, and direction to maintenance technicians and production personnel.
- Balance immediate production needs with long-term equipment reliability and process improvement.
- Adapt quickly to changing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Provide technical direction to maintenance technicians and skilled trades personnel.
- Provide leadership and direction to UAW-represented hourly employees when assigned.
- Partner with production, maintenance, quality, engineering, suppliers, and contractors.
- Coordinate vendor and contractor resources supporting manufacturing equipment.
- Clearly communicate technical information to employees, engineering teams, leadership, and external partners.
Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement
- Support plant safety, quality, environmental, and manufacturing requirements.
- Support applicable Global Manufacturing System (GMS) standards.
- Identify and implement improvements to equipment reliability, efficiency, throughput, and product quality.
- Support root-cause analysis and corrective-action activities.
- Apply appropriate ergonomic and human-factors considerations to manufacturing processes and equipment.
Required Qualifications
- Technical degree strongly preferred; bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field preferred.
- Candidates with a high school diploma and significant relevant manufacturing experience may also be considered.
- Strong hands-on mechanical aptitude and understanding of industrial manufacturing equipment.
- Experience troubleshooting manufacturing processes, machinery, or industrial equipment.
- Ability to read and interpret mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic schematics.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to independently drive issues to resolution.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work effectively with production employees, skilled trades, technicians, engineers, and leadership.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Must be willing and able to work rotating 12-hour shifts, including days, nights, weekends, holidays, and required overtime.
Preferred Qualifications
- 8+ years of manufacturing, process engineering, automation, maintenance, or related industrial experience.
- Automotive manufacturing experience.
- Automotive paint shop or finishing-process experience.
- Experience in a unionized manufacturing environment.
- Previous supervisory, leadership, or technical team-lead experience.
- Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting experience.
- Experience operating, programming, troubleshooting, or maintaining FANUC paint/sealer robots.
- Experience with FANUC controllers such as RJ, RJ2, RJ3, RJ3iB, or R30iA.
- Experience with FANUC robotic platforms including P-155, P-200, P-500, P-700, S-500, M-710, or M-2000.
- PLC programming or troubleshooting experience.
- Experience with automation simulation software such as PaintPro.
- Knowledge of paint application systems, paint chemistry, pretreatment/e-coat, sealer, or finishing operations.
- Experience using process-control data and analytical tools to optimize manufacturing processes.
Schedule & Work Environment
This is a 100% onsite position in a fast-paced automotive manufacturing and paint-shop environment.
- 12-hour shifts: 6:00 AM–6:00 PM or 6:00 PM–6:00 AM
- Teams rotate between day and night shifts approximately every 4 months.
- The schedule alternates between heavier and lighter workweeks:
- One week: approximately 5 days
- Following week: approximately 2 days
- Candidates must be comfortable working both day and night shifts.
- The team will generally try to place new hires on day shift initially to support training.
- Overtime is required.
- Weekend and holiday availability is required.
- Additional consecutive 12-hour shifts may occasionally be required to provide vacation or staffing coverage.
- Candidates looking for a strict 40-hour Monday–Friday schedule will not be a fit for this position.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced manufacturing, automation, maintenance, or process engineering professional to take on a highly hands-on role within a major automotive manufacturing operation. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with advanced automation, FANUC robotics, paint processes, equipment reliability, and manufacturing improvement initiatives while providing technical leadership on the production floor.
HRU is an EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer)