Paint Materials Engineer- (1514503)

Job Title: Paint Materials Engineer

Job Description

The Paint Materials Engineer supports the Paint Production Engineering Department in becoming a global leader in new material development and advancing plant-of-the-future initiatives to enhance flexibility and competitiveness. This role focuses on evaluating and managing new model color paint trials, introducing new material technologies, and supporting current production to reduce material cost and improve material performance across North American manufacturing centers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the introduction of new colors and materials for body and resin paint from lab workability through online testing and full production approval, including trial planning, quality evaluations, and clear direction-setting recommendations.

• Coordinate new color and material introductions across multiple North American manufacturing centers, with a primary focus on paint and resin shops at key facilities.

• Establish robust process controls and parameters for new materials and technologies and drive alignment to a single, unified approach among cross-functional teams.

• Lead materials-related problem solving across multiple divisions, applying TBP methods to identify root causes and develop effective countermeasures.

• Support and assess CPU and environmental impacts of new materials, quantify cost and benefit, and lead decision-making with stakeholders based on data-driven evaluations.

• Support departmental Hoshin objectives by contributing technical expertise, project leadership, and continuous improvement in paint materials and processes.

• Summarize technical data and create clear charts and visualizations in Excel to support analysis, reporting, and decision-making.

• Build and deliver professional presentations in PowerPoint to communicate findings, proposals, and project status to multiple levels of management.

• Lead multiple concurrent projects that require coordination with other departments, vendors, and external groups, ensuring alignment, timely execution, and quality outcomes.

• Analyze data to identify the true root cause of problems and implement durable countermeasures that improve material performance and production stability.

• Create and present reports to various levels of management, explaining technical content, project progress, risks, and recommended actions.

• Evaluate the color and appearance of painted surfaces to ensure they meet quality standards and customer expectations.

• Work occasional weekends, holidays, and shutdown periods to support critical projects, trials, and production activities.

• Travel up to approximately 30% to support competitiveness and collaboration across North American manufacturing centers.

• Perform hands-on work on the shop floor as needed, following all safety protocols and using required personal protective equipment.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or equivalent work experience.

• Experience in materials engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, materials science, paint application, or paint systems.

• Strong understanding of paint materials, paint systems, and their application in manufacturing environments.

• Proficiency in summarizing data and creating charts in Excel to support technical and business decisions.

• Ability to build clear and persuasive presentations in PowerPoint for technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience leading multiple projects that require coordination with people outside the immediate team, including other departments, vendors, or external groups.

• Experience analyzing data to identify true root causes of problems and implementing effective countermeasures.

• Experience creating and presenting reports to multiple levels of management.

• At least 1 year of experience evaluating color and appearance of painted surfaces.

• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and shutdown periods to support projects when required.

• Ability to travel up to approximately 30% to support North American manufacturing competitiveness.

• Comfort working on a shop floor environment and adhering to safety and PPE requirements.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science or higher in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related discipline.

• Experience in a paint laboratory performing workability evaluations, ideally 1+ years.

• Completion of TBP through panel and practical experience applying TBP methods to problem solving.

• Experience serving as a subject matter expert or internal auditor for North American QR/QS/QH processes.

• Project experience within a Paint Pilot function, including trials and pre-production activities.

• Basic Japanese language skills.

• Basic Spanish language skills.

• Strong communication skills for interacting with cross-functional teams, vendors, and external partners.

• Ability to manage long-term projects with planning horizons of several years.

• Interest in contributing to plant-of-the-future initiatives and continuous improvement in manufacturing.

Work Environment

This role operates primarily in a manufacturing and shop floor environment within paint and resin shops, supporting production engineering and materials development activities. The position involves hands-on work around production equipment and paint processes, requiring strict adherence to safety protocols and the use of personal protective equipment such as hard hat, cap, gloves, ear plugs, and safety glasses, as well as steel-toed shoes and shoes that extend above the ankle. The work schedule may include up to 20 hours per week of overtime, with occasional weekend, holiday, and shutdown work to support trials and critical projects. The environment emphasizes long-term project stability, continuous expansion, and opportunities for professional growth, with access to extensive learning in advanced paint materials and production engineering. The culture supports work/life balance through flexible scheduling where possible and offers paid time off, paid holidays, and overtime compensation at time and a half for hours worked over 40, along with coordinated travel support for project-related trips. Consultants work closely with a supportive account and vendor management system team that advocates on their behalf and helps maintain stable, long-term contract opportunities.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Georgetown, KY.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $60.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Georgetown,KY.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 9, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.