lead painter

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lead Painter is responsible for leading the paint and finishing operations on high-end classic and vintage vehicle restorations. This position requires exceptional attention to detail, advanced automotive refinishing skills, and the ability to produce show-quality finishes.

The Lead Painter is responsible for taking vehicles from final body preparation through primer, blocking, sealing, color application, clear coat, polishing, and final finish. The Lead Painter will also establish and maintain quality standards for the paint department and help train and direct other painters and body technicians.

The ideal candidate takes pride in producing straight panels, excellent body lines, consistent color, clean paintwork, and a flawless final finish .

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIESPaint & Refinishing

• Perform complete paint and refinishing operations on classic, vintage, muscle, custom, and high-end restoration vehicles.

• Inspect vehicles and panels before paint to ensure bodywork is properly completed and ready for the next stage.

• Perform final blocking, sanding, surface preparation, sealing, priming, and refinishing.

• Mix and apply primers, sealers, basecoats, single-stage paints, and clear coats according to manufacturer specifications.

• Perform paint blending and color matching when required.

• Apply specialty finishes and custom paint techniques when required.

• Maintain proper film thickness, coverage, texture, gloss, and color consistency.

• Identify and correct imperfections before vehicles leave the paint department.

Restoration Quality

• Maintain extremely high standards for panel straightness and paint quality.

• Inspect body gaps, edges, seams, body lines, and panel transitions before paint.

• Ensure panels are properly prepared for a high-quality restoration finish.

• Understand that restoration work requires significantly greater attention to detail than standard collision repair.

• Recognize defects such as sanding scratches, pinholes, waves, solvent pop, dirt, fisheyes, orange peel, runs, dry spray, poor coverage, and color variation.

• Perform or oversee final wet sanding, buffing, polishing, and paint correction.

• Ensure finished vehicles meet the shop's quality standards before final assembly.

Lead Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical leader within the paint department.

• Assign and coordinate paint-preparation and finishing work with other technicians.

• Review work completed by other technicians before it progresses to the next production stage.

• Train less-experienced painters and body technicians in proper preparation and refinishing techniques.

• Establish consistent processes for sanding, masking, priming, painting, polishing, and final inspection.

• Communicate problems or delays to management before they affect production schedules.

• Help estimate realistic labor requirements for paint and refinishing operations.

• Monitor job progress and communicate completion status to management.

Quality Control

• Conduct detailed inspections at each stage of the paint process.

• Verify that vehicles are properly prepared before entering the paint booth.

• Inspect finished panels under appropriate lighting before release.

• Correct quality issues immediately rather than allowing defects to move to the next production stage.

• Maintain documentation and photographs when required.

• Take ownership of the final appearance of every vehicle leaving the paint department.

Shop Standards & Safety

• Maintain a clean, organized, and professional paint department.

• Properly maintain spray guns, sanding equipment, polishers, paint equipment, and other tools.

• Follow paint manufacturer specifications and safety procedures.

• Properly handle and dispose of paints, solvents, chemicals, and hazardous materials.

• Use required personal protective equipment.

• Maintain proper housekeeping in the paint booth, prep areas, mixing area, and surrounding workspaces.

• Report equipment problems and supply shortages to management.