Huf NA, Greeneville (TN) I United States (US)
Senior Paint Engineering Leader (Automated Paint Operations)
We are a leading developer and manufacturer of mechanical and electronic locking systems as well as car access and authorization systems for the global automotive industry. Founded in 1908 in Velbert, Germany, we are an independent, family-owned company with around 7,500 employees at locations in Europe, America and Asia and achieved sales of more than EUR 1.2 billion in the financial year 2023.
Your Role
- Lead the automated paint process for our Greeneville plant and own the journey from stability to excellence. You will manage a 10-person engineering/technical team across three shifts, drive defect reduction, and lock in standard work to deliver world-class finish quality and throughput
- Own all critical paint parameters (airflow/ Air Makeup Units (AMU), booth conditions/cleanliness/ color position/ film build) and keep the process in control
- Cut top defects — using Design of Experiments (DOE) and confirmation runs; lock results into recipes and standard work
- Optimize and standardize robot programs (gun angles, paths, Z-moves) for uniform film build and cycle-time efficiency
- Implement and audit daily one-page checks and startup procedures; ensure effective escalation and rapid issue closure across shifts
- Lead Kaizen, 5 Whys, and Ishikawa problem solving to move First Time Quality (FTQ), Net Equipment Effectiveness (NEE), and scrap cost in the right direction
- Develop, coach, and schedule a three-shift team to sustain improvements and enable reliable launches and changeovers
Your Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, chemical, materials, manufacturing or related field or equivalent experience
- 8+ years in automated paint systems with 3+ years leading multi-shift teams
- Hands-on success with Design of Experiments (DOE) driven improvements and defect reduction in automated paint (plastics/automotive preferred)
- Proficiency with robot paint applications and process optimization (angles, paths, singularity avoidance, confirmation runs)
- Strong Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) Control Plan, Advance Product Quality Planning (APQP)/ Product Part Approval Process (PPAP) knowledge; experience with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) paint standards a plus
- Lean/Continuous Improvement (CI) toolkit (Kaizen, 5 Whys, Ishikawa) and data-first mindset; SAP software experience is a plus
What we offer
- Competitive pay with performance bonus potential
- Full comprehensive health insurance, dental, vision, flexible spending account
- Disability insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid Time Off