Prep-Paint Production Technician

Model; Leeds; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 days holiday plus bank holidays

Birthday day off

Company pension

Group life assurance

Health and wellbeing scheme

Free on-site parking

Annual team events

Props and décor to borrow

Job summary

EPH Creative’s Paint team at Thorp Arch near Wetherby is hiring for a hands-on prep painter. You’ll prep, repaint and touch up rental props heading to events, ensuring high-standard finishes that match the rest of the stock.

The role is site-based, with attention to safety, accuracy, and efficient workflow to meet tight event schedules. Ideal candidates have experience in paint preparation or decorative touch-ups, a good eye for colour, and strong time-management.

Qualifications

• Experience in paint preparation, finishing or decorative touch-up.
• Good eye for colour matching and finish consistency.
• Understanding of COSHH, PPE and safe working practices.
• Comfortable keeping task records and timesheets up to date.

Responsibilities

• Prep, repaint and touch up rental props as flagged by Warehouse or Paint Supervisor.
• Match colours and finishes; escalate complex work early.
• Handle quick-turnaround jobs while maintaining high standards.
• Support PPT tasks and wider paint duties when capacity allows.
• Record time and tasks daily, both on paper and digitally.

Skills

Paint prep

Attention to detail

Time management

Manual dexterity

Safety awareness

Communication

Job description

EPH Creative is one of the UK’s largest event prop and furniture hire businesses, based at Thorp Arch near Wetherby with a sales office in London. We rent out over 20,000 props, furniture pieces and themed installations - most of it made and maintained in our own workshop - and support more than 2,000 events a year, from corporate parties and brand activations to exhibitions and festivals. Around 100 people work here. The business is busiest in early summer and in the run-up to Christmas.

Our Paint team keeps that stock looking the part. Prep-paint is its own discipline within it, with its own board and its own owner - so rental quality never depends on whoever happens to have spare capacity.

Responsibilities

Most of your week is prep and paint work on rental stock heading out to upcoming events: sanding, filling, cleaning, priming, masking and touch-ups. Items are flagged during job-picking checks and brought to the prep booth by Warehouse; you bring them back to rental standard and return them to the agreed collection point. It is quick-turnaround work, prioritised by loading date - but the finish still has to match the website and the rest of the stock. Anything needing more complex paintwork or structural repair gets escalated early rather than attempted. Where capacity allows, you’ll also support the Paint team with PPT (production ticket) work.

What you’ll do

• Prep, repaint and touch up rental props flagged by Warehouse or the Paint Supervisor - sanding, filling, cleaning, priming, masking and finishing
• Work the prep board in loading-date and priority order, so no order leaves late because of prep
• Match colours and finishes on touch-up work, asking for guidance where the standard isn’t clear
• Escalate items needing complex paintwork, structural repair or technical input - early enough for the Paint team to plan them in
• Hand completed props over cleanly to the agreed collection point between Paint and Warehouse, keeping item status current so Warehouse never has to chase
• Record time and tasks accurately and daily, on paper and digitally, against the correct job
• Work safely with paints and materials - COSHH, RAMS, SSOW and PPE - and keep the booth clean and tidy
• Support the Paint team with PPT work and wider paint tasks where capacity allows

Skills/Attributes

Who you are

• Pride in the finish. Every prop that leaves you is customer-ready - you don’t sign work off you’re not happy with.
• Pace without slippage. You can work quickly on short-turnaround jobs and still keep standards up.
• Judgement. You know when a job is beyond prep-level repair, and you say so early rather than push on.
• Ownership. You work the board in the right order and keep the status of your items visible.
• Communication. You keep Warehouse and the Paint Supervisor in the picture on progress, delays and issues.
• Safety-mindedness. You work within your training, use the right controls and PPE, and flag anything unsafe.
• Flexibility. Priorities move with the events calendar, and you’re happy to move with them.

What you’ll need

• Experience in paint preparation, finishing, decorating, scenic touch-up or similar practical production work
• Confident with sanding, filling, priming, masking and paint touch-ups
• A good eye for colour and finish match, and for customer-facing quality standards
• Understanding of COSHH, PPE and safe working practices
• Comfortable keeping task records and timesheets up to date as you go
• Experience of deadline-driven work in a workshop, events, theatre or production environment (an advantage)
• Happy in a fully site-based, hands-on role
• Able to get to Thorp Arch reliably - public transport is limited, so most people here drive

Benefits

What we offer

• 22 days holiday plus bank holidays, rising to 25 over 3 years
• An extra paid day off on your birthday
• Company pension, group life assurance and a health and wellbeing scheme
• Free on-site parking
• Annual team events - Family & Friends Day and the staff party
• Props and décor to borrow for your own special occasions