Paint and Body Worker- Light Rail

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is hiring a skilled Paint and Body Worker for its Light Rail Vehicle Maintenance team in San Jose. You will repair collision damage, perform bodywork, and paint exteriors to keep the fleet safe and looking sharp.

Strong attention to detail and teamwork are essential as you support a critical public transit service. Ideal candidates have automotive or heavy equipment paint and body experience, knowledge of welding and fabrication, and the

Qualifications

• High school diploma and four years of paint and body work experience.
• Experience in collision repair, metal fabrication and automotive painting.
• Ability to read repair manuals and work from specifications.

Responsibilities

• Perform paint, body and sheet metal repairs on light rail vehicles.
• Repair collision damage, straighten dents and reinforce frame components.
• Weld, rivet and install parts; remove windows and prepare surfaces for painting.
• Paint vehicles using spray or brush techniques and match colors.
• Prepare labor and parts cost estimates and input data into systems.
• Operate shop tools and safety equipment; work independently or in a team.

Skills

Collision repair

Metal fabrication

Welding

Dent removal

Surface preparation

Automotive painting

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Welding equipment

Frame repair tools

Sanding tools

Paint spray equipment

Job description

Join VTA's Light Rail Maintenance team! We are looking for a skilled and motivated Paint and Body Worker to help maintain and restore our light rail vehicles. From repairing collision damage and performing bodywork to painting and restoring vehicle exteriors, your skills will play an important role in keeping our fleet safe, reliable, and looking its best. If you take pride in your craftsmanship and enjoy hands-on work, we encourage you to apply and become part of our team!

Light Rail Vehicle Maintenance Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance is located at the Guadalupe Light Rail Division. LRV Maintenance is responsible for timely and reliable maintenance, preventive maintenance, inspections, repair and servicing of light rail vehicles and service equipment.

After a light rail vehicle returns from revenue service at the end of each day, Maintenance performs an interior inspection/walk-through of the vehicle, analyzes the Operator Defect Card, performs a visual inspection of the vehicle undercarriage, performs exterior and interior cleaning, cleans and repairs windows and seating, and removes and repairs graffiti and vandalism.

Regular preventive maintenance is performed at prescheduled cycles every 10,000, 30,000, 60,000, and 120,000 miles to ensure optimal performance, efficiency, safety and reliability. Running Repair/Corrective Maintenance repairs items identified by Operators during the daily operation of an LRV. The normal service life of VTA's light rail vehicle fleet is about 30 years and the major vehicle components are overhauled in a 3-phase program to achieve this lifespan. After 120,000 miles, contacts and the air system, including brake boxes and subcomponents, are overhauled. After 240,000 miles, major components including the motor alternator, gear box, traction motor, pantographs, coupler assembly, trucks, sub-assemblies, and axle bearing assemblies are overhauled. The air conditioning system, car body paint and furnishings, major electronic components, roof resistors and PC boards are overhauled every 7 to 10 years as needed.

What you will be doing: Definition

Under general supervision, the Paint and Body Worker performs paint, body and sheet metal repairs on vehicles.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in automotive, commercial vehicle, or heavy equipment paint and body repair. We are looking for someone who is skilled in collision repair, metal fabrication, welding, dent removal, surface preparation, and automotive painting. The successful candidate should be comfortable using a variety of body shop tools and equipment, including welding equipment, frame and body repair tools, sanders, and paint spray equipment. They should have strong attention to detail, take pride in producing quality work, and be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Experience repairing large vehicles, buses, or rail equipment is a plus, but we also welcome experienced automotive paint and body technicians who are interested in bringing their skills to public transportation.

About VTA

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employs more than 2,000 people dedicated to providing solutions that move Silicon Valley. Unique among transportation organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, VTA is Santa Clara County’s authority for transit development and operations (light rail and bus), congestion management, transportation-related funding, highway design and construction, real estate and transit-oriented development, and bicycle and pedestrian planning. With local, state, and federal partners, VTA works to innovate the way Silicon Valley moves and provide mobility solutions for all.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region.

VTA provides bus, light rail, and paratransit services, as well as participates as a funding partner in regional rail service including Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and the Altamont Corridor Express.

As the county’s congestion management agency, VTA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, including congestion management, design and construction of specific highway, pedestrian, and bicycle improvement projects, as well as promotion of transit oriented development.

VTA provides these services throughout the county, including Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County.

As we continue to implement our VTA Forward Plan, we aim to strengthen and increase our workforce to take on future opportunities and challenges by elevating our people and our services.

For more information about our VTA Forward Plan, visit: https://www.vta.org/VTAForward;

Family-Friendly Workplace Certification Program (FFWCP) The County of Santa Clara FFWCP recognizes VTA as a business that creates supportive workplaces for employees and their families. Family-friendly workplaces improve health outcomes and job satisfaction for employees and increase work productivity and retention for employers. Employers can create a family-friendly workplace by meeting and exceeding state and federal employment laws relating to parental leave, lactation accommodation, and work/family balance.

Typical Tasks

• Performs corrosion control measures before painting;
• Installs seats on light rail vehicles;
• Straightens body dents on vehicles;
• Straightens and strengthens frame damage;
• Sands and prepares body repairs for painting;
• Welds and rivets parts of vehicles;
• Removes and replaces minor components, including windows in the process of repair actions;
• Prepares labor and parts cost estimates for damaged vehicles;
• Paints vehicles using spray or brush painting techniques;
• Mixes paints for matching requirements;
• Operates computer for related data input and retrieval;
• Prepares written reports, documents defects and repairs on inspection forms, work orders, or designated computer programs;
• Familiarizes other Paint and Body Workers – LRT in the proper method of performing their job;
• Related duties as required.

Employment Standards

Training and experience equivalent to a high school diploma and four years of experience in paint and body work.

Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and the ability to qualify for and maintain a Class B license with passenger (P) endorsement and LRV operator certification.

Must be available to work weekends, holidays, and odd and unusual hours.

Knowledge of:

• Techniques of metal forming including use of hydraulic jacks and presses;
• Characteristics and methods of applying automotive body putty and fiberglass fillers;
• Riveting techniques;
• Operation of arc, metal inert gas (mig), tungsten inert gas (tig), plasma cutting, and oxy/acetylene welding equipment with a high degree of competence;
• Paint mixing, spraying and application techniques for various surfaces including metal and fiberglass;
• Methods and materials for effective corrosion control and recognition;
• General shop safety procedures.

Ability to:

• Repair vehicles in the manner consistent with the accepted methods in the paint and body repair industry;
• Effectively read, understand and apply technical information found in repair manuals, service change bulletins, and applicable technical documents, including parts and supply manuals;
• Operate arc, metal inert gas (mig), tungsten inert gas (tig), plasma cutting, and oxy/acetylene welding equipment with a high degree of competence;
• Demonstrate the proper use of shop equipment and personal safety equipment;
• Use tools common to the trade;
• Follow oral and written instructions;
• Work under established deadlines;
• Perform computer-related functions that allow for data input and retrieval;
• Recognize corrosion defects and take appropriate action;
• Familiarize other Paint and Body Workers – LRT in the proper method of performing their job;
• Learn and stay current on all new technologies introduced into the transit industry as it relates to light rail vehicle maintenance;
• Operate a variety of equipment, i.e. forklifts, pallet jacks, utility vehicles, etc.;
• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the course of business.