Painter Lead - American Augers

The Toro Company; West Salem (IL); On-site; USD 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

The Toro Company in Illinois is seeking a Paint Lead to oversee daily operations in the paint department, ensuring quality, efficiency, and safety. You will perform standard paint line tasks, mentor teammates, and coordinate workflow to align with company goals.

Ideal candidates have automotive/industrial spray painting experience, strong mechanical skills, and the ability to train others while maintaining high finish quality and safety standards. SAP experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Prior automotive/industrial/aircraft spray painting or auto body experience required.
• Proficiency with spray painting equipment and high‑quality finishes.
• Strong mechanical skills and use of hand tools.
• Experience using SAP for inventory and routing.
• Mentoring or coordinating others is a plus.
• Good communication and problem solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform standard painting and finishing duties, including equipment setup and line maintenance.
• Operate spray painting equipment and conduct finish quality checks.
• Provide day‑to‑day guidance to team members and mentor colleagues.
• Coordinate workflow and support shift handoffs to meet production schedules.
• Ensure safety protocols, PPE usage, and proper hazardous material handling.
• Collaborate with supervisors on performance feedback and process improvements.

Skills

Spray painting

Mechanical skills

SAP proficiency

Mentoring

Communication

Problem solving

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Tools

SAP

Job description

Hours: 5am-3:30pm Monday - Thursday with some overtime Fridays as needed

Wage: $28.75/hr

The Paint Lead is responsible for overseeing daily operations within the paint department to ensure quality, efficiency, and adherence to safety standards. This role includes performing standard paint line tasks while also serving as a resource and mentor to team members, coordinating workflow, and providing leadership in alignment with company goals.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Perform standard painting and finishing duties, including setting up equipment, operating spray painting equipment, maintaining/ cleaning paint lines, conducting finish quality checks, and completing SAP transactions.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on paint processes, troubleshooting issues with equipment, materials, or techniques.
• Provide day-to-day direction to team members, ensuring tasks are completed accurately, safely, and efficiently.
• Train and mentor employees on paint line processes, proper equipment use, and quality standards.
• Monitor productivity, quality, and safety within the department; elevate issues as appropriate.
• Coordinate workflow, including assigning tasks, supporting shift handoffs, and ensuring production schedules are met.
• Support cross-training across paint lines (A, B, and C) and finishing processes such as shot blast and special paint.
• Ensure compliance with safety protocols, PPE usage, and hazardous material handling requirements.
• Partner with supervisors and management to provide feedback on employee performance, process improvements, and staffing needs.
• Act as a role model for attendance, overtime expectations, and adherence to company policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Prior experience/training in automotive, industrial, or aircraft spray painting or auto body work required.
• Demonstrated proficiency with spray painting equipment and ability to apply high-quality finishes.
• Strong mechanical skills, including use of hand and repair tools.
• Proficiency with computers and ability to use SAP for inventory and routing.
• Previous experience in mentoring, training, or coordinating the work of others preferred.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.

The Toro Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants based on merit and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military service, or other non-merit factors. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment for all employees.