Powder Coating Technical Specialist

Decision Associates; Erie (Erie County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Paid time off

401(k)

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

F3 Metalworx in Erie, PA is seeking a Powder Coating Technical Specialist to lead our on-floor coating operations. You’ll apply Lean/Six Sigma to optimize three powder lines, four ovens, and a batch booth, and mentor the team toward higher quality and throughput.

You will diagnose coating defects, manage Nordson equipment, and drive continuous improvement across a high-mix production environment with a focus on quality and efficiency.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on powder coating experience.
• Experience with multiple substrates and pretreatments.
• Lean/Six Sigma knowledge and process-mapping skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical authority on the powder coating floor.
• Evaluate processes and implement improvements across three powder lines, four ovens, and a batch booth.
• Apply Lean/Six Sigma to identify bottlenecks and waste.
• Diagnose and resolve coating defects with deep technical knowledge.
• Oversee maintenance of automated application equipment (Nordson).
• Support standard and specialty Teflon coatings.
• Partner with Quality to drive zero-defect performance.
• Coach, train, and mentor floor teams.
• Use data and KPIs to monitor performance and report gaps.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Process improvement

Quality assurance

Team coaching

On-floor leadership

Data-driven

Microsoft Office

Tools

Nordson

MIE Trak

Automation equipment

Job description

About F3 Metalworx

F3 Metalworx, a leading sheet metal fabrication company, based in Erie, PA, is a single, one-stop resource for customers across industrial fabrication and powder coating markets. From wash and pretreatment through electrostatic powder and Teflon application, their finishing operations serve customers in a variety of industries. As F3 Metalworx continues to grow, they are investing in the technical expertise needed to build a best-in-class powder coating operation across their North East and Erie, PA locations.

The Opportunity

On behalf of our client, F3 Metalworx, Decision Associates is seeking a hands-on Powder Coating Technical Specialist to bring deep technical expertise to our powder coating operation. This role is central to our growth strategy, heavily focused on implementing a process-driven operation built on Lean principles. You’ll spend the majority of your time on the floor, evaluating and optimizing our lines, diagnosing coating defects, and building the processes, training, and mentoring that raise the bar for quality, consistency, and throughput. This is a highly visible, technically demanding role reporting directly to the VP of Operations, with real opportunity to shape the future of the department.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority on the powder coating floor, spending the majority of your time directly on the line

• Evaluate existing processes and implement new ones to improve quality, efficiency, and flow across three powder lines, four ovens, and a batch booth

• Apply Lean/Six Sigma techniques to identify and eliminate bottlenecks and waste

• Diagnose and resolve coating defects, drawing on deep technical knowledge of chemical composition, oven time/temperature/speed, and application parameters

• Oversee the operation, cleaning, and maintenance of the automated application equipment, including Nordson powder coating systems

• Support both standard powder coating and specialty Teflon coating processes

• Partner closely with the Quality team to reduce customer escapes and drive toward zero-defect performance

• Coach, train, and mentor the team, building buy-in for new processes across the floor

• Use data and KPIs to monitor line performance and report gaps to leadership

• 10+ years of hands-on, career-track powder coating experience

• Experience across multiple substrates (steel, galvanized, aluminum, stainless) and pretreatment chemistries

• Experience across multiple powder chemistries and specialty finishes; Teflon coating knowledge preferred

• Strong working knowledge of Lean/Six Sigma methods, including process mapping

• Comfortable diagnosing and resolving coating defects with minimal reliance on formal testing

• Experience with automated application equipment (e.g., Nordson) strongly preferred

• Job shop or high-mix production background preferred

• Strong communicator who is comfortable training, coaching, and mentoring others

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/365 (Outlook, Excel, Teams); MIE Trak experience a plus

• Health, vision, and dental insurance

• Paid time off

• 401(k)

• Short- and long-term disability insurance

• Life insurance

F3 Metalworx, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.