Senior Paint Maintenance Engineer (Automated Paint Operations)

Huf Group; Greeneville (TN); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off

Competitive pay

Job summary

Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG in Tennessee invites a Senior Paint Maintenance Engineer to lead the automated paint operations with a TPM-based mindset. You will own equipment health, drive preventive and predictive maintenance, and mentor multi-shift teams to reduce downtime and improve reliability.

The role focuses on eliminating root causes, implementing disciplined maintenance processes, and partnering with production to ensure paint assets are always ready for trials and production runs.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in automated paint maintenance (automotive preferred).
• Proven track record improving equipment reliability and uptime.
• Strong TPM pillars experience and structured problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Own equipment stability as a prerequisite for flow, ensuring reliable operation of all paint assets (robots, booths, AMUs, ovens, conveyors).
• Implement and sustain preventive and predictive maintenance with clear ownership between engineering, maintenance, and production (Autonomous + Planned Maintenance).
• Lead structured problem solving (5 Whys, Ishikawa, PDCA) for chronic equipment losses and create permanent countermeasures.
• Move from reactive to proactive maintenance by developing standard routines, condition-based monitoring, and early abnormality detection.
• Develop people and teams to own equipment, follow standards, and identify abnormalities early.
• Drive reliability KPIs (MTBF, MTTR, OEE) through system-based improvements.

Skills

Paint equipment expertise

TPM leadership

Root cause analysis

Technical mastery

Leadership with ownership

Gemba mindset

System thinker

Tools

SAP

CMMS

Job description

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Senior Paint Maintenance Engineer (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 1.2billion in the financial year 2023.

Your Role (TPS Mindset)

Own and continuously improve equipment reliability in the automated paint shop by building a zero-breakdown, highly stable production environment

This role is not about reacting to failures—it is about eliminating them. We are looking for a senior maintenance leader who takes full ownership of equipment health, drives Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) as a system, and builds a culture where problems are prevented—not managed

• Own equipment stability as a prerequisite for flowEnsure reliable, repeatable operation of all paint assets (robots, booths, Air Make-Up Units (AMUs), ovens, conveyors) through disciplined maintenance systems
• Build and lead a true TPM systemImplement and sustain preventive and predictive maintenance, with clear ownership between engineering, maintenance, and production (Autonomous + Planned Maintenance)
• Eliminate breakdowns at the root causeLead structured problem solving (5 Whys, Ishikawa, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)) for chronic equipment losses and ensure permanent countermeasures
• Move from reactive to proactive maintenanceReduce firefighting by developing standard routines, condition-based monitoring, and early abnormality detection
• Develop people, not dependencyCoach multi-shift maintenance teams to own equipment, follow standards, and identify abnormalities early
• Drive reliability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with purposeImprove Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) through system-based improvements—not individual heroics.
• Standardize and digitize maintenance systemsBuild clear, auditable maintenance standards and integrate them into SAP/Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) for transparency and discipline.
• Enable operations, not interrupt themPartner with production and engineering to ensure equipment is always readyfor trials, launches, and stable series production

Your Skills

• Deep paint equipment expertise8+ years in automated paint maintenance (automotive preferred)Proven track record improving equipment reliability and uptime
• True TPM leadershipHands-on experience implementing TPM pillars, not just maintaining systemsStrong understanding of Autonomous vs. Planned Maintenance
• Root cause-driven mindsetDemonstrated ability to eliminate recurring failures—not just repair themStrong use of structured problem solving and data
• Technical masteryRobots, paint systems, AMUs, ovens, conveyorsUnderstanding of failure modes and system interactions in paint environments
• Leadership with ownershipExperience leading multi-shift teamsDrives accountability, discipline, and standards across all shifts
• Gemba mindsetLeads on the shopfloorSolves problems where they occur, with the team
• System thinkerExperience with SAP/CMMS, standardization, and KPI-driven maintenance systems

What we offer

• Significant reduction in unplanned downtime and chronic equipment losses
• Clear and sustained TPM system in place (Autonomous + Planned Maintenance)
• Improved MTBF, MTTR, and OEE performance
• Maintenance team operating with discipline, ownership, and standard work
• Shift from reactive firefighting proactive reliability culture
• Competitive pay
• Disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off

Huf celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Huf North America Automotive Parts Manufacturing, Corp.