The posting
JOB SUMMARY
We are looking for a skilled Painter to join our in-house fabrication team. Our shop builds custom scenic elements, exhibit structures, event furniture, props, and staging for live events, tradeshows, and experiential activations.
This hands-on role involves transforming fabricated pieces made from wood, MDF, metal, foam, laminate, and other substrates into polished, client-ready finishes. The ideal candidate is a highly skilled craftsperson, problem-solver, and production professional who takes pride in their work, has a strong eye for detail and color, and can consistently deliver high-quality finishes while working within demanding production schedules.
The Painter will also serve as a technical resource for painting and finishing within the fabrication department. This person will evaluate each project and determine the most appropriate finishing approach, including whether a piece should be sprayed, rolled, brushed, hand-painted, or finished using a combination of techniques. They will select appropriate primers, paints, lacquers, enamels, stains, clear coats, specialty coatings, and other finishing products based on the substrate, required appearance, durability, production schedule, material cost, and intended use.
The ideal candidate is both a highly skilled hands-on painter and a problem solver. They should be comfortable looking at a raw fabricated piece, identifying potential surface or finishing issues, and determining the best path to achieve the required finish while balancing appearance, durability, production time, material cost, and labor.
The Painter will also contribute to developing and improving the company's finishing processes, introducing new techniques and products, training other team members, and establishing consistent standards for quality throughout the shop. This person will inspect finished work for consistency, coverage, color, sheen, texture, adhesion, and overall appearance, and will identify and correct defects before work is considered complete.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Prepare a variety of substrates for finishing, including sanding, filling, smoothing, masking, priming, repairing, and correcting wood, MDF, laminate, metal, foam, and other materials.
- Evaluate raw fabricated pieces and determine the appropriate preparation and finishing process required to achieve the desired final appearance and performance.
- Identify surface defects, imperfections, or substrate issues before final finishing and determine the appropriate corrective action.
- Determine whether a project should be sprayed, rolled, brushed, hand-painted, or finished using a combination of application techniques.
- Select appropriate primers, paints, lacquers, enamels, stains, clear coats, specialty coatings, and other finishing products based on substrate, intended use, appearance, durability, production requirements, and cost.
- Apply finishes using the appropriate method for the substrate, piece, and production schedule, including HVLP and airless sprayers, rollers, brushes, and detailed hand-painting.
- Mix, match, and apply paint, stain, toner, and clear coat finishes according to client specifications, color references, and approved finish samples.
- Produce a variety of finishes, including matte, satin, gloss, faux, distressed, aged, and specialty finishes.
- Select and apply appropriate paint and coating systems based on the substrate and intended use, including latex, oil-based paint, lacquer, enamel, epoxy, chalk paint, automotive coatings, and specialty coatings.
- Apply stains and wood-finishing products, including staining, wiping, toning, and sealing.
- Apply clear coats and topcoats, including polyurethane, lacquer, and catalyzed finishes, to provide durability, protection, and consistent sheen during shipping, installation, and use.
- Finish custom event furniture, exhibit millwork, scenic flats, props, signage, and other fabricated elements to a professional, photo-ready standard.
- Match and blend colors using Pantone references, paint chips, physical samples, and existing finishes.
- Inspect finished work for consistency, coverage, color, sheen, texture, adhesion, and overall appearance.
- Identify finishing defects and determine appropriate corrective action, including sanding, recoating, blending, touch-up, repair, or refinishing.
- Perform touch-ups, repairs, and refinishing on returning inventory and rental pieces between events.
- Read build drawings, finish schedules, and client specifications to determine finish requirements and sequencing.
- Coordinate with carpenters, fabricators, and project managers to sequence finishing work around fabrication, installation, and load-out schedules.
- Communicate potential finishing issues to the appropriate team members before they affect final production.
- Help develop and improve company finishing processes, techniques, and best practices.
- Help evaluate and introduce new finishing products, materials, equipment, and techniques when they can improve quality, efficiency, durability, or production results.
- Help establish and maintain consistent finishing and quality standards throughout the shop.
- Train and assist other team members with finishing techniques, product selection, surface preparation, troubleshooting, and quality expectations.
- Troubleshoot finishing problems and determine appropriate solutions for issues such as poor adhesion, inconsistent sheen, color variation, runs, sags, orange peel, fisheyes, surface imperfections, contamination, or other finish defects.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe paint booth and finishing area, including proper ventilation, PPE use, material handling, and disposal practices.
- Monitor paint and finishing material inventory and communicate supply needs to shop leadership.
- Occasionally travel to event venues for on-site touch-ups, installation-day repairs, or finishing work required after final assembly.
- Adapt to changing project priorities while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship, quality, organization, and attention to detail.
Requirements
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional painting and finishing experience, preferably in scenic, exhibit, themed entertainment, film/TV, furniture, event production, or a related fabrication environment.
- Demonstrated experience painting and finishing furniture, millwork, props, scenic elements, and custom-built substrates; not primarily walls or interior spaces.
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate a fabricated piece and determine the appropriate preparation, coating system, application method, and finishing process required to achieve the desired result.
- Hands-on experience working with multiple paint and coating types, including latex, oil-based paint, lacquer, enamel, epoxy, automotive coatings, and specialty/faux finishes.
- Demonstrated experience applying and finishing with lacquer, including proper surface preparation, application, sanding, and achieving consistent sheen and finish quality.
- Demonstrated experience applying automotive paints and coatings, including proper surface preparation, application techniques, and understanding of finish quality, durability, and curing requirements.
- Experience with wood stains, toners, sealers, and related finishing products.
- Experience applying clear coats and topcoats with an understanding of durability, protection, curing, and sheen control.
- Proficiency with multiple application methods, including:
- HVLP and/or airless sprayers
- Rollers
- Brushes, including detail and fine brushwork
- Hand-painting and freehand finish techniques
- Strong surface preparation and repair skills, including hand and power sanding, Bondo/body filler application and shaping, wood putty, and surface filling.
- Strong ability to identify surface defects and determine appropriate corrective action before final finishing.
- Strong color-matching skills and the ability to work from Pantone references, paint chips, physical samples, and existing finishes.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot finishing issues and determine appropriate corrective actions.
- Ability to evaluate finishing options while balancing appearance, durability, production time, material cost, and labor.
- Ability to assist with training and providing technical guidance to other team members.
- Ability to help develop and maintain consistent finishing processes and quality standards.
- Ability to read and interpret build drawings, finish schedules, and finish specifications.
- Working knowledge of paint booth safety, proper ventilation, PPE, respirator use, and safe handling and disposal of finishing materials.
- Ability to work safely in an active fabrication environment alongside woodworking, welding, construction, and finishing operations.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and work on your feet for extended periods in a shop environment.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while working within demanding production deadlines.
- Strong attention to detail, craftsmanship, organization, communication, and follow-through.
- Valid driver's license for occasional travel to event venues.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in tradeshows, exhibit fabrication, scenic construction, live events, or experiential production.
- Experience creating faux finishes, distressed or aged finishes, and specialty textures.
- Experience with decorative techniques such as metallic finishes, aging/patina, wood-grain effects, stone or marble finishes, and similar scenic treatments.
- Spray booth certification or formal training in scenic painting, finishing, or related trades.
- Experience producing finish samples or sample boards from client references.
- Experience performing on-site installation touch-ups, repairs, and finish work.
- Experience working in and maintaining a spray booth.
- Experience helping develop or document finishing procedures, quality standards, or shop best practices.
- Experience training or mentoring other painters, finishers, or fabrication team members.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Work is performed primarily in an active fabrication shop, paint booth, finishing area, warehouse, and other production environments.
- Regular exposure to paint, coatings, solvents, adhesives, fillers, dust, fumes, and other materials associated with surface preparation and finishing operations.
- Work may involve exposure to strong odors, airborne particles, and varying levels of noise from woodworking, fabrication, sanding, spraying, and other shop operations.
- Must follow all required safety procedures, including proper use of PPE, respirators, ventilation systems, and other safety equipment appropriate to the task.
- Work may require standing, walking, bending, kneeling, crouching, reaching, climbing ladders or work platforms, and working in confined or awkward positions for extended periods.
- Frequent use of hand tools, power tools, spray equipment, sanding equipment, and other finishing tools and equipment.
- Ability to safely lift, carry, push, and maneuver materials, tools, and finished or partially finished pieces weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Work may involve handling large, oversized, or irregularly shaped fabricated pieces and may require working with other team members to safely move or position them.
- Ability to work at varying heights using ladders, lifts, platforms, or other approved equipment when required.
- Work may occasionally be performed outdoors or at event venues and may involve exposure to changing weather conditions, including heat, humidity, and direct sunlight.
- Schedule may occasionally require extended hours, overtime, early mornings, evenings, weekends, or adjusted work hours to meet production, installation, event, or load-out deadlines.
- Occasional travel to event venues may be required for installation-day touch-ups, repairs, or finishing work.
- Must be able to work effectively in a fast-paced production environment with changing priorities and tight deadlines while maintaining quality and safety standards.
Benefits
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
- Vision insurance
