Manufacturing Engineer; Paint

P20 - Lawrenceburg, 1250 Bypass North, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, United States of America

Posted Friday, January 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM

Summit Polymers is a leading, global supplier of automotive interior systems including consoles, door panels, and instrument panels. With over 50 years serving the industry, we deliver engineering and product excellence to our customers, on time, in budget, with the latest innovations.

A career with Summit Polymers means working with smart people in a culture that thrives on challenging, meaningful work. At Summit, we look for growth potential with every hire. We don’t just fill seats, we set people on career paths. We’re always on the lookout for smart people who are committed to continuous improvement, customer service and quality.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Engineer, Manufacturing (Paint)
FLSA STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO: Manager, Engineering (Manufacturing)

SUMMARY

This is hands‑on technical work involving the robotic painting and manufacture of injection molded plastic parts for automotive interior trim. Provide technical support and leadership to manufacturing production teams with a focus on operational excellence each and every day.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Under general supervision is responsible for the following major tasks:

• Responsible for all paint‑related activities associated with new product launches
  • Developing efficient and robust programs using 6 axis paint robots (ABB or Fanuc) to meet customer specs, maximize paint transfer efficiency, and maximize production throughput.
  • Developing paint processes for 1K and 2K waterborne and solvent borne paint systems using automatic spray gun applicators.
  • Working with external suppliers to develop paint racks that present parts to the robots in a manner that allows for optimum paint coverage while minimizing cycle time and paint waste.
  • Evaluating paint rack designs to ensure parts can be loaded and unloaded efficiently while ensuring operators are able to work safely and ergonomically.
  • Working with paint suppliers to ensure their products allow us to meet our customer’s requirements for dry film thickness, color, and gloss.
  • Working with packaging suppliers to develop internal WIP packaging that ensures safe, defect‑free transportation to subsequent operations.
  • Writing standardized work instructions that are used to ensure that all operators perform tasks utilizing best practices each and every time the task is performed.
  • Analyze paint usage and cycle times to ensure that we will be able to meet customer demands while maintaining regulatory emissions compliance.
  • Continue to monitor and improve the above tasks throughout the production life of the program.
• Support production teams with the daily operation of paint spray booths, robot programs, and paint processes
  • Troubleshoot process or equipment‑related problems and provide solutions in a timely manner.
• Lead cross‑functional teams in scrap reduction and continuous improvement activities focused on root‑cause problem solving using 5-Why methodology
  • Document lessons learned and share results of activities with peers company’wide.
• Conduct daily process audits to ensure standardized work compliance.
• Work with maintenance personnel to develop appropriate PM schedules for paint spray equipment to improve operational reliability.
• Put together proposals to procure new equipment for capital investment or cost saving opportunities.
• Investigate new opportunities to automate existing operations via PLC programming to improve consistency of results while reducing labor burden.
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or similar technical discipline OR 5 years of experience in an automotive manufacturing or paint coatings environment may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software suite – Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Independent thinking with strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Preferred experienced in
  • Previous automotive class A painting experience
  • Programming using 6 axis ABB or Fanuc paint robots
  • Knowledge of various 1K and 2K paint systems…