Automotive Paint Repair Trainer

Position Summary: VSE Consulting Group, LLC is seeking an experienced, hands-on Automotive Paint Repair Trainer to teach and coach hourly technicians who repair and repaint vehicles in an automotive assembly plant's offline paint repair/reprocessing area. The successful candidate must have extensive personal experience performing vehicle paint defect repairs, repainting, and refinishing, and must be able to demonstrate these techniques directly on vehicles. Experience in an OEM paint shop is preferred; candidates with substantial collision-shop painting and refinishing experience are also encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities: Provide hands-on training in vehicle paint defect identification, repair, repainting, and refinishing in an offline repair environment. Demonstrate sanding, masking, surface preparation, spot repair, paint application, blending, buffing, polishing, and final finish inspection. Teach effective repairs for scratches, dirt contamination, runs, orange peel, and other paint appearance defects. Assess technician workmanship, identify skill gaps, and provide practical coaching and repeat demonstrations. Reinforce standardized repair methods and OEM appearance and workmanship requirements. Partner with Paint Operations and Quality to improve first-time repair quality, repair efficiency, and repeat-repair performance. Promote safe use of equipment, paints, chemicals, respiratory protection, and other required PPE.

Required Qualifications: Minimum 5 years of extensive hands-on automotive paint repair, repainting, and refinishing experience. Demonstrated ability to personally perform and demonstrate vehicle paint repairs; supervisory-only experience is not sufficient. Experience in an automotive paint shop, offline repair/reprocessing area, or professional collision repair/refinishing operation. Ability to train and mentor hourly technicians through direct, practical instruction. Strong knowledge of automotive paint materials, repair equipment, quality requirements, and safe work practices. Ability to work onsite in the Bloomington / Normal, Illinois area and travel as required.

Preferred Qualifications: OEM automotive assembly plant paint-shop experience, especially in offline paint repair or reprocessing. Prior experience training automotive paint repair technicians in a high-volume production environment. I-CAR, ASE, or equivalent automotive refinishing training/certifications.