Application Specialist
About The Position
The Application Specialist supports the development, evaluation, and technical validation of industrial wood coating systems. This role serves as a critical bridge between Product Management, Laboratory Development, Technical Service, and Sales to ensure coatings perform consistently in real-world spray environments. This position will lead and support spray application testing, competitive benchmarking, internal product evaluations, and field problem-solving. This position also maintains application equipment and spray facilities. The role requires deep, hands-on expertise in wood coating spray techniques, fluid delivery systems, and industrial finishing equipment. The Application Specialist plays a key part in supporting lab initiatives, new product launches, and continuous improvement projects.
Requirements
- Extensive hands-on experience applying industrial wood coatings, including: Stains, Lacquers and pre-catalyzed lacquers, Conversion varnishes, Waterborne coatings, Two-component finishes
- Strong understanding of coating behavior in production spray environments
- Experience with: Airless and Air-Assisted Airless systems, HVLP and conventional spray guns, Fluid delivery systems (pumps, pressure pots, circulation loops)
- Ability to maintain spray booths, filtration systems, and finishing equipment
- Experience maintaining fluid handling systems and spray components
- Ability to manage sanding tables and inventories (test panels, abrasives, sundries)
- Ability to identify and resolve application issues such as: Orange peel, Dry spray, Poor atomization, Film defects and inconsistent build
- Strong observational, evaluation, and documentation skills
- Proven ability to work with Product Management, R&D/Laboratory teams, Technical Service, Sales, and OEM representatives
- Ability to translate technical findings into actionable insights across teams
- Hands-on, practical problem solver
- High attention to detail in application testing
- Ability to translate laboratory concepts into real-world performance
- Strong organizational and documentation discipline
- Collaborative mindset across technical and commercial teams
- Adhere to all safety regulations and procedures.
Nice To Haves
- 5+ years of experience in industrial wood finishing or coatings application
- Experience working with OEM wood manufacturers or production finishing environments
- Familiarity with coating evaluation protocols and testing methods
- Strong mechanical aptitude for equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
Responsibilities
- Conduct spray application testing for new product development, reformulations, and product improvements
- Perform internal product evaluations and competitive benchmarking
- Document coating performance, including: Dry-to-handle, dry-to-sand, and dry-to-stack times, Atomization and transfer efficiency, Sanding quality, flow and leveling, feel and slip, Defect identification, film build, and overall appearance
- Evaluate stain applications including wipe ease, spray/no-wipe methods, color development, and dry times
- Partner with Product Management and Laboratory teams to translate formulations into real-world performance
- Maintain and manage spray booths, finishing equipment, and testing environments
- Set up and operate industrial spray systems, including: Airless, Air-Assisted Airless, HVLP, Conventional spray systems
- Maintain fluid delivery systems such as pumps, pressure pots, and circulation systems
- Ensure all equipment is calibrated, functioning properly, and operating safely
- Follow all EHS standards, including recordkeeping and waste disposal procedures
- Collaborate with Sales, Technical Service, Product Management, and Laboratory teams
- Troubleshoot application challenges during trials and evaluations
- Provide practical application insights to improve product formulation and performance
- Support product launches with spray parameters, application guidelines, and best practices
- Conduct spray testing of competitor coatings
- Provide structured feedback on: Sprayability, Appearance and finish quality, Film build, Defect resistance, Production suitability
- Communicate overall user experience comparisons between Gemini products and competitors
- Assist in coating system validation for new product launches
- Establish application parameters and recommended equipment settings
- Support development of technical documentation and product positioning
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
High school or GED
