Polishing Supervisor

Sling Aircraft is looking for a hands-on and experienced Polishing Supervisor to lead and coordinate daily polishing and surface finishing activities. The role will be responsible for ensuring production targets, quality standards and delivery schedules are achieved, while providing effective supervision, coaching and support to the team. The successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining high-quality aircraft finishes, reducing rework and cycle times, and driving continuous improvement within the department.

1. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Prioritizing all daily planned objectives/parts to achieve prescribed targets against delivery schedule.
• Allocation of daily tasks and management thereof.
• Incoming and outgoing parts inspection.
• Polishing – parts prioritization and pre and post polishing quality inspections.
• Booking of final inspections and part supply to internal customer after final inspection and sign off.
• Ensure that all relevant documents are completed daily as required.
• Responsible for the training, development and coaching of employees in the drive towards continuous development and improvement.
• Proactively identifying, solving and/or reporting challenges within the department.
• Supervise the department stores and all materials involved.
• Supervise and report any failures/concerns on safety, production, quality and manpower.
• Driving continuous improvement in cycle time and rework reduction.
• Maintain production targets by ensuring that the required products are delivered daily.
• Maintain discipline and adherence to company policies.
• Always ensure general neatness and housekeeping of the department and safe working conditions.
• Any other duties as may be instructed from time to time by a member of Company management.

2. Performance Improvement:

• Ensure the company’s performance management system is consistently applied and provide advice, support and guidance to spray shop employees in the setting of their daily targets.
• Achieve high standards of personal performance, through meeting agreed targets.

3. People Management:

• Provide clear leadership to staff within the Spray Shop to ensure the provision of high-quality service to stakeholders and customers.
• Ensure that practices within the Paint Shop support a culture of effective teamworking and continuous improvement.

4. General Management:

• Ensure that the company meets its Health and Safety obligations and appropriate arrangements are developed and implemented to ensure compliance with the company’s Health and Safety Policy and associated procedures and assure the safety of the workforce and service users.
• Take such action as may be necessary in disciplinary matters in accordance with procedures as set out within the bounds of Sling Aircrafts policies and procedures.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cycle time, rework, and consumable cost.
• Escalate constraint issues (e.g. bay bottlenecks, equipment downtime) with proposed corrective action.
• Support cross-functional coordination with Spray Booth and Preparation process groups to maintain flow and timeous delivery.

Essential requirements:

• Matric (Grade 12) (or equivalent), Technical/Trade qualification advantageous.
• Minimum 3–5 years' hands-on experience in polishing, buffing, or surface finishing (aerospace, automotive, or composite manufacturing preferred)
• Formal training or certification in paint surface finishing, polishing, or paint/coatings processes.
• Basic Computer literacy with report writing abilities
• Own transport preferable but not compulsory.
• Supervisory or leadership training (or demonstrated equivalent experience)
• Strong Supervisory / inter-personnel skills
• Hands-on supervisory style
• Good communication and coordination skills
• Experience working with composite and/or aluminium aircraft painted surfaces is a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with polishing compounds, buffing pads/polishing pads, and machine/hand polishing techniques across different substrates.

Technical Knowledge

• Understanding of paint systems and how basecoat/clearcoat properties affect polishing requirements (cure times, hardness, defect types).
• Ability to identify and correct surface defects (orange peel, swirl marks, holograms, burn-through, contamination).
• Knowledge of polishing equipment maintenance and consumable management (pads, compounds, cutting/finishing stages).
• Understanding of quality standards and inspection criteria (Aviation or Automotive tolerances where applicable).

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Working knowledge of PPE requirements and safety protocols for polishing environments (dust, noise, chemical exposure).
• Understanding of relevant safety regulations (OHS Act compliance in South Africa).
• Housekeeping and 5S standards enforcement.

Soft Skills

• Strong attention to detail and quality mindset.
• Good communication skills across shop floor and management levels
• Problem-solving under production pressure
• Team leadership and conflict resolution ability

Other

• Physically able to perform hands-on work when required
• Required to work shifts/overtime due to operational requirements.

*NB: If you are not contacted in 14 days please consider your application unsuccessful

Application Question(s):

• Do you have experience with machine/hand polishing and identifying paint defects?
• Do you have 3–5 years’ experience in polishing or surface finishing?
• Do you have supervisory or team leadership experience in a production environment?

Education:

• High School (matric) (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)

Work Location: In person