Aircraft Painter

Company: Lockheed Martin
Location: Lexington
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

You will be the Aircraft Painter for the SOF GLSS team. Our team is responsible for delivering high?quality painting, finishing, and corrosion?control services that support the Special Operations Forces – Global Logistics Support Services (GLSS) contract. What You Will Be Doing As the Aircraft Painter, you will be responsible for preparing, painting, and finishing aircraft surfaces to exacting military standards while ensuring safety, quality, and documentation compliance. Your responsibilities will include: Surface Preparation and Painting: Prepare aircraft surfaces for painting by cleaning, sanding, masking, blasting, and priming. Apply paint, clear coats, and protective finishes using paint spray guns and other painting tools in accordance with OEM and military standards. Paint Touch-Ups and Repairs: Identify and repair paint damage including chips, scratches, corrosion spots, and coating degradation. Perform touch-up work as needed to ensure consistent appearance and corrosion protection. Aircraft media blasting: Surface preparation of aircraft and components using approved media blasting techniques. This includes masking to protect critical areas of the aircraft or components prior to blasting and operating media blasting equipment for stripping paint, removing corrosion, and preparing surfaces for painting or inspection in accordance with applicable standards. Detailing and Finishing: Perform post-paint detailing, stenciling, and the application of aircraft markings, insignia, and decals. Responsible for fabrication & preparation of stencils in the manufacturing and finishing processes. This includes operating stencil fabrication machines, maintaining production equipment, inspecting stencil quality, and ensuring customer specifications are met. Accuracy, attention to detail, and adherence to safety and quality standards are critical to Ensure all surfaces are free of defects, overspray, and contaminants. Inspections and Quality Control: Conduct inspections before and after painting applications to ensure compliance with safety, quality, and technical requirements. Use precision tools to measure coating thickness and surface smoothness. Technical Documentation: Interpret and follow technical data including maintenance manuals, engineering drawings, and paint schemes. Accurately document all work performed in maintenance records and military documentation systems. Corrosion Control: Perform corrosion removal and treatment processes using approved chemical and mechanical methods to maintain airworthiness and prolong aircraft life. Why Join Us This position supports our Special Operations Forces – Global Logistics Support Services contract, which is the U.S. Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM) largest service contract vehicle providing a wide range of tailored logistics, maintenance, and sustainment services. Learn more here: Explore more about the services that support the Special Operations Forces community. Further Information About This Opportunity This position is in Lexington. Discover more about our Lexington, Kentucky location. MUST BE A U.S. CITIZEN - This position is located at a facility that requires special access. The selected candidate must be able to obtain a Secret clearance. A company?sponsored interim Secret clearance is required to start. Basic Qualifications 1. Surface Prep and Coating Experience: Demonstrated experience in sanding, masking, priming, and painting aircraft or similar complex surfaces, with the ability to follow precise procedures and safety protocols. 2. Attention to Detail and Quality: Ability to ensure consistent, high-quality finishes, adhering to thickness, color match, and gloss level standards as defined by OEM and military specifications. 3. Maintenance Record Keeping: Accurately document all painting and corrosion control activities using applicable maintenance systems and ensure traceability of work performed. 4. Safety and Compliance: Knowledge of safety procedures including PPE use, ventilation requirements, flammable materials handling, and hazardous waste disposal related to painting operations. 5. Operational Flexibility: Ability to work independently or as part of a team in a fast-paced, schedule-driven environment. This role may involve travel or require working alternative shifts. Desired skills 1. Aircraft-Specific Experience: Experience painting military applications & aircraft with an understanding of their materials, contours, and coating requirements. Exposure to aircraft paint schemes, corrosion prevention measures, and coating systems. 2. Detail Finishing: Mastery in fine detailing, stenciling, and insignia application. 3. Paint Booth Operations: Operating and maintaining paint booth systems to ensure environmental compliance and quality output. Lockheed Martin is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics. The application window will close in 90 days; applicants are encouraged to apply within 5 - 30 days of the requisition posting date in order to receive optimal consideration. * At Lockheed Martin, we use our passion for purposeful innovation to help keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel, develop, and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. We place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering an inclusive environment built upon integrity and corporate responsibility. If this sounds like a culture you connect with, you’re invited to apply for this role. Or, if you are unsure whether your experience aligns with the requirements of this position, we encourage you to search on Lockheed Martin Jobs , and apply for roles that align with your qualifications. Other Important Information By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified you may be contacted for this and future openings. Ability to work remotely Onsite Full-time: The work associated with this position will be performed onsite at a designated Lockheed Martin facility. Work Schedule Information Lockheed Martin supports a variety of alternate work schedules that provide additional flexibility to our employees. Schedules range from standard 40 hours over a five day work week while others may be condensed. These condensed schedules provide employees with additional time away from the office and are in addition to our Paid Time off benefits. Security Clearance Information This position requires a government security clearance, you must be a US Citizen for consideration.

Keywords: Lockheed Martin, Cincinnati , Aircraft Painter, Engineering , Lexington, Ohio