Training Manager - Manufacturing

The Training Manager leads the development, coordination, execution, and continuous improvement of plant training programs across assigned production areas. This role is responsible for building and sustaining effective training systems, standard practices, qualification processes, training records, and competency tracking to ensure employees are safely and consistently prepared to perform their roles. The Training Manager partners closely with operations, Human Resources, safety, quality, and frontline leaders to strengthen workforce readiness, support onboarding and job progression, and promote a culture of learning, accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the plant training strategy, including onboarding, job-specific training, refresher training, cross-training, qualification processes, and training effectiveness reviews.
• Develop, maintain, and improve training materials, training checklists, standard work documents, knowledge boards, qualification trackers, and related training resources.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, performance management, and day-to-day support for approximately 4–6 shift supervisors to ensure consistent training execution, employee accountability, communication, and operational alignment across shifts.
• Coordinate training schedules and priorities with operations leaders to support staffing needs, employee progression, business priorities, and safe production execution.
• Track employee training progress, verify completion of required documentation, monitor remaining training opportunities, and ensure training records are accurate and maintained.
• Partner with supervisors, trainers, area managers, Human Resources, safety, quality, and union leadership as appropriate to support consistent training practices and resolve training-related concerns.
• Evaluate training effectiveness through observation, feedback, qualification reviews, performance trends, safety data, quality results, and operational input.
• Support trainers by clarifying expectations, reinforcing consistent training methods, identifying capability gaps, and helping develop effective coaching and documentation practices.
• Develop, train, implement, and sustain standard work practices across the plant to improve consistency, accountability, safety, quality, and operational performance.
• Maintain training-related metrics, reports, qualification data, workforce readiness tools, and action plans to support leadership decision-making and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, organizational development, education, operations management, manufacturing, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Experience developing, coordinating, and leading training programs in a manufacturing, operations, technical, or plant environment.
• Demonstrated leadership or management experience, including coaching, developing, and holding supervisors or team leaders accountable for performance, communication, and consistent execution of expectations.
• Strong understanding of training coordination, competency tracking, qualification processes, standard work, documentation practices, and plant floor execution.
• Familiarity with labor agreements, job progression, onboarding, refresher training, employee development, and compliance-related training practices preferred.
• Strong communication, facilitation, organization, problem-solving, documentation, and follow-up skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and training, learning management, workforce and reporting.
• Experience with adult learning, train-the-trainer programs, training audits, lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, standard work implementation, project leadership, or problem-solving methodology preferred.

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M2SP