Position Summary

Primary Responsibilities

1. Training System Development and Management

• Design and administer a site-wide training framework covering new-hire onboarding, role qualification, refresher training, cross-training, process changes, and retraining after significant deviations or incidents.
• Create and maintain role-based training matrices that identify required curricula, qualification status, renewal frequency, proficiency gaps, and coverage risks for each department and shift.
• Establish document and record controls for training materials, including revision approval, effective dates, obsolete-version removal, attendance, assessments, qualification sign-off, and retraining triggers.
• Partner with subject-matter experts to convert SOPs, work instructions, one-point lessons, troubleshooting guides, and safety requirements into clear, practical learning content.
• Develop and coach a network of qualified trainers and assessors; standardize train-the-trainer expectations and periodically verify trainer effectiveness.
• Implement blended learning methods such as structured on-the-job training, demonstrations, job aids, short classroom modules, knowledge checks, and observed performance assessments.
• Report training compliance, overdue qualifications, cross-training coverage, time-to-competency, and training effectiveness to site leadership; escalate material capability risks.
• Coordinate training readiness for equipment installations, process changes, product launches, and corrective actions before operational handoff.

2. Continuous Improvement System Leadership

• Develop and maintain the site continuous improvement operating system, including opportunity intake, prioritization, project charters, action tracking, benefit validation, and sustainment reviews.
• Facilitate structured problem solving using methods such as Kaizen, A3, PDCA, 5 Why, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, process mapping, standard work, visual management, and mistake-proofing.
• Lead cross-functional improvement events and targeted projects addressing safety, quality, yield, labor productivity, throughput, downtime, changeover, sanitation effectiveness, material flow, and cost.
• Coach supervisors, technicians, engineers, and operators in daily problem solving and practical Lean behaviors; build local ownership rather than creating dependence on the CI function.
• Ensure follow through with plant leadership and supervision to ensure consistent execution to all processes and standards.
• Ensure improvements are embedded in controlled documents, training, visual standards, leader routines, and verification checks so gains are sustained.

3. Performance Management and Analytics

• Build trusted performance views using OEE, availability, performance, quality, yield, labor, downtime, waste, training, and other operational data.
• Validate data definitions and establish a consistent loss tree so teams focus on the largest controllable constraints.
• Support daily and weekly operating reviews with concise analysis, root-cause follow-up, countermeasure status, and verified benefits.
• Translate analysis into floor-level action and communicate results in clear financial, operational, and workforce-capability terms.

4. Project Execution and Change Adoption

• Manage selected improvement initiatives from problem definition through implementation, validation, training, and sustainment.
• Develop stakeholder plans, facilitate decisions, clarify ownership, and remove barriers across departments and shifts.
• Coordinate trials and pilots with appropriate safety, food-safety, quality, maintenance, and operational controls.
• Confirm that process changes have an accountable owner, approved standard, trained users, measurable success criteria, and a post-implementation audit plan.

Decision Rights and Working Relationships

• May establish: site CI and training governance, standard templates, reporting cadence, project stage gates, qualification methods, and minimum documentation requirements, subject to applicable company policies.
• May pause or escalate: a rollout or qualification when training, documentation, validation, or change-control requirements have not been met.
• Partners closely with: Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Food Safety/Quality, EHS, Sanitation, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Finance.
• Does not replace: functional ownership of SOP accuracy, technical approval, daily supervision, employee accountability, or legally required authorization by designated competent persons.

Required Qualifications

• Three or more years of experience in continuous improvement, manufacturing operations, engineering, quality, maintenance, training, or a related operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional improvement projects and facilitating structured root-cause problem solving.
• Experience building, administering, or materially improving an employee training, qualification, or competency-management process.
• Working knowledge of Lean principles, standard work, process mapping, visual management, and change management.
• Strong analytical capability with Excel and operational reporting tools; able to validate data and translate findings into action.
• Strong facilitation, instructional, writing, coaching, and presentation skills across frontline through executive audiences.
• Ability to work in an active food-production environment and spend substantial time on the manufacturing floor across shifts as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, operations, industrial technology, organizational development, education, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or comparable evidence of applied improvement capability.
• Experience in food, beverage, agriculture, pharmaceutical, medical-device, or another regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience with learning management systems, electronic training records, document control, or skills-matrix platforms.
• Familiarity with OEE, maintenance and reliability, automation, sanitation, food safety, labor standards, and capital-project operational readiness.
• Training or certification in adult learning, instructional design, Training Within Industry (TWI), Prosci/change management, or project management.

Core Competencies

Measures of Success

• Training control: Required training and qualification completion; overdue rate; record accuracy; revision-to-retraining cycle time.
• Workforce capability: Time-to-competency; qualified coverage by role and shift; cross-training depth; assessment pass and rework rates.
• Training effectiveness: Observed adherence, post-training performance, reduction in repeat errors, and effectiveness checks after process changes.
• Improvement delivery: Projects completed against plan; verified annualized benefits; improvement lead time; proportion of gains sustained at 30/60/90 days.
• Operational impact: Improvements in prioritized safety, quality, yield, labor, OEE, downtime, changeover, waste, or cost measures.
• Capability building: Number and effectiveness of qualified trainers, active problem solvers, and leaders routinely using standard CI methods.

Initial 12-Month Priorities

Physical and Work Environment

Equal Employment Opportunity

Summary of Benefits: