Director, Training Strategy & Program Management

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k),Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

The Director is responsible for leading the company-wide operational training strategy, combining deep operational insight with strong enterprise program leadership. This role ensures the design and delivery of training programs that build the technical capabilities required to safely maintain, support, and operate water and wastewater systems. Leading a team of operational and technical trainers/SMEs, the Director drives the development of standardized, scalable training across treatment, distribution, collection and field services, translating operational needs and performance gaps into effective learning solutions.

This position oversees the governance, processes, and resources required to administer technical training programs. The Director partners closely with State Operations, HR, business performance teams, and labor stakeholders to align training with business needs, manage delivery capacity, and implement modern training methods and technologies. Success in this role requires balancing hands-on operational credibility with disciplined program execution to ensure training effectiveness and measurable impact on operational performance.

• This position has the direct responsibility for managing the processes and resources required for the maintenance and administration of technical training associated with Water and Wastewater System Treatment, Distribution, Collection and Field Services.
• Responsible for designing and implementing Operational Training programs and processes; provide leadership, guidance and management of a team engaged in the delivery of technical training services.
• Operational Performance Improvement Leadership - Responsible for facilitating the development and implementation of short-term and long-term strategic improvement initiatives to close performance gaps identified by performance metrics or benchmarking.
• Partner with business performance to ensure continued improvement in processes and focus on improved training effectiveness to address business needs based on performance trends and issues.
• Promote diversity and foster teamwork, collaboration and a learning organization.
• Maintain strong relationships with subject matter experts, occupational work groups and bargaining unit leadership in order to identify training needs and related content to meet business needs.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure continuous development of existing curriculums and methods for effectively delivering course content.
• Contribute to the development and management of performance measures to determine training effectiveness.
• Work with the operations teams to develop scheduling capacity models to ensure the timely delivery of training to meet the training demand on an annual basis.
• Develop alternate training methods to deliver course content that includes the utilization of technology, and ensure training is delivered through the most effective means.

• Comprehensive knowledge of water and wastewater operations, including treatment, distribution, collection systems, and field services practices.
• Knowledge of program and project management disciplines, including planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and execution of large-scale, multi-site initiatives.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., EPA, state environmental regulations, operator certification standards) impacting water and wastewater operations.
• Understanding of operational performance metrics, benchmarking practices, and continuous improvement frameworks to assess and enhance training effectiveness.
• Knowledge of workforce planning, scheduling, and capacity modeling to align training delivery with operational demands.
• Awareness of labor relations and union environments, including collaboration with bargaining units and adherence to collective bargaining agreements.
• Understanding of change management and organizational development principles to support adoption of new training programs and operational improvements.
• Knowledge of safety standards and practices (e.g., OSHA) relevant to utility operations and field-based work environments.
• Familiarity with…