Learning & Development Specialist

Learning & Development Specialist

The Learning & Development Manager will lead the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of training programs for a new manufacturing plant in a start-up environment. This role is responsible for building the training infrastructure from the ground up while partnering closely with Operations, EHS, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, HR, and site leadership to ensure employees are trained, qualified, and capable of performing work safely, consistently, and in alignment with evolving SOPs, compliance requirements, and business objectives.

This position requires a hands-on L&D leader who can operate effectively in an environment where processes, training materials, job standards, and SOPs are being developed and refined in real time. The ideal candidate will have strong instructional design experience, manufacturing knowledge, LMS administration expertise, and the ability to create scalable learning systems that support plant launch, workforce development, compliance, and long-term operational excellence.

• Lead the creation and execution of the plant's Learning & Development strategy, training roadmap, and workforce capability plan for a new manufacturing start-up environment.
• Build training programs, processes, tools, documentation, and governance structures from scratch to support plant readiness, production ramp-up, compliance, and long-term scalability.
• Apply the ADDIE instructional design model Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate to create structured, effective, and measurable learning solutions.
• Analyze organizational, departmental, job-specific, technical, safety, quality, and compliance training needs in partnership with leadership, subject matter experts, and frontline employees.
• Conduct comprehensive needs assessments through observation, surveys, interviews, skills gap analyses, performance data, incident trends, audit findings, and operational readiness requirements.
• Design training programs aligned with business objectives, operational requirements, job qualification standards, SOPs, regulatory expectations, and adult learning principles.
• Develop instructional materials including facilitator guides, participant materials, job aids, standard work instructions, quick-reference guides, e-learning content, assessments, training matrices, onboarding materials, and qualification checklists.
• Partner with Operations, EHS, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, and other subject matter experts to develop and maintain technical, safety, compliance, quality, leadership, and role-specific training programs.
• Support the development, rollout, and training of SOPs as they are being established, revised, and implemented in real time across the plant.
• Ensure training content is practical, accurate, accessible, and aligned with current plant processes, equipment, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Implement instructor-led training, hands-on training, workshops, onboarding programs, train-the-trainer sessions, skill development initiatives, leadership development programs, and qualification-based training.
• Facilitate learning across multiple shifts and employee groups while ensuring consistent training delivery, accessibility, and documentation.
• Establish and manage new hire onboarding programs that accelerate workforce readiness, safety awareness, plant culture, productivity, and job-specific competency.
• Create and maintain training matrices by role, department, certification requirement, SOP, equipment type, and compliance category.
• Manage and oversee the day-to-day operation of the organization's Learning Management System, including course assignments, employee access, training records, completion tracking, reporting, certification management, and system stability across diverse manufacturing shifts.
• Monitor expiration dates for critical safety, compliance, equipment, and technical certifications, providing automated alerts and reporting to supervisors before lapses occur.
• Maintain accurate training documentation, records, and reporting in alignment with company standards, audit requirements, regulatory expectations, and internal compliance requirements.
• Evaluate training effectiveness through assessments, employee feedback, supervisor input, observation, performance metrics, quality data, safety trends, audit results, productivity measures, and operational outcomes.
• Use training data and business metrics to identify gaps, recommend improvements, and drive continuous improvement of learning programs, SOP training, job qualification processes, and employee performance.
• Develop scalable learning systems that support growth as the plant expands, adds equipment, increases headcount, and matures operational processes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support workforce development, succession planning, leadership capability, employee engagement, and career pathing initiatives.
• Support the integration of emerging learning…