Director of Technical Education

Company Description The Foundation of Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) is the leading professional organization for flexographic and package printing specialists. For nearly 70 years, FTA has set benchmarks in technical education, certification, and industry innovation, serving as a trusted resource for training and standards. The association connects a broad network of printers, suppliers, brand owners, and educators to support excellence across the entire packaging production workflow.

As the only association focused solely on the advancement of flexography, FTA offers a dynamic environment where technology, expertise, and education come together.

Position Summary:

In this fully remote role, the Director of Technical Education leads FTA’s education strategy, technical content, and Education Team. The Director applies practical flexographic expertise to build learning experiences that help printing businesses develop their people, improve production performance, and adopt FIRST principles and best practices.

This role offers the opportunity to shape FTA’s next generation of education: modernizing the FIRST certification, expanding access to training, strengthening ongoing learner engagement, and connecting education to workforce development. The Director is accountable for educational quality and agreed program and financial results, working with staff, volunteer experts, instructors, and external partners to deliver them.

Essential Job Duties:

Education Strategy & Technical Leadership

• Translate FTA’s education strategy into a practical annual plan with clear priorities, budgets, milestones, responsibilities, and measures of success. Balance delivery of current programs with development of new offerings.
• Serve as FTA’s staff resource for flexographic technical education. Maintain the accuracy, relevance, and practical application of FIRST materials, certification content, and other educational resources.
• Engage printer employers, learners, the FIRST Committee, and other industry experts to identify skill gaps, assess demand, and guide program decisions. Ensure technical consensus while keeping projects moving.
• Oversee the technical framework, quality standards, and expert delivery network for FIRST Audit, maintaining client confidentiality and producing practical, prioritized recommendations.
• Guide the selection, review, and updating of educational content for FTA AI. Work with technical experts and technology partners to evaluate technical accuracy and usefulness.
• Support the industry job board through relevant career and learning resources.

FIRST Modernization & Program Development

• Lead the refresh and modularization of FIRST training across Press Operator, Prepress Operator, and Implementation Specialist pathways. Incorporate current production practices, practical exercises, and assessments that demonstrate learning.
• Develop and manage a coordinated portfolio of certification, test-out options, live training, webinars, microlearning, troubleshooting, and specialty learning.
• Coordinate expert and editorial contributions to future FIRST editions and related resources, including planned FIRST 8.0 development and new FTA AI platform.

Learning Delivery & Continued Engagement

• Oversee the quality and delivery of on-demand, live online, and in-person education. Teach FIRST Live and other programs, and recruit qualified instructors and subject matter experts (SMEs).
• Lead education development for FTA conferences and webinars, working with volunteers, speakers, and staff to establish relevant topics, clear learning objectives, and effective presentations.
• Guide the use of FTA’s learning management system (LMS). Improve course access, learner progression, reporting, and the overall…