Associate Director, Learning and Development, Manufacturing

Johnson Controls • Milwaukee, WI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director, Learning & Development, Manufacturing & Global Supply Chain leads the design, development, and deployment of enterprise manufacturing learning and workforce capability programs across Johnson Controls' global plant network. The role partners with Manufacturing, Global Supply Chain, HR, Learning & Development, and Business System leaders to identify workforce capability needs, develop scalable learning solutions, and drive adoption of enterprise learning standards that improve workforce readiness and operational performance. Working at the intersection of learning strategy and manufacturing operations, this role helps create consistent approaches to technical workforce development while enabling appropriate localization for plant, regulatory, language, and operating requirements. Success is measured through improved workforce readiness, stronger qualification and proficiency outcomes, increased consistency across plants, greater visibility into capability gaps, and sustainable improvements in manufacturing performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in Learning & Development, Organizational Development, Human Resources, Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, or a related field preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in learning, workforce capability, enablement, technical training, talent development, organizational development, or related disciplines within large, complex organizations.
• Experience supporting frontline, technical, operational, industrial, engineering, manufacturing, field, or skilled-worker populations.
• Experience developing role-based learning architectures, technical curricula, qualification frameworks, certification programs, onboarding systems, or workforce readiness initiatives.
• Demonstrated success partnering with operational leaders to identify capability needs and implement scalable learning solutions.
• Experience establishing enterprise standards, governance processes, and measurement systems across geographically dispersed stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence decisions and drive adoption within complex matrixed organizations.
• Experience leading and developing professional teams and/or large-scale enterprise programs.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience supporting manufacturing organizations, plant operations, or global manufacturing networks.
• Experience developing manufacturing learning programs covering assembly, welding, equipment operation, maintenance, quality, safety qualifications, engineering, or frontline onboarding.
• Experience with qualification, certification, skills verification, proficiency management, or train-the-trainer programs.
• Experience applying Lean, Business System, Gemba, standard work, visual management, root-cause problem solving, or continuous improvement principles.
• Experience connecting learning initiatives to workforce readiness, time-to-proficiency, quality, safety, productivity, or operational performance outcomes.
• Experience integrating learning programs with talent, onboarding, workforce planning, HR systems, or operational processes.

Responsibilities

• Partners with Manufacturing and Supply Chain leaders to develop and execute the enterprise learning strategy and roadmap for production workforce capability.
• Identifies critical capability gaps, establishes learning priorities, and aligns workforce development efforts with safety, quality, productivity, delivery, workforce readiness, and future talent requirements.
• Partners with operational leaders to distinguish true skill and knowledge gaps from issues related to process, equipment, staffing, leadership, or work design, ensuring learning investments address the right business needs.
• Leads the development and continuous improvement of enterprise technical learning architectures across manufacturing environments, including assembly, welding and skilled trades, equipment operation, maintenance and reliability, quality procedures, safety-related qualifications, manufacturing engineering, onboarding, and trainer qualification.
• Develops role-based learning pathways, capability progression models, qualification frameworks, certification requirements, and skills-verification approaches that create consistency across the global manufacturing network.
• Supports the development and execution of enterprise standards, learning products, curriculum priorities, and governance processes for technical manufacturing learning.
• Ensures learning solutions reflect operational realities, address common capability needs, and can be leveraged across multiple regions and plants.
• Establishes guardrails that balance enterprise consistency with legitimate local requirements such as regulatory, language, equipment, or process differences.
• Leads complex learning initiatives that require coordination across technical manufacturing learning, leadership development, onboarding, Lean capabilities, and other functional learning domains.
• Partners with content owners and stakeholders to align priorities, identify gaps, clarify ownership, maintain integrated roadmaps, and ensure learning journeys support workforce readiness and career progression.
• Applies Johnson Controls Business System principles to manufacturing learning through the use of Gemba, standard work, visual management, root-cause problem solving, operating rhythms, and continuous improvement.
• Helps make capability gaps, priorities, adoption, and outcomes visible and supports fact-based decision making regarding workforce capability investments.
• Leads and develops manufacturing learning professionals while influencing capability building across the broader manufacturing learning network.
• Partners closely with plant training teams and learning stakeholders to promote shared standards, best practices, adoption of enterprise approaches, and continuous improvement while strengthening the effectiveness of the overall learning community.
• Develops the measurement approach needed to assess workforce readiness, qualification attainment, proficiency, learning adoption, and program effectiveness.
• Uses workforce data, operational insights, learner feedback, and business outcomes to continuously improve curricula, deployment approaches, governance processes, and investment decisions.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus plan
• Paid vacation/holidays/sick time - 15 days of vacation first year
• Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care - Available day one
• Encouraging and collaborative team environment
• Dedication to safety through our Zero Harm policy
• JCI Employee discount programs (The Loop by Perk Spot)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director