Head of Dealer Training & Performance

Yanmar Compact Equipment North America, Inc.•Grand Rapids, MN

About The Position

The Head of Dealer Training & Performance is a senior leadership role responsible for building and executing a world-class training and dealer performance program across Yanmar Compact Equipment’s North American dealer network. This individual will design, deliver, and continuously improve technical and operational training curricula for dealer service technicians, parts staff, and sales representatives -ensuring consistent product knowledge, service excellence, and compliance with Yanmar standards. The role also owns the dealer performance framework, using training outcomes, KPI dashboards, and field coaching to drive measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, warranty efficiency, and dealer profitability.

Requirements

Minimum 8–10 years of experience in the compact or construction equipment industry, with a strong service/technical foundation.
Minimum 5 years of experience in a training, field support, or dealer development role.
Demonstrated experience building or managing a dealer training program, including Train-the-Trainer delivery.
Deep knowledge of compact equipment (mini excavators, compact track loaders, utility vehicles, tractors or equivalent) -hydraulic systems, diagnostics, drivetrain, and electronics.
Proven ability to develop and deliver engaging technical training content for diverse audiences (technicians, parts staff, sales).
Strong analytical skills; comfortable using data to drive dealer performance conversations and program improvements.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; confident presenting to dealer principals, stakeholders, and large groups.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Ability to travel up to 50% across North America.

Nice To Haves

Licensed/certified heavy equipment technician or equivalent trade certification.
Experience with Yanmar product lines.
Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and dealer management systems (DMS), warranty administration platforms, and telematics tools.
Post-secondary education in a technical discipline, business, or adult education; a combination of training and experience will be considered.
Bilingual (English/French) is a strong asset for coverage of Canadian dealer network.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and deliver a scalable national dealer training strategy aligned with Yanmar’s product roadmap and dealer development goals.
Develop modular tiered curricula in a variety of formats based on role-based learning paths covering technical service, diagnostics & troubleshooting , parts operations, product training (by model), sales and competitive positioning, various Yanmar systems & platforms, Yanmar processes, and telematics & digital tools for compact equipment.
Establish a training certification framework (e.g., tiered technician qualification levels) and manage dealer compliance and enrollment tracking.
Lead in-house and field training delivery; To include Classroom, regional and Dealer specific (on-site), all in a safe working environment
Integrate blended learning formats such as ILT – in person & virtual, and eLearning
Coordinate scheduling of training programs by (key) models, product line, and equipment population.
Maintain and continuously refresh training materials including digital content, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on lab exercises, and assessment tools
Build and maintain a Train-the-Trainer (TtT) program to extend training reach across the dealer network at the local and regional level.
Owns the administration and utilization of the (LMS) Learning Management System
Own the related dealer performance scorecard, tracking metrics including training completion rates, warranty recovery, and customer satisfaction index (CSI) scores.
Partner with regional sales and product support managers to identify performance gaps and develop targeted improvement plans at the dealer level.
Lead dealer business reviews in collaboration with field teams, presenting performance data and coaching dealers on best practices.
Monitor and proactively manage dealer compliance with Yanmar certification requirements, product update campaigns, and COE (Center of Excellence) standards.
Drive adoption of dealer management tools, warranty systems, and telematics platforms.
Liaise with Yanmar engineering and product teams to channel field feedback, and communicate product improvements to the dealer network via training material.
Support Product Update Campaigns
Liaise with YCENA Service and Warranty departments to be cognizant of current Dealer issues, questions and concerns to reenforce company initiatives via training materials and delivery systems
Participate in new product introductions, preparing technical content and training rollout plans ahead of market launch.
Recruit, lead, and develop a team of Regional Trainers, setting performance expectations, coaching, and managing workload distribution.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Product Support, and Parts to ensure training content is integrated with go-to-market initiatives.
Build relationships with technical colleges and trade schools to develop a pipeline of qualified technicians and support dealer recruitment efforts.
Represent Yanmar at industry events, dealer meetings, and training forums.