Learning and Development Manager

First Quality • Anderson, SC

17d • Onsite

About The Position

First Quality is seeking a Learning and Development Manager for its First Quality Print & Packaging facility in Anderson, South Carolina. The role ensures the business unit has the skills and leadership needed to operate safely and effectively, now and in the future. It owns learning systems including new-hire onboarding, operator qualification, and required safety and quality training; develops supervisors and salaried leaders; and builds talent pipelines through succession planning and career paths. The position partners with operations to address performance gaps and supports culture, engagement, recognition, and change initiatives. Success is measured through outcomes such as faster time to competency, fewer skill-related safety and quality issues, lower early turnover, stronger front-line leadership, and readiness for critical roles.

The manager designs and facilitates technical, operator, compliance, and leadership training; maintains qualification and training records; supports audits; and coordinates floor trainers. The position partners with operations and HR on succession planning, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, school partnerships, continuous improvement, needs analysis, and training program management. It supervises and develops training ambassadors and manages budgets, vendors, and production-compatible schedules.

The role also serves as a steward of plant culture. It leads engagement measurement and action planning, employee communication and recognition, early-retention efforts, leadership behavior development, and change management. It coordinates community and workforce outreach, promotes wellbeing resources, and supports employee committees.

Work is split among the office, training room, and production floor. Production areas involve noise, moving equipment, and temperature changes; required PPE must be worn. The role requires standing and walking for extended periods and moving throughout the plant. Flexible hours are needed to reach all shifts, including occasional early mornings and nights, and occasional travel to other sites, schools, or conferences.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Education, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 5 years in training, learning and development, or HR, including at least 2 years in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
• Experience designing and facilitating training for hourly employees and leaders.
• Working knowledge of OSHA training requirements and training recordkeeping.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, and communication skills with employees at all levels, from the production floor to plant leadership.
• Proficiency with an LMS and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to build trust and credibility on the production floor.
• Ability to use data to diagnose problems and demonstrate results.
• Ability to manage multiple programs and priorities with attention to detail.
• Ability to lead change and influence without direct authority.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and move throughout the plant.
• Flexible hours to reach all shifts, including occasional early mornings and nights.
• Occasional travel to other sites, schools, or conferences.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Lean or continuous improvement, including job instruction or TWI.
• Certification such as ATD CPTD, SHRM-CP, or a Lean or Six Sigma belt.
• Experience running engagement surveys and leading action planning.
• Experience building apprenticeship programs or school partnerships.
• Supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and facilitate onboarding and orientation for hourly and salaried employees.
• Build job-specific training for operators, technicians, and maintenance employees using standard work and job instruction methods.
• Maintain skills matrices and certification sign-offs for line, machine, and process qualifications.
• Select, train, and certify floor trainers and maintain consistent training across shifts.
• Partner with EHS on safety training and administer training records, completion tracking, refresher cycles, and audit-ready documentation.
• Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits with training documentation.
• Design and facilitate leadership programs for supervisors, leads, and salaried leaders.
• Onboard newly promoted supervisors in coaching, feedback, conflict, and fair policy application; coach leaders and support individual development plans.
• Partner with the Operations Director and HRBP on succession planning and identifying high-potential employees.
• Build career pathways and manage apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and partnerships with schools and universities.
• Train team members in problem solving and Lean tools, and update training and standard work to sustain process changes.
• Partner with plant leaders to diagnose performance gaps and determine whether training is appropriate.
• Manage the training budget, outside vendors, and scheduling around production and shift patterns; supervise and develop training ambassadors.
• Coach leaders in discussing engagement results, creating action plans, and following through; use stay interviews, exit data, and turnover trends to identify engagement issues.
• Build employee communication channels and help leaders explain business decisions, including during change, across all shifts.
• Design and manage recognition programs with HR, coach supervisors on recognition, and support a respectful and inclusive workplace.
• Own the first 90 days of the new-hire experience, including structured 45- and 90-day check-ins, and partner with leaders to address early turnover risks.
• Translate company values into observable leader behaviors, model plant expectations, and use 360 or upward feedback in development plans.
• Support major changes with training, communication plans, and leader talking points; prepare front-line leaders to address questions and resistance.
• Coordinate community involvement, volunteer events, and school or workforce outreach; promote wellbeing resources and support employee committees.
• Provide at least annual data privacy and security training to employees whose roles may bring them into contact with sensitive data.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
• Paid time off (three-week minimum)
• Medical, dental and vision starting day one
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
• Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums

What This Job Offers

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