Manager, Division Manufacturing Technical Capabilities

Corning•Concord, NC

1d•$116,625 - $160,360•Hybrid

About The Position

The company built on breakthroughs. Join us. Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible. How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward. At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more. Come break through with us. Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry. This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use. Role Purpose: Build and elevate our technical workforce across our fiber manufacturing operations. The Division Manufacturing Technical Capabilities Manager will own the end-to-end technical talent lifecycle—from recruiting and pipeline programs (co-op/apprentice) to world-class training, troubleshooting tool deployment, and retention strategies. This role requires coordination with multiple internal functions (HR, Work Force Development, Operations, and Engineering) across multiple plants and external vendors such as community colleges, schools and career fairs. The ideal candidate blends strong technical acumen with data-driven talent practices and thrives on creating scalable systems that raise capability at the operator, technician, and front-line supervisor levels. This role is intended to help grow the individual for key manufacturing and business leadership positions.

Requirements

Four-year degree w/Bachelor of Science in Engineering or equivalent preferred
5+ years of hands-on leadership experience in manufacturing
Experience developing and implementing strategy in a complex operations environment
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority
Demonstrated success building or scaling technical training programs and capability frameworks
Excellent coaching, facilitation, and cross-functional leadership skills.
Strong analytical skills and proficiency with performance measurement tools and dashboards
Self-motivated, proactive, and able to act with minimal supervision while using sound judgment and handling confidential information.
Strong project management capability; able to build plans, manage dependencies, and deliver outcomes.
Technical capability with experience with PCPD (Process Control/Process Discipline), PEX, or MEE methodologies preferred.
Understanding of digital manufacturing/Industry 4.0 tools and passion to learn more about available options for advancement in technical training, issue identification, and resolution.
Operator-Centric Mindset: Builds practical tools for the floor; measures application, not just completion

Responsibilities

Build a high-performing technical recruiting network (universities, trade schools, military, industry associations, niche platforms).
Define and govern hiring and promotion standards for operators, technicians, and engineers.
Oversee Co-op/Apprenticeship programs: design, selection, rotations, evaluation, and conversion.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to enable recruiting teams with toolkits, scorecards, and structured interviewing.
Define and implement world-class training curricula, digital libraries of knowledge, and troubleshooting tools (with a focus on operators, technicians, and engineers) to drive performance improvements
Leverage Digital tools to assist with issue identification, troubleshooting processes, and technical gap identification, feeding into technician development roadmaps.
Ensure technical issues are increasingly resolved at the lowest effective level; monitor skill application and close-the-loop learning.
Each plant will have Technical Capabilities Leaders dotted line to this Division Manufacturing Technical Capabilities Manager role. Coach and develop each of these leaders; build a community of practice across plants to share best practices, standards, and assets.
Lead cross-functional teams (Ops, Engineering, HR, WFD) to execute department training improvements and technical capability initiatives.
Own systems and processes for the Operators and Technicians Programs: governance, documentation, cadence, and continuous updates.
Actively document processes; implement change management for ongoing modifications and version control.
Manage communications and regular updates to leadership and key stakeholders on progress, risks, and outcomes.
Verify that programs meet organizational retention goals; partner on root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
Build and maintain a sustainability plan, including metrics, dashboards, and governance to ensure long-term adoption and impact.
Be the driver of technical talent progression across the Division.