On-The-Job Trainer

Smithfield Foods•Grayson, KY

11d•Onsite

About The Position

As an On-the-Job Trainer, you’ll be a cornerstone of our team’s success—setting new employees up to thrive from day one. You’ll take the lead in training and developing hourly team members, empowering them with essential technical skills like expert knife techniques, sharpening, and tool maintenance to ensure they work safely, efficiently, and confidently. Most of your time will be hands-on, right on the production floor, where you’ll work closely alongside new hires—coaching, demonstrating, and reinforcing best practices. You won’t just teach employees how to do the job; you’ll inspire them to do it well and take pride in their work. You’ll also be the go-to resource for employees transitioning into new roles through the job-bidding process, providing tailored, on-the-job training and guidance to help them succeed. Whether it’s mastering knife sharpening or mastering new responsibilities, your expertise will be essential to their growth. Collaboration is key—you’ll partner with plant supervision and the Training Supervisor to meticulously document and track training progress. Your keen observation skills, clear communication, and patient coaching style will directly contribute to developing a skilled, confident workforce and driving employee retention.

Requirements

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) and 2+ years’ experience in manufacturing operations, required.
In lieu of a High School Diploma or GED, candidate must have 6 years of Smithfield manufacturing industry experience.
Communicate clearly and confidently, demonstrating excellent written and oral communication skills to guide and support others.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual ability is a plus for connecting with a diverse workforce.
Work proactively and independently with a high level of personal accountability, demonstrating self-motivation and the ability to manage time, plan effectively, and execute tasks with minimal oversight.
Leverage strong interpersonal and teamwork skills to foster respect, approachability, and collaboration, building trust and a positive, supportive work environment in fast-paced, dynamic settings.
Exhibit strong problem-solving and strategic thinking abilities, confidently coaching others through challenges and translating strategy into actionable results.
Use technology proficiently, including advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and the broader Microsoft Office Suite.
Familiarity with SAP is preferred to support operational efficiency.
Demonstrate strong organizational, analytical reasoning, and adaptability skills to prioritize tasks and thrive amid shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

Train new-hire and job-bid employees on essential job skills, safety practices, and job-specific techniques, including knife handling and sharpening.
Spend time on the production floor observing employees, providing real-time coaching, and retraining when skills or behaviors don’t meet expectations.
Document training attendance, daily observations, and employee progress with accuracy and attention to detail.
Assist the Training Specialist and Supervisor by preparing progress reports, supporting job-bid qualification reviews, and identifying trends involving tools, job tasks, or employee performance.
Collaborate with area supervisors to communicate training needs and performance concerns.
Participate in M-IQ tier meetings, use Leader Standard Work (LSW) to plan and prioritize tasks, and support onboarding by leading plant tours and training employees on proper PPE use.
Rotate to different shifts to support production needs, and you may travel to other facilities to assist with start-up projects.
Take on additional responsibilities as assigned to ensure training and operations run smoothly.

Benefits

Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.
Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more.
Our company invests in your future. We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential. Our partnership with GUILD supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning and various certificate programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high-potential talent.
For those looking to build specialized skills, we offer apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on experience with focused learning.
We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.
Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner.

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