Service Technician Academy Program Manager

Flow Control Group•Charlotte, NC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Service Technician Academy Program Manager owns the strategy, structure, and delivery of Flow Control Group's Service Technician Academy. This program is designed for field service and shop technicians and is delivered through four technology academies: Air Compression, Pump, Valve, and Automation. The role involves coordinating internal facilitators, identifying and preparing new facilitators, and managing the logistics of training delivery. A key aspect of this role is working with the establishment of FCG's hands-on training lab in Houston, Texas, where in-person training is piloted, audited, and delivered. The program manager will assess the current state of the academy, build its operating model, and develop an annual plan. This role is crucial for building technician talent deliberately, ensuring technicians are trained, assessed, and certified to perform safely and effectively, with a clear career path from apprentice to master technician. The Academy is taught by FCG's own experts, and this role owns the facilitator model, including identifying, preparing, and coordinating these internal experts. The Houston training lab is central to in-person delivery, and this role is the primary partner in its establishment and operation.

Requirements

5 to 8 years in technical training, workforce development, or field service operations in an industrial environment
Direct background in at least one of the Academy technology areas (air compression, pumps, valves, or industrial automation) or a closely related industrial service trade, with the ability to work credibly across all four
Experience managing a structured technical training or apprenticeship program, including multi-level certification tracking and compliance reporting
Experience identifying, preparing, and coordinating internal instructors or SMEs, and running multiple cohorts, locations, and equipment needs on schedule
Comfort with workforce data: able to track, analyze, and present certification status, completion trends, retention, and training ROI to service operations and HR leadership
Ability to be based in Houston, TX, or to travel to Houston frequently

Nice To Haves

Active or lapsed trade certification or licensure (instrumentation technician, millwright, industrial mechanic, journeyman electrician, or equivalent)
Experience helping design, launch, or operate a hands-on technical training center or lab
Train-the-trainer or facilitation certification (ATD, CPTD, or comparable)
Familiarity with NCCER, ISA (CCST), IFPS, or similar industrial credentialing frameworks
Experience with OEM factory training programs for compressors, pumps, valves, or automation products
Experience building or managing DOL-registered or state-registered apprenticeship programs

Responsibilities

Assess the current state of the Academy: inventory existing certifications, content, OEM training, informal on-the-job training, and training infrastructure across Operating Groups and brands for each technology area; identify coverage gaps, rigor gaps, and scalability constraints honestly
Build the Academy operating model: enrollment criteria, completion standards, records management, and an escalation process for technicians not meeting competency requirements
Define which standards are enterprise-wide and which are executed locally by Operating Groups and Technology Groups, so the Academy scales without removing brand-level ownership of service delivery
Develop the annual Academy plan: cohort calendar by technology academy, capacity, locations, and investment priorities, and present it to the VP, Workforce Development and service operations leadership
Build and maintain the business case for the Academy, including the relationship between structured training and technician turnover, time to productivity, and service quality
Oversee four technology academies under one Academy framework, ensuring each has a defined audience, technical scope, curriculum map, hands-on requirements, and certification path
Design a consistent multi-level pathway within each academy (new hire, certified service technician, journeyman, and master technician designations) with clear competency requirements, hands-on assessment gates, and defined advancement criteria
Define what each level requires in each technology: what a technician must know, must be able to demonstrate, and must have performed in the field before advancing
Partner with technology and service leaders in each area to set technical priorities, validate content, and confirm that academy standards reflect real field requirements
Identify cross-training opportunities between academies (for example pump and valve, or automation across all three mechanical paths) so technicians can broaden their value to customers
Build a structured onboarding and first 90 days experience that gets new technicians safe and productive faster, and a lead technician and supervisory on-ramp in partnership with the Leadership Academy Program Manager
Publish the technician career pathway for each academy so technicians and managers can see progression criteria and next steps
Serve as the coordinator of all Academy facilitators across the four technology academies
Identify internal technicians, service leaders, and SMEs with the technical depth and credibility to teach, in partnership with service leadership and Operating Group leaders
Prepare facilitators to deliver: run train-the-trainer sessions, conduct facilitator certification or teach-backs before first delivery, and provide facilitator guides, lesson plans, and assessment tools
Observe and coach facilitators during delivery; use participant feedback and assessment results to improve facilitation quality and address gaps
Build facilitator capacity plans so each academy has enough ready facilitators, including backups, to meet the cohort calendar without over-relying on a few experts
Partner with service leaders to secure facilitator time and establish recognition for technicians who teach
Manage the logistics of every Academy session: scheduling, facilitator assignments, participant enrollment, travel coordination, room and lab reservations, equipment and materials, and pre-work
Coordinate delivery calendars across the four academies, service regions, and the Houston lab to balance participant availability with field service demands
Maintain accurate attendance, completion, and assessment records in FCG University and the Academy tracking system
Evaluate and implement regional, mobile, or virtual delivery options for content that does not require the Houston lab, so technicians in distant markets can progress without unnecessary travel
Partner closely with facilities, operations, and technology leaders on the establishment of the Houston hands-on training lab, representing Academy requirements for layout, equipment, demonstration units, tools, and safety
Define lab equipment and training station needs for each technology academy (air compression, pump, valve, and automation) based on curriculum and assessment requirements
Pilot new in-person trainings in the lab before broader rollout, and refine content, timing, and hands-on exercises based on pilot results
Audit and review in-person trainings on a regular cadence for technical accuracy, safety, facilitator quality, and participant outcomes
Establish lab operating standards: scheduling, safety protocols, equipment maintenance, inventory, and readiness checks before each session
Build the model for how the Houston lab can be replicated or supplemented regionally as the Academy scales
Own technician certification tracking across all four academies: internal Academy credentials, OEM factory authorizations, OSHA safety certifications, EPA requirements where applicable, and industry credentials (NCCER, ISA CCST, IFPS, or equivalent per technology)
Maintain a certification dashboard, in partnership with HR Analytics, that tracks current certifications, upcoming expirations, and compliance gaps by technician, academy, region, Operating Group, and role
Develop and enforce recertification schedules aligned with manufacturer requirements, regulatory mandates, and company policy
Serve as the primary liaison to OEM and manufacturer training programs for each technology area: coordinate factory training, seat allocations, and supplier-led instruction, and integrate OEM content with FCG-specific context
Partner with Talent Acquisition on technician sourcing and with technical schools and apprenticeship programs to create entry routes into each academy
Evaluate and, where it adds value, register apprenticeship programs with the U.S. Department of Labor or state apprenticeship agencies
Identify senior technicians who hold critical, undocumented expertise in each technology area, and prioritize capture based on business continuity and customer impact
Partner with the Instructional Designer to capture that expertise through structured interviews, recorded lab and field walkthroughs, and AI-assisted capture, then convert it into job aids, troubleshooting guides, and curriculum
Assign content owners and maintenance cycles so captured knowledge stays accurate after experts move or retire
Track program measures by academy: enrollment, completion by level, time to readiness, placement, and 12- and 24-month retention of participants
Track facilitator measures: number of ready facilitators per academy, delivery quality, and participant feedback
Track service outcome measures: first-time fix rate, callback rate, safety incident frequency, and customer satisfaction, connecting training to field results
Report Academy performance quarterly to the VP, Workforce Development and service operations leadership, feeding the quarterly workforce intelligence reviews and Talent Ascension cycle
Identify high-potential technicians for advanced development, lead roles, facilitator roles, supervisory progression, and succession slates, and provide readiness evidence into Talent Review calibration

Benefits

Employee ownership program
Medical coverage
Dental coverage
Vision coverage
Competitive 401(k) matching
Paid time off
Paid holidays
Parental leave
Wellness resources
Employee referral programs
Climb Financial Program (includes emergency assistance funds, earned wage access, financial coaching, low-cost loan options, retirement planning resources)
FCG University access (over 80,000 learning courses)
Opportunities for advancement, cross-functional experience, mentorship, and professional development