Training and Safety Program Specialist

FERGUSON•Fulton, MS

1d•$3,240 - $5,280•Onsite

About The Position

Ferguson is seeking a Training & Safety Program Specialist for its Fulton, Mississippi pipe yard. The Specialist administers and continuously improves the site’s learning and safety-training program. The position primarily supports distribution center management and business operations through training-risk assessment, learning-solution design, program governance, qualification controls, records oversight, and recommendations to leadership. The role evaluates operational data, incidents, audit findings, process changes, and collaborator input to determine training responses within established policy, prioritize needs, select methods, resolve program gaps, and escalate matters that could affect safety, compliance, workforce readiness, quality, or operational continuity. Hands-on facilitation and floor observation are supporting activities rather than the role’s primary focus. The Specialist establishes and administers the site training plan; facilitates appropriate training and coaching; verifies required knowledge and practical skills; and maintains accurate learning, safety, equipment authorization, and retraining records. The role partners with site leaders, safety partners, and subject matter experts to identify needs, review content, assess the impact of operational changes, and recommend improvements. Training may cover receiving, picking, packing, shipping, inventory control, standard work, material handling equipment, and applicable safety procedures. Ferguson describes its benefits offering as supporting associates’ mental, physical, and financial well-being. Benefits mentioned include health, dental and vision coverage, paid time off, life insurance, a 401(k) with company match, mental health coverage, gender-affirming and family-building benefits, paid parental leave, associate discounts, and community involvement opportunities. The role is bonus or incentive plan eligible.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Strong working knowledge of safe work practices, hazard recognition, and material handling equipment applicable to the site.
Ability to facilitate hands-on learning, evaluate skill demonstrations, provide clear coaching, and accurately document outcomes.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Confidence to stop a training activity and call out unsafe conditions.
Ability to adapt training for diverse audiences, work areas, and shifts.
Experience using a Learning Management System, digital records, and virtual training tools.
Demonstrated ability to analyze ambiguous operational issues, distinguish training gaps from process or leadership gaps, and make well-supported recommendations affecting safety, compliance, workforce readiness, quality, or operational continuity.

Nice To Haves

Additional education or relevant certifications.
Three or more years of experience in distribution center operations or training delivery in a warehouse environment.
Experience mentoring, coaching, or qualifying associates in operational and safety-critical tasks.
Relevant credentials in training, adult learning, first aid/CPR, safety, or equipment instruction, where applicable to assigned duties.
Familiarity with Lean principles, root-cause thinking, and continuous improvement practices.
Openness to ongoing skill development, calibration, and feedback.

Responsibilities

Determine suitable delivery strategies for assigned learning needs and facilitate training when appropriate, including training on receiving, picking, packing, shipping, inventory control, standard work, and applicable safety protocols.
Facilitate new-hire onboarding, required compliance learning, and material handling equipment training or certification when authorized and qualified.
Adapt approved learning plans, sequencing, delivery methods, and reinforcement strategies to accommodate associate experience, learning needs, shift schedules, operational priorities, and supported language or accessibility needs.
Provide structured coaching, qualification follow-up, and refresher training to reinforce safe behaviors, process accuracy, quality, and performance standards.
Verify associates’ knowledge and practical skills before training sign-off or independent work, following site procedures.
Integrate safety expectations, hazard awareness, required personal protective equipment, safe material handling, ergonomics, emergency procedures, and stop-work expectations into relevant training.
Conduct floor observations focused on trained procedures, coach when appropriate, and promptly escalate hazards, unsafe conditions, near misses, and repeated gaps through established channels.
Partner with site leadership and safety partners to identify training needs arising from incidents, near misses, audits, process or equipment changes, and observed trends.
Support delivery and documentation of safety orientations, toolbox talks, refresher training, and corrective retraining as assigned.
Inspect training areas and equipment before use and remove or report damaged, unsafe, or unauthorized materials and equipment according to site procedures.
Maintain records for safety learning, equipment authorizations, evaluations, expirations, and retraining requirements in approved systems.
Use approved procedures and materials and flag outdated, conflicting, or unclear safety content for review.
Support emergency preparedness training and drills as assigned, following designated site leaders’ and emergency coordinators’ direction.
Establish and administer the site training plan, including priorities, scheduling, learner communication, resources, space, equipment, materials, and warehouse setup.
Track attendance, qualifications, certifications, authorization status, completions, and retraining in the Learning Management System or other approved records.
Evaluate upcoming expirations, incomplete requirements, and coverage risks; prioritize critical issues and recommend mitigation plans to leaders before staffing or authorization is disrupted.
Collect feedback and review learner performance with supervisors to evaluate training effectiveness and determine follow-up needs.
Own the review cycle for assigned learning content and consult operations leaders, safety partners, and subject matter experts about revisions, withdrawal, escalation, or formal approval.
Assess the training and qualification impact of changes to processes, equipment, layouts, systems, or safety requirements and develop implementation recommendations for leadership approval.
Recommend improvements to learner engagement, knowledge retention, safe execution, and operational impact.
Participate in continuous improvement activities related to training quality, standard work, and reducing recurring errors or safety gaps.