Job Description
Job Description
Operator Academy Lead / Training Manager
Build the training engine behind the next generation of American manufacturing.
What if you could walk into a fast-growing manufacturing operation and build the operator training program from the ground up — creating the curriculum, setting the standards, developing the talent, and ultimately helping determine how the operation scales?
That's the opportunity.
We are looking for an Operator Academy Lead / Training Manager to create and lead a high-performance training program for a rapidly scaling advanced manufacturing operation. This is more than a traditional training role. You'll be responsible for developing the systems, curriculum, assessments, and coaching practices that turn new hires into highly capable, quality-focused production operators.
The goal is ambitious: develop dozens of skilled technicians each week while continuously improving productivity, quality, and operator capability as the operation scales.
The Opportunity
As Operator Academy Lead, you will own the end-to-end operator development experience — from a new employee's first day through hands-on training, assessment, certification, and transition into production.
You'll work at the intersection of manufacturing, training, quality, technology, and continuous improvement , ensuring that operators are equipped with both the technical skills and process discipline required to succeed in a high-speed production environment.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys building rather than maintaining , thrives in a fast-paced environment, and knows how to translate complex manufacturing processes into practical, repeatable training.
What You'll Do
Build & Lead the Operator Academy
* Design, develop, and continuously improve a weekly Operator Academy curriculum.
* Create hands-on training covering equipment operation, process/HMI fundamentals, wire processing, assembly, and quality requirements.
* Develop training around smart manufacturing workflows, digital work instructions, formboard processes, defect identification, and troubleshooting.
* Establish a structured progression from foundational skills through a complete reference-harness build and final certification.
* Create a repeatable onboarding and training experience that can scale with rapidly increasing production needs.
Establish Certification & Quality Standards
* Define clear skills matrices, assessment criteria, testing requirements, and graduation standards.
* Develop a consistent certification process that ensures operators are truly production-ready before entering the floor.
* Incorporate IPC/WHMA-A-620 quality principles into hands-on training and operator assessments.
* Identify common defects and training gaps and build them directly into the curriculum.
Scale the Workforce
* Develop the training capacity required to support rapid workforce expansion.
* Build systems capable of graduating dozens of qualified technicians per week .
* Continuously improve training efficiency without compromising quality or technical competency.
* Help prepare the workforce for production environments capable of supporting hundreds of harnesses per day .
Drive Continuous Improvement
* Benchmark operator productivity, quality, and first-pass yield.
* Use production data and trainee performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
* Feed lessons learned back into standard work, digital work instructions, and the training curriculum.
* Partner closely with process and automation engineers to ensure training reflects the actual, optimized production process.
* Continuously refine the Academy based on operator feedback, production results, and evolving processes.
What You Bring
* 4+ years of experience in manufacturing training, workforce development, production supervision, or a similar environment.
* Hands-on experience with wire harness, cable assembly, electromechanical, or comparable manufacturing processes preferred.
* Working knowledge of wire preparation, crimping, assembly, routing, and electrical testing.
* Knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards; quality certification is strongly preferred.
* Strong instructional design, coaching, facilitation, and communication skills.
* Demonstrated ability to take complex processes and turn them into clear, practical, repeatable training.
* Experience creating or significantly improving a training program, curriculum, skills matrix, or certification process.
* Ability to work effectively with operators, engineers, quality professionals, and production leadership.
* A hands-on leadership style and willingness to spend significant time on the production floor.
Especially Valuable
* Lean manufacturing or continuous-improvement experience.
* Experience supporting a rapidly growing manufacturing operation.
* Experience scaling a workforce during a significant production ramp.
* Familiarity with digital work instructions, manufacturing technology, automation, or connected production systems.
* Experience measuring training effectiveness through productivity, quality, first-pass yield, or other operational metrics.
Why This Role Matters
This role will have a direct impact on how quickly and effectively the operation can scale.
You won't simply be delivering training — you'll be building the system that develops the people who make the operation possible.
If you're energized by building something new, developing people, improving manufacturing performance, and creating a training program that can scale from its first class to hundreds of production operators, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.
#LI-SJ1
Job Description
Operator Academy Lead / Training Manager
Build the training engine behind the next generation of American manufacturing.
What if you could walk into a fast-growing manufacturing operation and build the operator training program from the ground up — creating the curriculum, setting the standards, developing the talent, and ultimately helping determine how the operation scales?
That's the opportunity.
We are looking for an Operator Academy Lead / Training Manager to create and lead a high-performance training program for a rapidly scaling advanced manufacturing operation. This is more than a traditional training role. You'll be responsible for developing the systems, curriculum, assessments, and coaching practices that turn new hires into highly capable, quality-focused production operators.
The goal is ambitious: develop dozens of skilled technicians each week while continuously improving productivity, quality, and operator capability as the operation scales.
The Opportunity
As Operator Academy Lead, you will own the end-to-end operator development experience — from a new employee's first day through hands-on training, assessment, certification, and transition into production.
You'll work at the intersection of manufacturing, training, quality, technology, and continuous improvement , ensuring that operators are equipped with both the technical skills and process discipline required to succeed in a high-speed production environment.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys building rather than maintaining , thrives in a fast-paced environment, and knows how to translate complex manufacturing processes into practical, repeatable training.
What You'll Do
Build & Lead the Operator Academy
* Design, develop, and continuously improve a weekly Operator Academy curriculum.
* Create hands-on training covering equipment operation, process/HMI fundamentals, wire processing, assembly, and quality requirements.
* Develop training around smart manufacturing workflows, digital work instructions, formboard processes, defect identification, and troubleshooting.
* Establish a structured progression from foundational skills through a complete reference-harness build and final certification.
* Create a repeatable onboarding and training experience that can scale with rapidly increasing production needs.
Establish Certification & Quality Standards
* Define clear skills matrices, assessment criteria, testing requirements, and graduation standards.
* Develop a consistent certification process that ensures operators are truly production-ready before entering the floor.
* Incorporate IPC/WHMA-A-620 quality principles into hands-on training and operator assessments.
* Identify common defects and training gaps and build them directly into the curriculum.
Scale the Workforce
* Develop the training capacity required to support rapid workforce expansion.
* Build systems capable of graduating dozens of qualified technicians per week .
* Continuously improve training efficiency without compromising quality or technical competency.
* Help prepare the workforce for production environments capable of supporting hundreds of harnesses per day .
Drive Continuous Improvement
* Benchmark operator productivity, quality, and first-pass yield.
* Use production data and trainee performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
* Feed lessons learned back into standard work, digital work instructions, and the training curriculum.
* Partner closely with process and automation engineers to ensure training reflects the actual, optimized production process.
* Continuously refine the Academy based on operator feedback, production results, and evolving processes.
What You Bring
* 4+ years of experience in manufacturing training, workforce development, production supervision, or a similar environment.
* Hands-on experience with wire harness, cable assembly, electromechanical, or comparable manufacturing processes preferred.
* Working knowledge of wire preparation, crimping, assembly, routing, and electrical testing.
* Knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards; quality certification is strongly preferred.
* Strong instructional design, coaching, facilitation, and communication skills.
* Demonstrated ability to take complex processes and turn them into clear, practical, repeatable training.
* Experience creating or significantly improving a training program, curriculum, skills matrix, or certification process.
* Ability to work effectively with operators, engineers, quality professionals, and production leadership.
* A hands-on leadership style and willingness to spend significant time on the production floor.
Especially Valuable
* Lean manufacturing or continuous-improvement experience.
* Experience supporting a rapidly growing manufacturing operation.
* Experience scaling a workforce during a significant production ramp.
* Familiarity with digital work instructions, manufacturing technology, automation, or connected production systems.
* Experience measuring training effectiveness through productivity, quality, first-pass yield, or other operational metrics.
Why This Role Matters
This role will have a direct impact on how quickly and effectively the operation can scale.
You won't simply be delivering training — you'll be building the system that develops the people who make the operation possible.
If you're energized by building something new, developing people, improving manufacturing performance, and creating a training program that can scale from its first class to hundreds of production operators, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.
#LI-SJ1
Training Manager - Manufacturing in kalamazoo at Unknown Company
This position is listed as full time and onsite.