Apprentice Network Engineer Jobs in Easley, SC (NOW HIRING)

Manufacturing Director of Talent Development & Learning

Report to: Assistant Plant Manager, Global HRD

Position Summary

We are seeking a strategic, hands-on, and business-coupled Director of Talent Development & Learning to serve as the architectural owner of organization capability for our U.S. manufacturing operations. This role is not a traditional HR support function — it is a business lever that directly shapes leadership readiness, frontline capability, and organizational agility in service of safety, quality, productivity, and growth objectives.

The Director will co-own the plant's talent agenda with the Assistant Plant Manager and Global HRD, partnering to run talent reviews, build leadership pipeline, and scale learning from the shop floor to the senior leadership team. The ideal candidate combines deep manufacturing HR expertise, mastery of talent/learning architecture, and the ability to influence senior operators in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership Development & Organizational Capability

• Architect an end-to-end leadership pipeline spanning by different level, with role-specific capability models.
• Design and deliver high-impact leadership programs (new-leader assimilation, advanced leadership accelerator, executive coaching) anchored in manufacturing realities (safety culture, lean mindset, operational accountability).
• Co-lead the plant's annual talent review and calibration (9-box methodology) with Plant Manager and Global HRD.
• Conduct organizational health diagnostics (climate surveys, focus groups, capability gap analysis) and translate findings into actionable leadership interventions.
• Build and credential an internal facilitator and coach network to scale leadership development across shifts and sites.
• Promote a high-performance leadership culture aligned with company values and operational goals.

Frontline & Technical Talent Development

• Design competency-based skill schools / certification tracks for critical manufacturing populations: technicians, skilled trades, quality engineers, manufacturing engineers, logistics, and maintenance, etc.
• Establish formal mentorship and apprenticeship programs (e.g., journey-level trades mentoring apprentices, structured on-the-job training with sign-off milestones) to accelerate skill transfer and reduce time-to-competency for critical roles.
• Build and manage partnerships with local technical schools, community colleges, and vocational training providers to create pipeline programs (e.g., co-op, internship, pre-apprenticeship, dual-enrollment) that feed entry-level and upskilling talent directly into the plant.
• Partner with ME/CI leaders to align technical training with safety incident reduction, first-pass yield, OEE, and changeover time — TD success measured via business KPIs, not just training hours.
• Define structured career pathways for hourly-to-salary transitions and frontline supervisor acceleration.

Talent Management, Succession Planning & Talent Review

• Lead talent review and organizational talent assessment processes for manufacturing leadership populations.
• Partner with plant leadership teams to identify and develop high-potential talent and build sustainable internal talent pipelines using validated assessment tools.
• Drive succession planning initiatives for key operational and leadership positions. Create individualized development plans (IDPs) with stretch assignments, cross-functional rotations, and mentoring; track progression quarterly.
• Support career development planning and leadership readiness assessment for critical roles.
• Support organizational restructuring and leadership transition planning when necessary.

Learning Development & Training Design and Delivery

• Architect and execute a comprehensive learning strategy covering technical, functional, and soft skills for all employee levels.
• Design blended learning solutions (instructor-led, virtual, e-learning, on-the-job, micro-learning) that address identified skill gaps and business needs.
• Develop and maintain a robust training curriculum for new hire onboarding, job-specific certifications, compliance training, and continuous upskilling.
• Establish and manage an internal trainer/facilitator network to scale training delivery across shifts and locations.
• Evaluate training effectiveness using Kirkpatrick model and business impact metrics (e.g., productivity, quality, safety incident reduction).
• Leverage learning technologies (LMS, VR, AI-based tools) to enhance accessibility, engagement, and tracking.

Organizational Development & Change Management

• Support organizational effectiveness initiatives aligned with manufacturing growth and operational objectives.
• Partner with plant leadership on workforce planning, organizational structure optimization, and change management initiatives.
• Design leader-alignment workshops, transition coaching, and communication frameworks for change resilience.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration across ops, quality, engineering, and supply chain through communities of practice and action-learning projects.

Employee Engagement & Culture

• Partner with HR team on engagement survey action planning, with emphasis on frontline voice, recognition, and career visibility.
• Champion a "learn-anywhere" culture and continuous-improvement mindset tied to lean principles.

Other assigned tasks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field.
• Minimum of 12+ years progressive HR/TD experience, with 5+ years dedicated to TD/L&D/OD in a multi-site manufacturing environment. Frontline-to-leadership pipeline experience required.
• Strong experience supporting leadership populations at Plant Manager level and above.
• Proven experience in leadership development, talent management, succession planning, organizational development, employee relations, performance management.
• Hands-on with Hogan, SHL, DDI, Korn Ferry, or equivalent talent assessment tools.
• Proven track record deploying LMS + LXP + digital/content strategy; VR/AR/simulation exposure a plus.
• Ability to tie TD outcomes to safety, quality, OEE, attrition metrics and tell the story with data.
• Exposure to lean manufacturing, Six Sigma (green belt+ preferred); ability to partner with CI leaders.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. employment laws and HR compliance practices in manufacturing environments, strong grasp of U.S. employment law as it touches development, promotion, equal opportunity, apprentice programs.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and coach senior operational leaders.
• Experience managing complex employee relations and organizational challenges.
• Strong business acumen, organizational diagnosis, and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, high-growth, and operationally intensive environments, with 0-1 startup experience is preferred.
• Strong leadership presence and executive communication capability.
• Strategic thinking combined with strong execution capability.
• Ability to build trust and credibility with plant leadership teams.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Strong change management and organizational influence capability.
• Practical, solution-oriented, and resilient mindset.
• Ability to balance employee advocacy with operational and business priorities.
• Experience in multi-site manufacturing operations preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus for frontline engagement
• Certifications: ATD CPTD (strongly preferred for TD specificity) + SHRM-SCP or SPHR. ICF certification is preferred.