Senior Learning Program Manager

Position Summary:

We are seeking a Senior Learning Program Manager to join IEM's Talent Development team, supporting the launch and workforce ramp-up of a new manufacturing facility. This is a build-from-scratch role owning end-to-end workforce capability – onboarding, internal training, and community workforce development – including leading and growing a team of Manufacturing Training Specialists and standing up switchgear-specific technical training capability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manufacturing Development:

  • Design, implement, and manage training programs that build technical and operational skills for production employees, ensuring workers are equipped to perform safely, accurately, and efficiently.
  • Ensure all training programs meet applicable regulatory, safety, and compliance requirements, and maintain accurate records of completed training in the LMS.
  • Partner with site leadership, operations managers, and SMEs to develop job-specific learning pathways and performance support tools for frontline and production employees.
  • Design and manage new hire onboarding and ramp-up programs tailored to production roles, including scalable models that support high volume, rapid hiring for a new facility launch, enabling employees to reach proficiency quickly.
  • Continuously assess the effectiveness of manufacturing training and drive improvements based on performance data, audit findings, and operational feedback.
  • Establish competency verification and certification standards for safety- and quality-critical production tasks, requiring demonstrated proficiency — not just course completion — with authority to withhold certification until competency is met.
  • Maintain skill/cross-training matrices tracking employee competency by role.

• Team Leadership:

  • Build, lead, and develop a team of Manufacturing Training Specialists including hiring, coaching, performance management, and career development.
  • Plan team structure, staffing, and capacity (trainer-to-learner ratios, shift coverage) to keep pace with a hiring ramp of 3,000+ employees over the next two years.
  • Build trust and credibility across the organization, from frontline production employees to site and senior leadership, serving as a key connector between Talent Development, Operations, Safety, Quality, and HR.

• Workforce Pipeline & Community Partnerships:

  • Build and manage relationships with local workforce development commissions/boards, economic development organizations, and junior/community colleges to establish talent pipelines for the new facility.
  • Design and implement community-based training and pre-employment programs (e.g., pre-apprenticeships, bootcamps, certificate pathways) with external institutions to prepare candidates for production roles.
  • Track and report pipeline outcomes (candidate flow, hire rates, retention) with Talent Acquisition and the site HR Manager to guide continued investment in community partnerships.
  • Serve as IEM’s primary contact for San Antonio-area workforce partners funding and supporting this ramp-up and manage related reporting to the State of Texas and City of San Antonio.

• Organizational Development & Learning Support:

  • Partner with business stakeholders within assigned functions to identify capability gaps and development needs.
  • Support organizational initiatives by designing learning content that aligns with business goals and reinforces new behaviors, processes, and ways of working.
  • Collaborate with business partners and function leads to ensure programs align with team and business priorities.

• Program Management & Execution:

  • Lead end-to-end management of concurrent learning programs aligned with talent development priorities.
  • Manage program roadmaps, timelines, logistics, and cross-functional coordination to ensure successful delivery.
  • Execute within established enterprise learning frameworks and standards.
  • Continuously refine programs based on learner feedback, business needs, and performance outcomes.

• Needs Assessment & Solution Design:

  • Conduct stakeholder interviews, needs assessments, and performance analyses to identify skill gaps within assigned populations.
  • Translate business challenges into targeted learning solutions using adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies.
  • Partner with subject matter experts to develop learning journeys for IC and manager-level employees.
  • Develop learning assets including digital learning, instructor-led programs, and blended learning formats.

• Facilitation & Delivery:

  • Deliver and facilitate select learning programs, workshops, and training sessions for defined employee populations, including bilingual (English/Spanish) delivery where needed, to support a diverse production workforce.
  • Leverage multiple learning modalities including virtual, classroom, digital, and blended formats.
  • Ensure learning experiences are engaging, practical, and aligned with adult learning best practices.

• Measurement & Continuous Improvement:

  • Define and track success metrics for learning programs using learner feedback and business data.
  • Track workforce-ramp KPIs, including time-to-competency/time-to-productivity, certification pass rates, retraining rates, retention, and internal promotion rate.
  • Use insights to refine program design and improve learning effectiveness over time.
  • Support reporting on learning activity and program outcomes within assigned functions.

• Learning Technology:

  • Leverage the LMS and learning technologies to manage program enrollment, content delivery, and reporting.
  • Partner with HR and technology teams to optimize platform usage and digital learning delivery.