Director of Training

Zekelman Industries•Rochelle, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As the Director of Training at Zekelman Industries, you will serve as a strategic, enterprise-level leader responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining a world-class training ecosystem across the organization. You will ensure every facility—regardless of size, product line, or maturity—has the tools, standards, and support needed to develop skilled employees, strong supervisors, and high-performing teams. Partnering closely with Operations, HR, Safety, Quality, and Plant Leadership, you will build scalable training frameworks that drive retention, productivity, and operational excellence. This role is onsite and located in Rochelle, IL.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Education, Business, Operations, or related field
8+ years of experience in training, workforce development, or operational leadership, preferably in manufacturing or industrial environments.
Proven experience building scalable, multi-site training systems.
Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, workforce dynamics, and frontline leadership.
Expertise in instructional design, adult learning principles, and competency-based training.
Ability to translate complex operational processes into clear, actionable training materials.
Exceptional communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.
Data-driven mindset with experience using metrics to guide decisions.
Strong project management skills and ability to collaborate cross-functionally.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and own the enterprise training strategy aligned with business goals, workforce needs, and operational priorities.
Establish training governance structures, including councils, standards, and cross-facility best-practice sharing.
Build and maintain a unified training architecture that balances enterprise consistency with local adaptability.
Design and deploy standardized onboarding programs for hourly, skilled trades, and leadership roles.
Create competency-based training pathways for operators, maintenance, supervisors, and emerging leaders.
Lead the development of training content, playbooks, SOPs, and digital learning modules.
Ensure training programs integrate seamlessly with safety, quality, and operational requirements.
Build and manage a comprehensive supervisor development curriculum focused on communication, coaching, accountability, and engagement.
Partner with HR and Operations to identify leadership gaps and implement targeted development solutions.
Support succession planning through structured learning pathways and capability assessments.
Oversee training delivery across all facilities, ensuring consistency, quality, and adherence to standards.
Coach and support facility-level trainers, training coordinators, and operational leaders.
Implement systems to track training completion, skill progression, and certification status.
Develop training solutions that support retention, including onboarding, buddy programs, and supervisor coaching tools.
Use workforce analytics to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for targeted interventions.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to support hiring, ramp-up, and long-term workforce planning.
Establish KPIs and dashboards to measure training effectiveness, ROI, and operational impact.
Benchmark training programs against industry and cross-industry best practices.
Drive continuous improvement through feedback loops, audits, and facility performance reviews.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Leads and promotes healthy and safe work practices as required by regulatory agencies and Company policy.

Benefits

Competitive compensation.
Bonus plan and profit-sharing opportunities.
401(k) plan with a generous company match.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance with low-cost, high-quality options.
Tuition assistance program.
Paid vacation and holidays.
Employee loyalty awards and recognition programs.
Yearly merit-increase
Profit-sharing bonus opportunities
Zekelman Industries offers competitive compensation and excellent benefits, including low-cost, high-quality medical and dental benefits. In addition, we have an amazing tuition assistance program, a bonus plan, a 401(k) plan with a generous company match, immediate vesting, and much more.