Director of Operations Learning& Development

Employment Type: Salaried Work Arrangement: Remote Position Summary: The Director, Learning & Development (L&D) is responsible for designing, leading, and executing the Operations learning strategy for a multi‑site manufacturing organization and oversees all training programs, systems, and capability-building initiatives across a multi-site manufacturing network. This role is responsible for building and leading a high-performing L&D team responsible for compliance, program, and system training. This role ensures that leaders, frontline supervisors, and hourly employees have the skills, capabilities, and development pathways needed to demonstrate strong leadership and drive operational excellence, safety, quality, and continuous improvement. The Director partners closely with Manufacturing VP's, Plant Leaders, HR Business Partners, Safety, Quality, Operations, and Corporate HR Centers of Excellence to build a high‑performance learning culture that supports business growth, talent readiness, and workforce capability. Major Duties and Responsibilities: Learning Strategy & Governance Develop and execute a comprehensive L&D strategy aligned to manufacturing operational priorities, including safety, quality, productivity, and leadership capability. Establish governance for all training programs, including standards, documentation, certification requirements, and audit readiness. Establish learning metrics, dashboards, and evaluation methods to measure impact and ROI. Create and maintain Operations learning requirements, training matrices, and capability frameworks for all manufacturing roles. Conduct regular learning needs assessments and develop training plans accordingly. Leadership & Team Management Lead, coach, and develop a distributed L&D team supporting both corporate and plant-level learning needs. Build team capability in instructional design, facilitation, technical training, LMS management and reporting, and change management. Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for all L&D team members. Create a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the L&D function. Provide ongoing coaching, career development, and succession planning for the L&D team. Training Program Ownership Own the full lifecycle of all Operations training programs—from design and development to delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Oversee technical training programs including equipment operation, safety, GMPs, sanitation, quality systems, and standard work. Work in close collaboration with Corporate L&D on the development and execution of leadership development programs for Operations. Ensure all training content is current, validated, and aligned with regulatory, customer, and internal requirements. Build and maintain structured onboarding programs for hourly, supervisory, and professional roles. Implement certification and re‑certification processes for critical roles (operators, maintenance, quality techs). Partner with SMEs to develop job‑specific training, work instructions, and skill assessments. Training Systems & Technology Ownership Serve as the owner of Operations Learning systems (i.e.- POKA, Alchemy, Vector), including configuration, governance, reporting, and user experience. Ensure accurate training records, compliance tracking, and audit readiness. Oversee the implementation and optimization of digital learning tools (e-learning, microlearning, VR/AR, mobile learning). Develop dashboards and analytics to measure training effectiveness, completion rates, and capability gaps. Standardize training documentation, templates, and digital workflows across all plants. Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as a strategic advisor to Mfng VP's, Plant Managers, Trainin Managers, HRBPs, and functional leaders on learning effectiveness. Build strong relationships across manufacturing sites to understand needs and ensure consistent execution. Partner with HR, Safety, Quality, and Operations to integrate learning into business processes and performance systems. Work in collaboration with Corporate L&D to ensure an aligned approach to L&D frameworks and programs. Education and Experience: Degree from accredited college or university with 10 years minimum experience working in an Operations capacity is preferred. In depth knowledge of company's manufacturing process is required. Management experience, including long and short-term planning and budgeting are required. Proficient presentation and public speaking skills, organizational and motivational skills are necessary, as is the ability to work autonomously. Knowledge and Skills: Bachelor’s degree in HR, Learning & Development, Education, Business, or related field. 10+ years of progressive experience in L&D, OD, or HR, with at least 5 years in a manufacturing, supply chain, or industrial environment. 5+ years of experience leading a team of L&D professionals. Demonstrated experience owning training programs and learning systems (LMS, e-learning platforms), preferably in a manufacturing environment. Why Join Us: Ventura Foods innovates and manufactures food solutions for foodservice and retail businesses. We make exclusive products for the world's most iconic restaurants and retailers, we provide ready-to-go product solutions for professional kitchens, and we make consumer brands everyone knows and loves. When you work for Ventura Foods, you get a strong foundation of training, a manager who cares about you and celebrates your success, a safe environment, and challenging work. As part of our team, your future is limited only by how much you’re willing to push yourself to get there. We invest in your growth because you invest in ours. Ventura Foods offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits:​ Medical, Prescription, Dental, & Vision – coverage beginning on your 1st day for eligible employees​ Profit Sharing and 401(k) matching (after eligible criteria is met)​ Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays​ Employee Appreciation Events​ and Employee Assistance Programs Salary Base Range of $140,707.00 - $186,893.70* Annual bonus (based on the incentive program terms and conditions) *The “base salary range” provided above is a good faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position in the specified markets. Ventura Foods reserves the right to pay outside of the given range based on a variety of factors including but not limited to: candidate skills and experience, complexity of the job, budgetary factors, and location/geography. Ventura Foods conducts regular reviews of compensation ranges and therefore reserves the right to alter this range at any given time. Diversity & Inclusion: Our commitment to a diverse and inclusive environment in which all employees are treated with respect is evident in our company culture and values. We believe that fostering an environment of inclusion and a focus on diversity across our organization is vital to attracting top talent, driving innovation, and meeting the high expectations of our customers in a rapidly evolving global marketplace. Ventura Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.