Training Manager (Alton)

The MissionRiverbend Energetics is seeking an experienced, hands-on Training & Development Manager to build and lead a comprehensive workforce development program from the ground up. This is a high-impact role for a professional who thrives on creating structure, developing people, and driving measurable results in a demanding, highly regulated environment.You will serve as the architect of a learning culture that spans from the production floor to the leadership team — designing curriculum, building systems, and instilling training discipline across the organization. In our industry, the stakes are high: training is not a checkbox exercise. It is a critical pillar of safety, quality, and operational excellence. If you are energized by the challenge of building something meaningful and lasting, this role is for you.Core ResponsibilitiesProgram Design & Curriculum DevelopmentDesign, develop, and continuously improve training programs for two distinct workforce populations:Hourly/Production Workforce: Job-specific technical skills, standardized work instructions, safety protocols (OSHA, LOTO, energetic materials handling), and quality procedures aligned with AS9100 and customer requirements.Salaried/Leadership Workforce: Supervisory skills, leadership development, emotional intelligence, performance management, and cross-functional communication.Apply formal instructional design methodologies (ADDIE, SAM, or equivalent) to ensure all training content is structured, effective, and audit-ready.Develop competency matrices and skills gap assessments to identify and prioritize training needs across all departments.Onboarding & New Hire IntegrationOwn and continuously improve the new hire onboarding experience, ensuring all employees are properly oriented, safety-trained, and operationally ready before assuming independent responsibilities.Partner with department supervisors to establish role-specific onboarding roadmaps with defined milestones and sign-off checkpoints.Training Delivery & FacilitationFacilitate high-impact training sessions across a range of formats — classroom instruction, hands-on floor demonstrations, small group coaching, and one-on-one development conversations.Build and execute a Train-the-Trainer program that equips frontline supervisors to deliver consistent, effective on-the-job training within their teams.Model best practices in adult learning and coaching, raising the overall quality of training delivered at every level of the organization.Systems, Tracking & ComplianceAdminister and optimize the Learning Management System (LMS) as the single source of truth for all training records, certifications, and compliance documentation.Establish and maintain training matrices that ensure every employee has completed required training for their role, with no gaps.Ensure 100% audit readiness for safety certifications, quality system requirements (AS9100), and any applicable regulatory or customer-mandated training obligations.Generate regular reporting on training completion rates, certification currency, and program effectiveness for Quality and Operations leadership.Continuous ImprovementConduct periodic assessments of training effectiveness using measurable criteria — knowledge checks, skills observations, production quality data, and safety metrics.Identify trends in safety incidents, quality escapes, or performance issues that may indicate training gaps, and respond with targeted interventions.Stay current with best practices in workforce development, instructional design, and adult learning to ensure Riverbend's program remains best-in-class.Qualifications & SkillsExperience: 5+ years in a training, workforce development, or organizational development role, with demonstrated experience building or significantly improving a training program. Background in manufacturing, defense, aerospace, or another regulated industrial environment strongly preferred.Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Education, Organizational Development, or a related field required. A graduate degree (M.Ed., M.S. in Organizational Development, or equivalent) is a plus.Instructional Design: Proficiency in formal curriculum development frameworks and adult learning theory. Ability to translate complex technical or procedural content into clear, learnable training materials.Systems Proficiency: Hands-on experience administering an LMS platform. Familiarity with building and maintaining training matrices and compliance tracking tools.Communication & Facilitation: Equally effective presenting to a room of production operators and briefing senior leadership. Strong written communication skills for procedure development and training documentation.Regulatory Awareness: Familiarity with OSHA requirements, quality management systems (AS9100 preferred), and training obligations in regulated industries.Mindset: A builder's mentality — comfortable working in an environment where not everything is defined yet, and energized by the opportunity to create lasting systems and structure.