Director, Training Strategy & Program Management

American Water; Camden (NJ); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Health insurance

Paid time off

Life insurance

Job summary

American Water seeks a Director to lead the company-wide operational training strategy for water and wastewater systems. You will oversee a team of trainers/SMEs, translating operational needs into scalable learning solutions and coordinating with State Operations, HR, and labor stakeholders to align training with business goals.

You will drive governance, implement modern training methods, and ensure measurable improvements in operational performance while balancing hands-on credibility with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• 15 years of experience in utility, manufacturing, or process industries with training/mentoring experience.
• 5 years in a leadership role with direct reports.
• Experience implementing strategy across an organization.
• Experience in water and/or wastewater utility sectors preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company-wide operational training strategy across water and wastewater systems.
• Oversee governance, processes, and resources for technical training programs.
• Partner with State Operations, HR, and labor stakeholders to align training with business needs.
• Develop scalable, standardized training across multiple sites and functions.
• Manage training delivery capacity and measure training impact on operations.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Project management

Communication

Change management

Operational knowledge

Analytical skills

Team development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in operations management or related field

Job description

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k),Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

Primary Role

The Director is responsible for leading the company-wide operational training strategy, combining deep operational insight with strong enterprise program leadership. This role ensures the design and delivery of training programs that build the technical capabilities required to safely maintain, support, and operate water and wastewater systems. Leading a team of operational and technical trainers/SMEs, the Director drives the development of standardized, scalable training across treatment, distribution, collection and field services, translating operational needs and performance gaps into effective learning solutions.

This position oversees the governance, processes, and resources required to administer technical training programs. The Director partners closely with State Operations, HR, business performance teams, and labor stakeholders to align training with business needs, manage delivery capacity, and implement modern training methods and technologies. Success in this role requires balancing hands‑on operational credibility with disciplined program execution to ensure training effectiveness and measurable impact on operational performance.

Key Accountabilities

• This position has the direct responsibility for managing the processes and resources required for the maintenance and administration of technical training associated with Water and Wastewater System Treatment, Distribution, Collection and Field Services.
• Responsible for designing and implementing Operational Training programs and processes; provide leadership, guidance and management of a team engaged in the delivery of technical training services.
• Operational Performance Improvement Leadership - Responsible for facilitating the development and implementation of short-term and long-term strategic improvement initiatives to close performance gaps identified by performance metrics or benchmarking.
• Partner with business performance to ensure continued improvement in processes and focus on improved training effectiveness to address business needs based on performance trends and issues.
• Promote diversity and foster teamwork, collaboration and a learning organization.
• Maintain strong relationships with subject matter experts, occupational work groups and bargaining unit leadership in order to identify training needs and related content to meet business needs.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure continuous development of existing curriculums and methods for effectively delivering course content.
• Contribute to the development and management of performance measures to determine training effectiveness.
• Work with the operations teams to develop scheduling capacity models to ensure the timely delivery of training to meet the training demand on an annual basis.
• Develop alternate training methods to deliver course content that includes the utilization of technology, and ensure training is delivered through the most effective means.

Knowledge/Skills

• Comprehensive knowledge of water and wastewater operations, including treatment, distribution, collection systems, and field services practices.
• Knowledge of program and project management disciplines, including planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and execution of large-scale, multi-site initiatives.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., EPA, state environmental regulations, operator certification standards) impacting water and wastewater operations.
• Understanding of operational performance metrics, benchmarking practices, and continuous improvement frameworks to assess and enhance training effectiveness.
• Knowledge of workforce planning, scheduling, and capacity modeling to align training delivery with operational demands.
• Awareness of labor relations and union environments, including collaboration with bargaining units and adherence to collective bargaining agreements.
• Understanding of change management and organizational development principles to support adoption of new training programs and operational improvements.
• Knowledge of safety standards and practices (e.g., OSHA) relevant to utility operations and field‑based work environments.
• Familiarity with cross‑functional business operations, including partnership with operations leadership and technical subject matter experts to align training with business needs.
• Strong process, project, and program management skills.
• Proven ability to lead through influence and deliver results through others.
• Ability to be both visionary and strategic in thinking, as well as tactical in executing training strategies while anticipating and considering how the business may be impacted by training initiatives.
• Strong quantitative skills (e.g., analytical, technical, problem solving).
• Effective people management skills (e.g., planning, organizing, recruiting, controlling, and leading individual staff and teams).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (e.g., fluency in report writing and presentations).
• Effective interpersonal skills (e.g., persuasion, negotiation, listening, cooperation, tact, diplomacy, problem solving, internal consulting).
• Leadership presence (e.g., ability to deal effectively and maintain collaborative relationships with Company senior management and other key stakeholders).

Experience/Education

• Bachelor’s degree in operations management, industrial engineering, or related field is preferred. Equivalent role related work experience in lieu of a degree will be considered.
• 15 years of experience in the Utility, Manufacturing or Process Industry, with experience of training, developing and mentoring employees.
• 5 years in a leadership position with direct reports.
• Successful experience with implementing strategy across an organization.
• Experience within the water and/or wastewater utility industry is required.

Travel Requirements

Up to 20%

• This role can be located at any office within the AW footprint.
• Hybrid schedule (3 days in the office and 2 days remote)

Certifications & Licenses

Water or wastewater Treatment or Production license(s) strongly preferred