Functional Development Manager - Production, ME & SH&E

Nestlé S.A.; Solon (IA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Nestlé USA in Solon, OH, is seeking a Manager of Functional Development (Production, ME & SH&E) to design, implement, and continuously improve capability-building strategies across One Operations. You will partner with SH&E, Manufacturing Excellence, HRBPs, and L&D to close competency gaps and deliver high-quality training across corporate and field locations.

You will lead onboarding, competency frameworks, and digital learning initiatives while ensuring compliance, safety, and measurable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Learning & Development, Engineering, Occupational Safety, or a related functional field preferred.
• 7–10 years of experience in Learning & Development, Functional Training, Operations, Manufacturing/Production, EHS/Safety, or HR—preferably within a manufacturing or operations environment.
• Experience supporting or working within operations environments (e.g., manufacturing, production, safety, supply chain), with an understanding of site-based capability needs, safety/regulatory requirements, and operational priorities.
• Experience within the supported function(s)—ME/Production or SH&E—as a practitioner or subject matter expert, with the ability to translate real-world expertise into scalable training solutions.
• Experience designing and delivering functional training programs or capability-building strategies, including onboarding, certification, and skills-development initiatives.
• Exposure to digital learning tools and platforms (e.g., LMS, POKA, digital work instructions, learning experience platforms) and technology-enabled training solutions preferred.
• Willingness to travel as needed.
• Ability to design, implement, and continuously improve functional training and development solutions that drive measurable skill progression, readiness, and safety/operational performance.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing and safety operational environments and the ability to align training strategies to business priorities, compliance requirements, and performance outcomes.
• Proven ability to build credibility and collaborate effectively with functional leaders, HRBPs, SMEs, factory/DC teams, and L&D partners to drive aligned capability outcomes.
• Ability to partner with subject matter experts to translate technical and safety knowledge into structured, scalable, and effective learning solutions.
• Applies sound instructional design principles and ensures high-quality, consistent training delivery across audiences and locations.
• Uses data (e.g., skill gaps, progression, completion, readiness, time-to-competency, compliance) to assess effectiveness, identify opportunities, and drive continuous improvement.
• Supports the implementation of enterprise and One Operations tools and initiatives (e.g., POKA, GROW/iLearn, Training Foundations, onboarding standards, CB App), driving adoption within assigned functions.
• Effectively navigates cross-functional and matrixed organizations, balancing functional needs with enterprise alignment; strong change-leadership and facilitation capabilities.
• Experience leveraging LMS, digital work instructions, and learning technologies (e.g., POKA, iLearn/GROW) to scale capability building and improve learner experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead functional development strategy for the Production, ME and SH&E functions within One Operations. Assess current state and partner with HRBPs and functional leaders to define and execute targeted plans to close competency gaps.
• Partner with SMEs within SH&E to ensure key elements of their training—including LOTO, PPE, safety compliance, safety onboarding, and behavior-based safety programs—are maintained, accessible, current, and under governance to enable consistent training within the function and beyond.
• Partner with SMEs within Manufacturing Excellence to ensure key elements of their training—including standard work, CILs, TPM/Lean practices, operator onboarding and certification, and front-line leader development—are maintained, accessible, current, and under governance to enable consistent training within the function and beyond.
• Partner with SMEs to establish effective ways of working and clear content ownership, ensuring POKA and other digital work-instruction platforms remain current, governed, and accessible as the source of truth for functional skills.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve functional onboarding plans aligned to business needs, ensuring a consistent and effective new-hire experience across corporate and field locations.
• Develop and sustain functional capability frameworks, including competency matrices and role proficiency requirements, to define skill expectations and enable structured capability building for Production, ME and SH&E roles.
• Partner with SMEs to build capability in problem solving & root cause analysis (RCA), continuous improvement (Lean/TPM), reliability, systems thinking, change leadership, and management of change (MOC), ensuring this content stays current and governed.
• Contribute to and implement enterprise L&D initiatives (e.g., POKA, iLearn/GROW, Training Foundations, onboarding standards, CB App standards), ensuring effective adoption and governance within the Production, ME and SH&E functions.
• Ensure fulfillment of NAOOMI requirements and alignment of functional training programs to compliance and safety expectations.
• Ensure functional training programs include both Field and Corporate One Operations employees in scope, driving consistency and accessibility in capability development.
• Assess and track skill gaps, progression, and readiness; monitor and report on key metrics (e.g., time-to-competency, compliance, training completion, adoption, and readiness) to inform decisions and track impact.

Job description

Nestlé USA in Solon, OH, is seeking a Manager of Functional Development (Production, ME & SH&E) to design, implement, and continuously improve capability-building strategies across One Operations. You will partner with SH&E, Manufacturing Excellence, HRBPs, and L&D to close competency gaps and deliver high-quality training across corporate and field locations.

You will lead onboarding, competency frameworks, and digital learning initiatives while ensuring compliance, safety, and measurable