Manufacturing Training Lead

AFL; Duncan (SC); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off policy

401K Company match

Professional development and tuition reimbursement programs

Comprehensive insurance options

Job summary

AFL, located in Duncan, South Carolina, is seeking a Training Lead responsible for coordinating comprehensive training programs across multiple sites. The ideal candidate should have substantial manufacturing expertise, experience in curriculum development, and a strong leadership background.

With a commitment to professional growth, AFL offers a hybrid work model, flexible time off, and opportunities for career advancement. Join us to make an impactful difference in training and development within the organization.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of technical writing or documentation experience.
• 3+ years of instructional design and facilitation experience.
• Proven ability to complete the full training cycle and assess effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Independently coordinate site-level training programs.
• Maintain and track KPIs for manufacturing training.
• Develop scalable, repeatable training content.

Skills

Technical writing

Instructional design

Leadership

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, training, or related field

M.S. in Instructional Design or related field (preferred)

Tools

Learning Management Systems

Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power)

Video editing software

Job description

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity.

What We Offer

• A hybrid in office schedule for qualifying employees
• Flexible time off policy
• 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advancement with an industry leading company!

Job Summary

The Training Lead (or Coordinator – II) independently coordinates manufacturing training programs across multiple sites or business units. This role owns execution, quality, and continuous improvement of training systems (QMS, LMS, and MES-adjacent training), supports audits and major system rollouts, and serves as a primary point of contact for supervisors, managers, and cross‑functional partners. The ideal candidate will possess extensive professional experience with a strong emphasis on manufacturing expertise, curriculum development, digital training transformation, and multi‑site impact. The Training Coordinator – II will protect training quality, advocate for standard work integrity, and help ensure system effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Independently coordinate and administer site‑level and multi‑site training programs for manufacturing, quality, and support functions
• Partner directly with Operations, Quality, HR, and IT to identify training needs and close gaps
• Maintain and track KPI’s and metrics for Duncan area manufacturing training and certifications
• Coordinate with HR to organize pre- and post-employment onboarding activities
• Lead the capture, digitization, and transformation of standard work into operator‑centric training documentation and visual work instructions
• Drive performance and alignment of Training Coordinators and Mfg Training Instructors
• Maintain certification documentation in compliance with local instructions and ISO requirements
• Leverage visual media, video, and digital tools to modernize training delivery and improve time‑to‑competency
• Plan, organize and deliver train the trainer classes to ensure that all business units are staffed appropriately with capable OJT Trainers
• Manage the certified trainer audit and surveillance program, track the effectiveness of OJT based on operator KPIs, and independently take follow‑up action
• Coordinate with the various Manufacturing Instructors to overcome any obstacles preventing timely completion of certifications and find remedies to ensure training is progressing
• Routinely meet with Manufacturing Instructors to document and track instructional effectiveness and summarize evaluation reports determining the impact of training on employee skills and their effects on KPIs
• Work with the Manufacturing Instructors and the Training Manager
• Continuously improve the certification and training process by identifying inefficiencies, eliminating redundancies, and streamline paperwork among processes and production
• Develop scalable, repeatable training content aligned to MES, quality, and operational excellence initiatives
• Work with SMEs from multiple departments to design, create and deliver training on various topics both scheduled by the training plan and as JIT
• Develop, display, and maintain visual indicators of metrics and KPIs to track certification metrics, display data, assess trends for presentation of KPIs and develop corrective actions in poor performance areas
• Perform needs assessments, design & develop training material, effectively implement, and assess the effectiveness of the full training cycle
• Continuously evaluate certified trainer staffing and make recommendations based on training performance
• Serve as a key training contributor for system implementations and transformations (e.g., PLEX, Squint, plant expansions)

Personal Qualities

• Integrity - honest and ethical with both employees and the company
• Leadership experience and the ability to work within a diverse team of leaders to meet business needs
• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal oversight
• Effective communicator with supervisors, managers, and cross‑functional stakeholders
• High attention to detail and strong audit/compliance mindset

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in manufacturing, training, quality, or related field
• 5+ years of technical writing or documentation experience
• 3+ years of instructional design and facilitation experience
• Experience using video editing software to produce training content
• Adept in the use of Microsoft applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power
• Must have experience analyzing, collating, and displaying data in user friendly formats
• Advanced knowledge of learning management systems and web delivery tools
• Proven ability to complete full training cycle and assessment of effectiveness
• Experience translating complex manufacturing processes into operator‑centric standard work and visual training materials, preferred
• M.S. in Instructional Design, Learning Sciences, Organizational Development, or related field, preferred
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred

Minimum Education

Bachelors Degree; Preferred Masters Degree

Working Conditions

• Office work, frequent shop‑floor engagement, and collaboration across manufacturing sites
• Off-shift support may be required to accommodate production schedules

Travel up to 10%, including occasional overnight and international, to support multi‑site training deployment, standard work capture, and system rollouts.