Production Trainer

Sterling Engineering, Inc.; Manteno (IL); On-site; USD 29,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Paid holidays

BCBS medical plans

Dental/vision plans

401(k)

ESOP

Job summary

Sterling Engineering, Inc. in Manteno, IL is seeking a Production Training Specialist to establish a comprehensive on-site training program within a food manufacturing environment.

You will work with production teams and leadership to assess current processes and create SOPs, training materials, and onboarding for new hires. This contract-to-hire role emphasizes hands-on floor work and direct interaction with hourly employees, with a focus on sustaining standardized training and continuous

Qualifications

• Experience developing SOPs and work instructions.
• Experience training hourly/frontline employees.
• Strong organizational skills and documentation.
• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to work directly on a production floor.
• Ability to identify gaps and build structure.

Responsibilities

• Work with production team to understand processes and training needs.
• Develop and document SOPs and work instructions with Operations.
• Conduct hands-on training for hourly employees, including new hires and retraining.
• Maintain a comprehensive training matrix by employee, position, and department.
• Identify training gaps and set priorities with production leadership.
• Ensure training is completed and documented consistently.
• Establish standardized training processes for leadership to maintain.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Safety, and HR to align materials with requirements.
• Support continuous improvement of training processes and documentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

SOP development

Frontline training

Organization

Communication

Production floor

Gap analysis

Manufacturing experience

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

** Job Title:** Production Training Specialist

** Location:** Manteno, IL
** Hire Type:** Contract-to-Hire
** Target Pay Rate:** $25.00/hour
** Contract Length:** 3 months with the intention to hire direct
** Work Schedule:** Full-Time, First Shift, Onsite

** Benefits:** PTO, paid holidays, BCBS medical plans, dental/vision plans, 401(k), & ESOP

Job Summary:

The Training Specialist will help establish and organize a comprehensive production training program within a food manufacturing environment. This hands‑on role will work directly with production employees and leadership to understand current processes, develop training materials and SOPs, conduct employee training, and establish a sustainable training program.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working on the production floor and with frontline employees, rather than someone focused primarily on administrative training coordination.

Must Have Skills:

• Experience developing SOPs and work instructions
• Experience training hourly/frontline employees
• Strong organizational and documentation skills
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work directly on a production floor
• Ability to independently identify gaps and develop structure
• Manufacturing, food manufacturing, warehouse, or production experience preferred

Job Duties:

• Work directly with the production team to understand current processes, procedures, and training needs.
• Develop and document SOPs and work instructions for key production processes in partnership with Operations and department leaders.
• Conduct hands‑on training for hourly production employees, including new hires and employees requiring retraining or cross‑training.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive training matrix by employee, position, and department.
• Identify training gaps and work with production leadership to establish training priorities.
• Ensure employee training is completed and documented consistently.
• Establish standardized training processes that can be maintained by company leadership after the assignment.
• Partner with Production, Quality, Safety, and HR to ensure training materials and processes align with company requirements.
• Support continuous improvement of training processes and documentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Experience in a manufacturing, food manufacturing, warehouse, or other production environment strongly preferred.
• Previous experience developing SOPs, work instructions, or other process documentation.
• Experience training hourly or frontline employees.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees at all levels of an organization.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-directed and comfortable working independently.
• Ability to assess existing processes, identify gaps, and build structure where processes are not currently established.
• Hands‑on approach with a willingness to spend significant time on the production floor.