Workforce Capability & Training Manager

Appvion; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Appvion seeks a Workforce Capability & Training Manager to strengthen operations by building clear standards, practical learning systems, and capable frontline leaders. The role links production training, leadership development, and digital enablement to improve safety, consistency, speed, and accountability.

You will connect training, leader capability, and standard work to measurable outcomes across safety, quality, productivity, and engagement, collaborating across functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years in manufacturing, operations, training, leadership development, or workforce capability.
• Experience building or improving training programs, competency standards, and learning systems.
• Comfort with digital tools, learning systems, data, and AI-enabled resources to improve training.
• Proven ability to develop frontline leaders, supervisors, and trainers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and align production training, leadership development, and digital enablement.
• Establish role-based competency expectations, qualification standards, and training progression.
• Develop frontline leadership curriculum to coach performance and accountability on the floor.
• Build scalable learning systems and tools to improve knowledge access and execution speed.
• Drive measurable outcomes in safety, quality, productivity, and engagement.

Skills

Leadership development

Facilitation

Change management

Training design

Learning systems

AI-enabled tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in operations / manufacturing / organizational development

Tools

Learning management systems

Data analytics

Job description

The Workforce Capability & Training Manager strengthens the capability of Appvion operations by building clear standards, practical learning systems, and confident frontline leaders. This role connects production training, leadership development, and digital enablement so teams can execute safely, consistently, and with greater speed and accountability.

Key Focus Areas

• Production Team Competency & Standard Work – 45% Ensure production team members have the skills, standards, and confidence required to perform work safely, correctly, and consistently.
  • Establish role-based competency expectations, qualification standards, and training progression for critical production roles.
  • Create practical standard work and learning tools that improve consistency, reduce variation, and support faster employee readiness.
  • Provide leaders with clear visibility to workforce capability, training gaps, and qualification readiness.
• Frontline Leadership Development – 30% Build strong supervisors, leads, trainers, and emerging leaders who can coach performance, reinforce expectations, and drive accountability on the floor.
  • Develop a structured frontline leadership curriculum focused on coaching, communication, accountability, performance management, and consistent execution.
  • Strengthen the trainer and supervisor network so expectations are reinforced consistently across shifts, departments, and sites.
  • Support leader readiness, succession depth, and targeted development for key hourly and salaried operations talent.
• Operational Capability, Digital Enablement & Continuous Improvement – 25% Improve the operating capability of salaried teams by scaling knowledge, simplifying access to information, and embedding modern tools into daily execution.
  • Build scalable learning systems for supervisors, area managers, process leaders, and teams supporting plant performance.
  • Champion responsible use of digital and AI-enabled tools to improve knowledge access, training quality, problem-solving, and execution speed.
  • Connect training, leader capability, and standard work to measurable outcomes in safety, quality, productivity, engagement, and operational discipline.

Key Attributes & Strengths

• Operationally credible, with the ability to translate plant floor work into clear training expectations, standard work, and measurable competency.
• Strong facilitator and coach who can develop supervisors, trainers, leads, and salaried operations employees in a practical, business-relevant way.
• Comfortable working across functions and levels, building alignment with operations, HR, safety, quality, maintenance, and site leadership.
• Forward-looking and technology-curious, with the ability to promote responsible use of digital tools and AI-enabled resources to improve training access, knowledge sharing, and execution speed.
• Disciplined in follow-up, documentation, metrics, and accountability without allowing the role to become purely administrative.
• Strong communicator who can simplify complex operational expectations and create training tools that employees and leaders will actually use.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on measurable impact in safety, quality, productivity, engagement, and leader effectiveness.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in operations, manufacturing, organizational development, human resources, education, or a related field; equivalent practical experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, training, leadership development, continuous improvement, or workforce capability development.
• Experience building or improving training programs, competency standards, standard work, qualification processes, or learning systems in an operational environment.
• Comfortable using digital tools, learning systems, data, and AI-enabled resources to improve training effectiveness, knowledge access, and operating discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to develop frontline leaders, supervisors, trainers, or emerging operations talent.
• Strong working knowledge of plant operations, safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement drivers.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with operations, HR, safety, quality, maintenance, and site leadership.
• Strong communication, facilitation, coaching, and change leadership skills.