Training Manager

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Training Manager for our First Quality Tissue Midwest, LLC manufacturing facility located in Defiance, OH.  This position will be responsible for building organizational capability through talent and skill development to support the needs of the individual and the business. As the first member of the L&D team for the new Defiance, Ohio site, the Training Manager will identify, design, plan, and implement training programs, policies, and procedures. Additionally, this position will conduct training and development programs for employees while recognizing that training offers a way of developing skills, enhancing productivity and increasing quality of work. This position will understand the complexity of the work environment, the rapid pace of organizational and technological change and the growing number of jobs that constantly generate the need for new knowledge.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Coordinate onsite and remote training initiatives for new team members who will be training locally in Defiance as well as at our out-of-state plants.

• Travel to Lock Haven, PA and Anderson, SC to plan and lead training programs.

• Work with L&D teams at existing sites to build the new hire orientation program for Defiance.

• Coordinate training initiatives across the facility, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

• Partner with Human Resources and Department leaders to support all hourly & salary onboarding processes and change management steps for internal job changes.

• Support the continuous improvement effort within each department for all learning and development processes to ensure high quality training for all team members, including the incorporation of Manufacturing Excellence skillsets across all site programs.

• Manage training timelines, resources, and logistics for monthly new hire orientations, leadership trainings, and department-specific training events.

• Conduct Training Effectiveness Surveys to ensure feedback from the hourly workforce is reflected in annual priorities for the Learning and Development group.

• Respond to feedback from New Hire evaluations and other Assessments or Qualifications.

• Oversee department updates to training content and maintain accurate training records.

• Support site audits with training records, process expertise, and any other requested data.

• Ensure alignment with enterprise use of the Learning Management System (Workday Learning) and other training technologies or databases (e.g. Poka, LinkedIn Learning, etc.).

• Build training materials using software and multimedia to support learning needs.

• Represent the site for enterprise learning and development goals and project planning.

• Lead the annual budgeting process for learning and development activities at the site.

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Human Resources or Industrial Management or Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and a minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience preferably in a HPWS manufacturing environment

• Prior experience with learning/documentation management systems

• Analytical, teamwork, problem solving, ability to conduct training assessments, develop and deliver training in support of high performing work systems, and good communication and presentation skills.

• Demonstrated excellence in communication both written and verbal, influencing, teamwork, project management, negotiation, management, executive presentation/communication skills and teaching skills

• Must possess organizational agility and a track record of building effective teams, with the ability to interact effectively at all levels within the organization

• Knowledge of MS Office, Camtasia, Articulate, and project management and office automation tools

• Must have the ability to

  • Walk long distances

  • Climb steps

  • Bend, stoop, stretch

  • Stand for long periods of time

  • Ability to travel as needed to other sites via commercial airline or vehicle

• First 90 days, training in Lock Haven, PA and Anderson, SC.

• Travel up to 50% throughout 2027.

• Flexibility – scheduling and delivering training on off shifts

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities

• Paid time off (three-week minimum)

• Medical, dental and vision starting day one

• 401(k) with employer match

• Paid parental leave

• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)

• Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)

• Tuition assistance

• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums

...and more!