Ohio - Workforce Development Manager

Position: McWane Ductile Ohio - Workforce Development Manager

Company Description

McWane, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is made available to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and marital status, disability that does not prohibit performance of essential job functions with reasonable accommodation, Vietnam Era or veteran status. This policy applies to hiring, placement, recruitment, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, layoffs, recalls, Company-sponsored training, terminations, and other employment-related activities.

Physical

& Work Environment

• Industrial pipe manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, noise, dust, rotating equipment, and heavy materials.
• Frequent time on the production floor across shifts; occasional offshift/weekend support as needed.

Job Description

Leads the design, execution, and sustainment of a plant-wide training and competency system for hourly and salaried employees in a ductile iron pipe manufacturing facility. Ensures employees are trained, verified competent, and aligned with safety expectations, standard work, product requirements (including AWWA/customer specifications), and company values. Owns training metrics and auditable records, develops trainers, and partners with Operations, Quality, and EHS to improve safety, quality, and operational discipline.

Key Responsibilities Training System & Competency

Develop and maintain job-based training matrices, qualification paths, and competency verification for all departments (production, maintenance, quality, engineering, and supervision).

Define clear requirements for high-risk and quality-critical work (e.g., molten metal handling, rotating equipment, cranes/forklifts, coatings/lining systems).

Establish measurable metrics (time-to-qualification, refresher cadence, cross-training progression, and demonstrated proficiency).

Ensure training content aligns with standard work, process controls, and product specifications.

Onboarding, Certification & Records

Own the onboarding process for new hires, transfers, and promotions; verify readiness prior to independent work.

Track and report training status, certifications, and re-certifications; elevate gaps to leaders for action.

Maintain accurate, auditable training records to support OSHA compliance, customer/third party audits, insurance reviews, and internal assessments.

Safety & Quality-Critical Training

Integrate applicable safety requirements into training (JSAs, lockout/tagout, confined space, PPE, safe material handling).

Partner with EHS, Operations, and Quality to evaluate effectiveness using incident/near-miss trends, defect/rework data, and process performance.

Coordinate targeted retraining and skills reinforcement based on risk, process changes, and performance trends.

Trainer Development & Accountability

Recruit, select, and onboard qualified hourly and salaried trainers; ensure coverage across shifts.

Develop Trains the Trainer expectations (technical accuracy, safety leadership, effective instruction, and consistent documentation).

Coach trainers and supervisors; implement feedback mechanisms and simple measures of trainer effectiveness.

Culture & Values Integration

Reinforcing expected behaviors and values through onboarding, job training, and leader development-how work is performed is as important as output.

Support supervisors in coaching, recognition, and corrective feedback to strengthen accountability and operational discipline.

Continuous Improvement & Change Support

Identify skill gaps and workforce development needs; support succession and cross-training plans.

Build structured training plans for new equipment, process changes, specification updates, or new product introductions.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Engineering, Industrial Technology, Safety, or related field; or equivalent manufacturing experience in a moltenmetal environment.
• 5+ years of experience in ductile iron pipe manufacturing or similar heavy/metal manufacturing operations.
• Experience building job-based training systems, competency verification, and training records suitable for audit.
• Ability to influence across levels, coach leaders, and drive consistent execution.

Preferred

• Experience in a unionized manufacturing operation.
• Familiarity with LMS or digital training tracking tools.
• Experience supporting AWWA/customer audits and quality management systems.

Key Competencies

• Safety and quality leadership in industrial environments
• Clear communication and coaching; ability to teach and influence
• Data-driven training management and reporting
• Continuous improvement mindset and high integrity/accountability

Additional Information

McWane, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is made available to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and marital status, disability that does not prohibit performance of essential job functions with reasonable accommodation, Vietnam Era or veteran status. This policy applies to…