Job Title: Learning and Development Leader
Position Location: Villa Rica, GA
Reports To: Plant Manager
About the Company
Sugar Foods is a privately owned company with production facilities in Georgia, Massachusetts, California, and Mexico. Our products are sold and distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada. Sugar Foods manufactures and packages croutons, tortilla chips, crispy toppings, as well as cheese-based toppings. Additionally, Sugar Foods packages a variety of items including sugar, sweeteners, powdered creamer, and dried fruits and nuts.
The Sugar Foods Way
At Sugar Foods, the Customer is King, and our team is our Family. The vision of Sugar Foods is for our products to be on every plate and in every cup. We continue to grow our business and adapt to changing business conditions to consistently provide value to our customers, our associates, and our community, by adhering to high standards of quality and safety and always acting in a respectful and responsible manner.
Position Summary - Learning and Development Leader
The Learning and Development (L&D) Leader will design and execute strategic training programs that elevate employee skills and drives business growth. This role will oversee instructional design, manage training budgets, and foster a culture of continuous upskilling.
Key Responsibilities
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Strategy Development: Align L&D initiatives with overall company objectives to drive workforce capability and organizational growth.
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Needs Assessment: Conduct regular training needs analysis across departments to identify skill and performance gaps.
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Curriculum Design: Oversee the creation and execution of comprehensive training programs, from onboarding to executive leadership development.
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Performance Tracking: Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of training programs utilizing data, metrics, and participant feedback.
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Vendor & Budget Management: Oversee the L&D budget, manage vendor relationships, and source external learning platforms when necessary.
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Team Leadership: Instructional designer, and train to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality content.
Key Qualifications
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Experience: 5-8+ years of progressive experience in corporate training, instructional design, or talent management, including management experience.
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Education: Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Organizational Psychology, Education, or a related field.
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Skills: Strong proficiency in instructional design methodologies, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and data analytics.
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Soft Skills: Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and strategic thinking abilities.
Required:
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Willing to travel 25% of the time (First year focused on Villa Rica, Georgia learning and development center; second year will focus on supporting other site implementations)
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Familiarity/Background in food manufacturing environment
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Proven track record of successful implementation
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Proficient computer skills, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel), and instructional software
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Understanding of technical and mechanical terminology
Expected experience/ skill set:
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Develop a schedule to assess training needs.
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Conduct employee surveys and interviews.
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Consult with Subject Matter Experts, managers, and leadership.
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Demonstrated successful implementation of Skill profiles, Skill block assessments, Step Up Cards
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Track and compile the collected data for analysis.
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Conceptualize training materials based on data and research.
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Create training strategies, initiatives, and materials.
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Test and review created materials.
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Instruct employee training and onboarding.
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Maintain employee performance and learning tracker and database for all training materials.
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Works efficiently across all disciplines.
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Self-motivated and started
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Good interpersonal skills and communication with all levels of management
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Organized and able to create multiple timelines, budgets, and schedules.
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Able to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently.
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Excellent leadership, team building, and management skills
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Preferred:
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Work systems design and support.
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History of training or trainer capabilities
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Experience in leading TPM programs
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Conceptualize training materials based on data and research.
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Maintain employee performance and learning tracker.
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Effective at driving win - win solutions
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Encouraging to team and staff; able to mentor and lead
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Certification from talent and training associations a plus
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Strict adherence to company philosophy/mission statement/sales goals
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Strong project management skills with the ability to supervise multiple projects.
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Able to analyze problems and strategize for better solutions.
Sugar Foods LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy at Sugar Foods is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
