Training and Instructional Design Program Manager - Oglethorpe Power Corporation

This newly created position is designed to establish our operations training programs. You will play a crucial role in shaping the future of our organization through impactful training programs. This role is ideal for a dynamic individual passionate about developing effective training programs, fostering employee growth, and driving organizational success through strategic training initiatives. The role involves direct interaction with senior leadership, providing high visibility and the opportunity to make a significant impact.

This position provides leadership, strategic planning, and functional expertise for the operations organization training programs supporting associate development and succession planning:

• Champions overall framework and training resource options and collaborates with LMS (Learning Management System) administrator(s) to effectively have visual tracking, measurement standards, and reports.
• Regularly liaise with management, functional teams, and subject matter experts to identify key areas for training courses and programs.
• Drives process improvement to deliver effective training solutions to maintain and enhance associate knowledge.
• Coordination and oversight of training programs for the Operations organization which includes, Safety, Environmental, Electrical Reliability, Compliance, Technical Services, Plant Operations, Plant Maintenance, Work Management, Project Management, Energy Supply, Process Improvements, Apprentice Program, Co-Op Program, and Leadership development.
• Collaboration with other program owners, stakeholders, students/associates, management, and contract service providers.
• Bring a broad understanding of the energy industry, cooperative model, and power plant technologies including understanding compliance with corporate and industry policies and procedures, mandatory electric reliability standards, FERC, EPA, EPD, OSHA, DOT, PMHSA, and all applicable governmental regulations.

Job Duties:

• Identify and assess training needs across business departments/the organization to enhance employees' skills, knowledge, and performance.
• Identify and support methods of knowledge capture and stay on top of new educational trends, especially with techniques of social learning or IoT applications.
• Develop, facilitate, and source relevant training programs and tools that effectively close these gaps, fostering continuous employee growth and development, and ensuring the organization remains prepared and equipped for key roles.
• Lead training development and documentation for our craft/technician progression requirements that are common across all our plants and incorporate industry business practices and ADDIE model. This includes collaborating with new generation and technology subject matter experts to identify skill set development.
• Create tailored training plans that incorporate various methods of training and content, including leading training instruction where topics align with expertise. Identify and evaluate potential instructors or vendors for supplemental contract training services or strategic partnerships, and lead contract negotiations where necessary.
• Develop (or source where applicable) and implement standard development programs based on job roles and succession planning.
• Collaborates with LMS administrators to effectively have visual tracking, measurement standards, and reports for use by both management and associates to effectively track associate training history, ensuring real-time visibility into completed, pending, and overdue training.
• Identify, evaluate, and establish a bench of training resource options, including self-service, computer-based training, technical and apprenticeship coursework, and partnerships.

Required Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree in human resources development (HRD), Learning/Development related fields or Technical/Technology Degree in Power Industry related programs with training development experience.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years experience in technical training or equivalent with experience in Power Generation or general industrial experience preferred.

Equivalent Experience: 10 years of hands-on industrial field experience including mentoring and/or apprenticeship type development or on-the-job trainer experience.

Specialized Skills:

• Strong technical ability including proficiency in the Infor Learning Management application or comparable LMS applications preferred.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills and the ability to work with different personalities.
• Skills in process improvement facilitation and drive problem-solving or development of solutions.
• Strategic Leadership in implementing and developing training curriculum.
• Proven expertise in adult learning principles, performance improvement, and the strategic role of training in achieving business goals.
• Instructional design competence such as ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model and other learning theories for training development processes and programs.
• Curriculum design and development mastery to support coordination of training programs with training designers or instructors.
• Human Factors to enhance the overall effectiveness of training and procedures.
• Networking and negotiation skills to build relationship and contract services relationships.

Licenses, Registrations, and/or Certifications: Instructional Design Certificate (preferred)

Travel: 20% of time travel to plant sites or training/conference locations