Learning and Development Manager

ABOUT ALUMINUM 3104

Our VISION is to be Canada’s most trusted beverage packaging partner. To get there, we’re building the first modern aluminum beverage can plant in Canada, and the first aluminum beverage can plant in more than 40 years. Our 200,000 sq. ft., highly automated facility in Belleville, Ontario opens in late 2027. We built it for Canadian beverage brands, and we’re partnering with the Canadian aluminum supply chain, and bringing technical and operational expertise back home to strengthen Canada’s food and beverage security.

We’ll make precision aluminum cans to the exact specifications brewers and drink makers need. We’ll earn our reputation one good can, one kept promise and one honest conversation at a time. Because our lines are highly automated, the work here is about running, maintaining and improving modern production equipment. That means skilled careers, strong Total Rewards and the chance to build deep expertise.

We’re a startup with big plans, guided by four VALUES: Safety First. Quality Obsessed. Excellence Driven. Stronger Together. Phase one will create more than 100 jobs, most of them filled by people from the communities around our plant. We’ll pair them with experienced industry experts from around the world to build a team that sets the standard and brings a fresh perspective. As a greenfield business, we get to do things differently. We have no legacy systems and no inherited bureaucracy. What we become will come from the people we hire.

Who we’re looking for. We want people who are hungry to grow, willing to spend the time in extensive training and development programs, up for a challenge and comfortable with the unknown. We hire for character, values and attitude, and we will train for skills. If you’re tired of hearing “that’s the way it’s always been done,” and you’d rather build systems than inherit someone else’s, you’ll find a rewarding career here.

POSITION OBJECTIVE & SUMMARY

The Learning & Development Manager will build Aluminum 3104's learning function from nothing. There is no inherited curriculum, platform or team to tune up. This role sets the learning philosophy, stands up the systems, and assembles the partner network that turns our workforce into a skilled, certified, promotable and sustainable one.

The Manager owns learning across the entire operation: production operators and mechanics on rotating shifts, maintenance technicians, forklift drivers, engineers, quality and safety teams, supervisors, and corporate functions. This role does not build alone. The Manager orchestrates a bench of internal subject matter experts, external consultants, OEM equipment and industry partners, and strategic workforce development partners (colleges, apprenticeship bodies, sector councils, government programs) to create a gold-standard learning environment.

The standard is learning that sticks. Content is built first for the plant floor and meets our team where they are: at the line, on shift, in short formats, reinforced on the job, and verified by demonstrated competency rather than seat time.

This role is our first line of defence against skills gaps, single points of failure and avoidable turnover. The Manager will create and deliver programs that interlink across roles and process areas, cross-train employees to build depth on every line and shift, and give staff a clear path to build their skills and grow their careers through structured talent development and career pipelines.

HOW THIS MANAGER WORKS

· Safety above all. Everyone goes home daily, this is nonnegotiable. As Manager in the company, always ensure all work in the business is completed in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, applicable regulations, and the company’s procedures.

· Builder. Comfortable with a blank page, sets direction without a playbook, and delivers early wins while laying long-term foundations.

· Credible on the plant floor. Earns trust from operators, trades and supervisors, and learns the process before designing for it.

· Orchestrator. Brings SMEs, consultants, OEMs and workforce partners together around one standard, spec and schedule, holds them to it, and raises problems early with data and a proposed fix.

· Partner. Works shoulder to shoulder with Leadership, HR, Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance.

· Front-line instructional design. Turns complex technical processes into short, visual, practical learning that people use and retain on shift.

· Data-driven. Defines success measures up front, reads the numbers, and adjusts programs based on results.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Functional: Build and Run the Learning Function

· Create a foundation of training practices, documentation, tools, compliance exposure and critical knowledge.

· Define Aluminum 3104's learning philosophy, design standards and multi-year roadmap covering on-boarding, safety and regulatory compliance, technical and equipment skills, quality, skilled trades, and supervisor and leadership development.

· Partner with HR to build skills matrices and certification pathways for each operational and technical role, with sign-off and secondary checks by qualified trainers.

· Select, implement and administer an LMS that works for a front-line workforce: mobile and kiosk access, QR codes at the point of use, and integration with HRIS and ERP in partnership with IT.

· Design and deliver blended learning, grounded in adult learning principles: micro learning, one-point lessons and job aids at the machine, video SOPs, structured on-the-job training, simulations, train-the-trainer, and spaced reinforcement.

· Make learning accessible to every employee: plain language, visual-first design, multilingual content where needed, and delivery scheduled around rotating 12-hour shifts.

· Capture and codify critical know-how from experienced operators and technicians before it leaves the business.

· Own the compliance training matrix and audit-ready training records for health and safety legislation, and customers.

· Measure what matters: evaluate programs on reaction, learning, behaviour and results, and tie each initiative to the plant KPI it is meant to move.

· Own the L&D budget, build business cases for investment, and pursue grant and government funding to offset program costs.

Cultural

· Model Aluminum 3104's values in every interaction.

· Put safety first in every program design and delivery decision.

· Make learning part of daily work through shift huddles, tier meetings and on-the-job coaching, not only the class.

· Challenge the status quo, diagnose root causes, and test new approaches without fear of failure.

· Champion continuous learning across the organization, and help people see the impact of what they learn.

Partner Ecosystem

· Build and lead an internal network of subject matter experts and peer trainers on every line and shift. Equip them to teach, protect their time with Operations, and recognize their contribution.

· Make clear build, buy or partner decisions. Select and manage consultants and content vendors against defined scopes, deliverables and return on investment.

· Partner with equipment OEMs, suppliers and industry associations to deliver technical training and certifications at the standard the equipment demands.

· Establish strategic workforce development partnerships with colleges, universities, apprenticeship authorities, sector councils and government programs to build talent pipelines (co-op, apprenticeship, pre-employment), secure training funding, and deliver best in class, industrial partnership training.

· Benchmark against industry peers and leading manufacturers, and bring proven practices into Aluminum 3104.

People

· Set clear objectives, standards and limits for team members, internal SMEs and external partners.

· Coach supervisors and shift leads to train, coach and verify skills on the floor.

· Give direct feedback on performance and potential, and stretch talent constructively.

· Share technical knowledge freely and seek out people who know more.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Education, Adult Learning, Organizational Development, Engineering or a related field.

· 7+ years of progressive Learning and Development experience, with at least 3 years experience in manufacturing, industrial or other shift-based frontline technical environments.

· CTDP (CSTD), ATD or Instructional Design certification.

· Deep understanding of enterprise-wide adult learning, instructional design, leadership development, and capability building strategies.

· Proven track record of building a customized learning curricula across multiple enterprise working groups: production operations, engineering, administration and leadership.

· Experience with applied design thinking to build a learning function, LMS or program where none existed, from first assessment to measurable results.

· Experience designing skills matrices, competency-based certification and structured on-the-job training for operators and technicians.

· Experience managing consultants, vendors and external training partners, and securing training grants or government funding.

· Experience using and managing learning tools, but not limited to: LMS systems, LXP systems, multimedia authoring tools, Articulate 360 or equivalents.