Sr. Manager, Learning & Development at Upstate Niagara Cooperative

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America’s largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands: Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk®. Here, you’ll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day.

Overview:

The Senior Learning and Development Manager plays a critical role in working across operations to lead, support, develop, and implement high-quality training systems that meet the essential needs of both the individual and the business, drive employee growth, operational excellence, and organizational success.  This person will play a cross functional role in helping to shape and execute the organizational learning strategy at the OATKA location.  Throughout 2025-2026, this person will play a key role in our SAP S4/HANNA implementation at the site. This person collaborates with internal and external operational leaders, along with safety, quality, and frontline employees to effectively lead training programs, analyze data, report progress against KPIs, and develop solutions that continuously improve the health of the training department. The candidate must have a passion for developing people and must be experienced in developing programs at scale. The person will play a key role in collaborating and at times leading change management.  

Key Responsibilities:

Training Program Development

• Competency Mapping.

• Develop, design, and execute curriculum for performance-based training programs to support and further develop job training.

• Develop content such as SOPs, work instructions, job aids, and e-learning modules.

• Strategize and collaborate with cross functional teams to develop and implement a robust UNC Onboarding Program

• Assess programs for effectiveness and alignment to UNC standardized formats.

• Ensure content aligns with quality, compliance, and safety standards.

• Analyze jobs using UNC accepted methodologies, (e.g. DACUM, SCID)

• Possess and apply manufacturing skills and knowledge of operational processes.

• Assist in leading change management

SAP Training Responsibilities

• Oversee and execute end-user training delivery for SAP implementation and sustainment.

• Review SAP training materials and ensure they remain relevant to operational needs.

• Organize and facilitate weekly SAP change impact meetings and ensure follow-ups are completed.

• Create, implement, and document SAP training at the site.

• Assist in ensuring stakeholder feedback and training role alignment are incorporated into course design and throughout the change impact effort.

• Coordinate and support train-the-trainer efforts to build internal capacity.

• Publish finalized SAP training content to the Learning Management System (LMS) as needed.

• Conduct training evaluations and measure effectiveness of delivery methods and outcomes.

• Report SAP training progress and readiness metrics to leadership and project stakeholders.

• Provide on-site end-user support during and after Go-Live, including coordination of updates and post-Go-Live learning needs.

Learning Management System (LMS)

• Create and manage content directories.

• Ensure training material is up-to-date and meets document control standards.

• Manage user groups and learning paths.

• Track system utilization and employee qualifications.

• Document training that occurs in the plant.

• Implement and sustain at the site

Project and Change Management

• Support the training needs of organizational projects, including Continuous Improvement and SAP initiatives.

• Actively facilitate change impact sessions with site leadership and cross-functional teams, and document outcomes and action items.

• Drive stakeholder engagement and alignment across all levels of the site organization to ensure adoption of organizational initiatives

• Collaborate and at times lead the creation and implementation of change management plans.

Workforce Development and Retention

• Assist in upskilling employees through structured training pathways.

• Manage apprenticeship programs and employee development programs.

• Implement leadership, growth, and succession pathways

• Conduct training system health audits.

• Perform process and skills gap assessments.

• Generate and present Training Department KPI reports.

• Other duties as assigned

Competencies:

Leader:

• Collaborates

• Develops Talent

• Communicates Effectively

• Persuades (Change management)

• Demonstrates Self-Awareness

• Manages ambiguity

• Plans and Aligns

Technical:

• Technical Writing

• Curriculum Development

• Learning Management Systems

• SAP Training & Project Support

• Manufacturing Operations and Compliance

Physical Demands:

Must be able to stand for long periods and work across multiple shifts.

Qualifications:

Prior Training Manager experience or equivalent in education, technical writing, quality assurance, or continuous improvement.

Minimum 2 years’ experience in food manufacturing.

Associate degree or higher and/or relevant coursework in education (preferred).

Preferred Skills:

• Instructional design experience and familiarity with LMS platforms.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

• Strong collaboration and communication skills.

• Excellent technical writing and analytical capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex processes and communicate them effectively.

• Knowledge of SAP or ERP systems and end-user training best practices.

• Ability to foster a positive learning culture and motivate others.

Pay: $110,000-$145,000/year*

*The salary range indicated in this posting represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position. Actual salary will vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, knowledge, skill and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications, in addition to internal equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.