Training Specialist na Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream

Are you looking to catapult your career by driving high-impact transformation with household brands?  Do you crave an entrepreneurial, fast paced, and engaging growth assignment working with incredible people from across the globe?

At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri – a global pure-play ice cream leader. Come help us transform DGIC into the #1 ice cream brand! With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer’s & Edy’s, Skinny Cow and Outshine, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area’s hub for up-and-coming food trends, our teams across our offices and factories are raising the bar on all things ice cream. We are investing in significant capital expansions to grow our Operations and Supply Chain and are transforming how we work at every level to become agile, accelerate growth and elevate our quality. With a renewed focus on frozen treats, our tight-knit team of ambitious innovators are fully immersed in the business and encouraged to flex and make decisions quickly. We are committed to pursuing every great idea and delivering the best ice cream experience for our consumers, when and where they want it.

Unleash your potential at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you.

Main Purpose of the job:

This role is created to drive training of all factory staff through the standardization of critical tasks, creation of proper documentation for new products/processes, cascading of knowledge through on-the-job training efforts and building clear skills matrices that outline the skill set expectations for each role. The main goal for this role will be to place right skillset in the right positions on the factory, through the use of the KOP/POP/MOP (or similar) models whilst ensuring there are processes in place to objectively define, compare, rank and measure/assess skills. Also, with new production lines and large factory staff, it is imperative new employees and tenured employees stay up to date with the new and old equipment. New skills, trainings, and improvements should be communicated and taught to all shifts quickly.

Role and Activity

• Create, communicate and follow up on training plans with the aim of closing knowledge gaps across all lines and shifts.
• Ensure all additional labor required for training is planned for and arranged properly, with minimal use of overtime. Audit on the floor if additional labor for training is used properly.
• Drive assessment efforts to ensure skills matrices are populated, accurate and up to date.
• Drive and directly manage a team responsible for all auxiliary equipment and parts organization, management, and maintenance
• Build certification processes that are clear, thorough, fair and reproductible.
• Track, document and report out training progress for all factory staff.
• Document critical tasks for Operators and Technicians that require standardization, and ensure its proper coding, storage, communication and link to skills matrixes.
• Represent The Froneri Way of working through the behaviors and characteristics in our Operating Model and Core Values
• Create product guides that make it clear what the product should look like, important settings, weights, volumes of each component of the product.
• Keep the factory compliant on yearly trainings including but not limited to annual compliance trainings such as; LOTO and HACCP.
• Work with vendors on new equipment/production lines to build competency in the factory and establish written procedures.

Measurable Outcomes

• Skills matrices up to date and continuous assessment process in place.
• Clear skillset gaps identified per line and training plan to cover them in place.
• All new lines have the above documentation created.
• All operators are aware of the documentation and actively use them.
• Fully compliant on all required trainings.

Levels Of Responsibility

• Quality and technical system adherence
• Completion of the required production to plan
• Health and Safety
• Impeccable hygiene standards always
• Clean as you go; use proper cleaning techniques (i.e. limited water hose usage)
• Number of direct reports (if applicable):

Behaviors and Core Values:  

We Take Ownership 

• Stay committed to responsibilities from start to finish 

• Make sound decisions and get into the right level of detail 

• Apply resources to initiatives that add growth, improve efficiencies, or reduce waste 

We Do What Is Right 

• Choose transparency over convenience, even if it means difficult conversations 

• Set clear roles and responsibilities, enabling everyone to exercise appropriate initiative and judgment 

• Speak up when you see something that does not align to our values and policies 

We Seek to Improve 

• Strive to continuously improve and innovate to exceed expectations 

• Value feedback from others and encourage open dialogue to understand how we can improve  

• Learn from both successes and failures  

We Are Better Together 

• Ensure decisions are based on what’s best for the whole business  

• Practice inclusion by seeking diverse perspectives 

• Treat everyone with fairness and respect 

Position Qualifications:

• 18 years of age or older 
• Aptitude for automated mechanical processes with good troubleshooting and diagnostic skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication, math and problem solving skills. 
• Ability to work multiple shifts and/or schedules. 
• High School diploma or GED or equivalent experience 
• One-year related experience (preferred). 

Work Environment: 

In this position, the employee will regularly work with and around others; in a wet and/or humid environment; in areas of high noise level; and around mechanical, electrical, and pressurized equipment. The work is fast paced.

• Cold Temperatures: Parts of the facility, such as storage and production areas, may be kept at low temperatures.
• Requires use of cold-protective PPE.
• May involve standing, lifting, and walking in refrigerated zones for extended periods.
• Fast-Paced: Workers often operate under strict timelines to meet production quotas.
• High-speed manufacturing floor with frequent movement, line assignment changes, and tight production timelines.
• Standing for Long Hours: Many roles require prolonged standing and repetitive tasks.
• Repetitive hand and arm movements required.
• Must be able to stand for hours with frequent bending, reaching, and lifting.
• Food Safety Regulations: Employees must follow hygiene and safety guidelines, including wearing protective gear (gloves, hairnets, etc.).
• Team-Oriented: Workers collaborate to ensure smooth production and packaging.

The position involves frequent exposure to nuts and other potential allergens.

The pay scale for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

The pay range for prospective employees in this role is between $75,000.00 and $90,000.00 per year, with opportunities for overtime, shift differential, cold premium pay and annual bonuses (variable depending on company performance).

We offer a comprehensive group benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, paid time off, paid holidays, paid parental leave, 401K plan with employer match and annual contribution available.

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.