Plastics Manufacturing Technical Training & Safety Manager

Southeastern Container, Inc. is one of the largest leading manufacturers of PET beverage bottles and preforms, proudly supplying the Coca-Cola bottling system throughout the East Coast and Midwest. For over 40 years, we’ve built a reputation for stability, quality, and sustained growth. We are now seeking talented individuals to join our team for the following role:

The Corporate Technical Training and Safety Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the Company's technical training, skill-based pay training, workforce development, and safety programs across all manufacturing locations. This position partners with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Human Resources, and Plant Leadership to ensure employees possess the technical competencies required to perform their jobs safely, efficiently, and consistently.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The following duties are representative of the position. Additional job-related duties may be assigned as business or operational needs require.

• Develop and implement a standardized technical training strategy across all manufacturing facilities.
• Design and maintain training curricula for plant production, maintenance, engineering, quality, warehouse, and support functions.
• Coordinate training associated with skill-based pay, qualification, certification, and recertification programs.
• Establish and manage a "Train-the-Trainer" program to develop plant-based subject matter experts.
• Develop and maintain a master training schedule across all facilities.
• Ensure training records are accurately maintained within the Company's learning management system and HRIS platforms.
• Partner with Plant Managers and Operations Leaders to identify skill gaps and workforce development opportunities;Support career pathways, technical progression, succession readiness, and leadership-pipeline development through objective, job-related qualification criteria.
• Manage relationships with external training providers, community colleges, technical schools, and equipment manufacturers.
• Participate in continuous learning to support continuous improvement of training and development programs.

• Implement and maintain safety policies, procedures, and programs consistent with OSHA requirements and industry best practices.
• Conduct facility safety audits, inspections, and risk assessments at all plant locations.
• Coordinate corrective actions and follow-up activities resulting from safety audits and incident investigations. Analyze injury trends, accident reports, workers' compensation claims, and near misses to identify improvement opportunities.
• Maintain or oversee required safety records, including OSHA injury and illness records, and support required reporting and posting activities.
• Coordinate required safety training, including lockout/tagout, powered industrial trucks, machine guarding, hazard communication, PPE, emergency response, and other regulatory topics.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Organizational Development, Business, a technical/engineering field, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, technical training, equipment and safety standards or a related role.
• Demonstrated ability to design and build manufacturing technical training programs, including, budget, timelines and curricula for adult learners across varied skill levels.
• Ability to coach, qualify, lead and support subject matter experts and plant trainers to deliver quality instruction, Strong presentation, communication, facilitation, and active listening skills.
• Ability to identify high-potential employees and build clear career pathways and leadership pipelines.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to build and maintain schedules, documentation, and records.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn and administer applicable HRIS, LMS, safety, and reporting systems.
• Ability to travel regularly to Company locations and meet the physical and environmental requirements of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Experience developing standard work instructions, job aids, and competency-based technical training content.

Preferred / Recommended:

• Experience administering skill-based pay or qualification-based training programs.
• Practical experience as a manufacturing operator, technician, or supervisor in production (PET, injection/blow molding or packaging) to demonstrate real-world application of skills is preferred.
• Experience with a Learning Management System (LMS) and training-records administration.
• Knowledge of instructional design methodologies (e.g., ADDIE) and adult learning principles.
• Certification in training and development (e.g., ATD/CPTD, Train-the-Trainer) or continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma)

Physical Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 40-50% to company locations.
• Lift/Carry up to 25 pounds occasionally, including training materials or equipment.
• Frequent walking through manufacturing environments.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.

Benefits Include:

• Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Paid Time Off
• 401k w/ Company Match
• Short/Long Term Disability
• Company Sponsored Life Insurance