Manufacturing Trainer

Manufacturing Trainer
Virginia Manufacturers Association Manufacturing Skills Institute

Position Type
Full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible

Location
Richmond, VA headquarters

Work Arrangement
On-site at the Richmond office, with travel to companies across Virginia as needed to deliver training

Start Date
Target start on or before October 30, 2026

About VMA and MSI

The Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) has been the Commonwealth's leading manufacturing trade association and industry advocate for 104 years, representing Virginia's manufacturers since 1922. VMA delivers workforce education through its national affiliate, the Manufacturing Skills Institute (MSI), which builds the talent pipeline that Virginia and national manufacturers need to compete and grow.

Together, VMA-MSI operates Registered Apprenticeship training, manufacturing skill credentials, employer training, and a national Made-in-America credentialing network.

About the Role

VMA-MSI is hiring a Manufacturing Trainer to teach production workers at Virginia manufacturers and move them through MSI's industry-recognized credentials.

This is a teaching and curriculum development job. You will run hands-on, in-person training for working operators, technicians, and frontline supervisors, taking them through MSI's credential programs: Manufacturing Technician Level 1 (MT1), Manufacturing Specialist (MS), World Class Manufacturing (WCM), Manufacturing Frontline Leader (MFL), Industrial Safety Readiness Training (ISRT), OSHA 10 and OSHA 30, and the Advanced Manufacturing Machine Operator (AMMO) Registered Apprenticeship.

Alongside the standard credential programs, you will customize training for individual employers. When a manufacturer needs something the catalog does not cover, you will work with them to understand what their people need and build a program that fits, drawing on MSI's existing curriculum library.

Part of this job happens before any training does. You will meet with manufacturers directly, walk their operation, talk with their leadership and supervisors about where their workforce gaps are, and translate what you learn into a training solution MSI can deliver. This is consultative work: you are the person an employer talks to when they know they have a problem but not yet what to do about it.

You will not be building this alone. VMA-MSI has an established curriculum team, a national credentialing system, and a multimedia producer who supports instructional content. Your focus is teaching and shaping programs to each employer, not authoring curriculum from a blank page.

This role suits a generalist. You do not need to be the deepest expert in any one discipline, but you do need to understand how a production floor actually works and be able to teach across the range of skills it takes to run one. This role is for someone who is credible in front of a crew. The people in your sessions are working adults with real production experience. They will know within ten minutes whether you have actually done the work.

You do not need to arrive already certified in MSI's programs. VMA-MSI will certify you to instruct the MSI credentials you will be teaching.

Key Responsibilities

Employer Engagement and Needs Assessment

• Meet with manufacturers to build relationships and understand their operations, workforce, and business goals
• Conduct workforce needs assessments to identify skill gaps and training priorities
• Recommend and present training solutions drawn from MSI's credential programs and custom offerings
• Build and maintain a pipeline of participating employers in coordination with the MSI team

Training Delivery

• Deliver hands-on, in-person training to production workers at Virginia manufacturers
• Teach MSI industry-recognized credential programs, including MT1, Manufacturing Specialist, World Class Manufacturing, Manufacturing Frontline Leader, ISRT, and OSHA 10 and OSHA 30
• Support delivery of the Advanced Manufacturing Machine Operator (AMMO) Registered Apprenticeship
• Instruct participants ranging from frontline production workers to machine operators, technicians, and frontline supervisors

Employer-Customized Training

• Adapt and customize MSI training programs to fit employer-specific requirements, drawing on MSI's existing curriculum library and curriculum team
• Translate needs assessment findings into a scoped training plan for each employer
• Follow up with employers after delivery to confirm the training met the need and identify next steps

Curriculum and Coordination

• Work with the MSI curriculum team on content development and credential alignment
• Coordinate with MSI's multimedia producer on supporting training media
• Schedule and coordinate training sessions with participating companies
• Coordinate with the MSI team on scheduling, site logistics, and employer assignments

Documentation and Outcomes

• Document training delivery, participant completion, and credential progress
• Capture participant and employer feedback to improve subsequent sessions

Required Qualifications

• Journeyman-level or equivalent manufacturing experience
• Working understanding of manufacturing production processes and the ability to teach across the range of skills a production floor requires
• Industrial training or instruction experience
• Comfort working directly with business owners, plant managers, and supervisors, including assessing needs and presenting recommendations
• Ability to travel to companies across Virginia as needed to deliver training
• Valid driver's license and a clean driving record
• Self-directed; able to run a delivery schedule across multiple employers without close supervision

Preferred Qualifications

• Broad production experience across multiple areas of a manufacturing operation rather than a single specialty
• Experience training incumbent workers rather than entry-level students
• Experience in business development, employer engagement, or consultative sales in a manufacturing or workforce setting
• Familiarity with industry-recognized manufacturing credentials such as MT1, OSHA 10 and 30, or Registered Apprenticeship frameworks
• Experience adapting training content to different employers, audiences, or skill levels

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Training is delivered on-site in Richmond, on active manufacturing floors, and in employer training spaces. The role requires standing for extended periods, use of personal protective equipment, and transporting training materials and equipment to company sites.

What We Offer

• Comprehensive benefits from date of hire, including health, dental, vision, retirement match, and generous paid time off
• Certification to instruct MSI credential programs, provided by VMA-MSI at no cost to you
• An established curriculum team, credential catalog, and multimedia support behind you, so you can focus on delivery
• Autonomy in how you scope and run your training, rather than a script and a supervisor over your shoulder
• The backing of a 104-year-old association that Virginia manufacturers already know and trust
• Mission-driven work building the skills of Virginia's manufacturing workforce

The Virginia Manufacturers Association is the only statewide association in Virginia exclusively dedicated to manufacturers and their allies, serving as the industry's advocate since 1922. We partner with leading Virginia companies to assess, train, and place candidates into high-quality manufacturing careers across the Commonwealth.