Director of Learning & Development (L&D)
Director of Learning & Development
Location: Lakeville, MN or Detroit Lakes, MN (Hybrid/Onsite)
Travel: Multi-site (4 locations across 3 states; heavier in year one)
Compensation: Competitive base salary (midpoint ~$170K) + annual bonus
About the Opportunity
We are partnering with a growing, multi-site manufacturing organization to identify a Director of Learning & Development to build and lead enterprise-wide L&D strategy. This is a highly visible role with executive exposure and the opportunity to shape leadership capability, workforce development, and organizational effectiveness across a complex, operationally driven environment.
This leader will play a critical role in elevating how learning shows up across the business, supporting frontline employees, developing leaders at all levels, and aligning talent strategy to business performance.
The Role
The Director of Learning & Development will design, implement, and scale learning strategies that drive capability, leadership effectiveness, and operational excellence across multiple manufacturing sites.
This role partners closely with operations, safety, and HR leadership to ensure learning solutions are practical, relevant, and accessible across multi-shift environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and execute an enterprise L&D strategy aligned to business and operational priorities
- Partner with manufacturing and operations leaders to support safety, productivity, quality, and leadership effectiveness
- Lead and evolve leadership development programs for frontline leaders through senior leadership
- Ensure learning is accessible and effective across all shifts, including nights and weekends
- Develop career pathways, succession planning frameworks, and high-potential programs
- Lead, coach, and grow the L&D team, with the opportunity to hire additional team members over time
- Oversee L&D systems, budget, and external vendor partnerships
- Establish metrics to measure learning effectiveness and business impact
- Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on workforce capability and development
What We’re Looking For
- 7–10+ years of progressive Learning & Development experience
- Strong background in manufacturing or similarly operational environments
- Proven experience supporting multi-shift, frontline and hourly workforces
- Demonstrated success building and delivering leadership development programs
- Ability to translate business needs into practical, scalable learning solutions
- Strong executive presence, facilitation, and stakeholder partnership skills
- Experience leading teams and building L&D functions
Why This Role
- High visibility with executive leadership
- Opportunity to build and shape L&D strategy, delivery, and a team from the ground up
- Direct impact on leadership capability and organizational performance
- Multi-site exposure with meaningful influence across the business
Submit Your Resume
ABOUT SKYWATER SEARCH
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