Associate Director - Training and Development

Associate Director, Training & Development in Albuquerque, NM

Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives.

Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.

We proudly offer

• Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment) 
• Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
• Career advancement opportunities 
• Education reimbursement
• 401K program with matching contributions
• Learning platform
• And more! 
   

The Associate Director of Training and Development will manage Albuquerque’s centralized hands-on training function called Sterile University. Sterile University helps attract, train and retain talent by providing development paths for technicians, reinforcing our shared culture tied to values & mission, and designing engaging on-time training. This position is responsible for the oversight and effective management of New Hire Orientation. The position is also responsible for coordinating and managing site-wide training programs to ensure we have a skilled workforce that can meet safety, quality, and production targets. 

The Associate Director will manage a team of training specialists, some of which are aligned to manufacturing shifts. They will set high performance expectations, provide ongoing feedback and professional development opportunities for team members, and foster a culture of continuous learning and talent growth within the organization. Some classroom facilitation is required. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver annual objectives for the Sterile University team that support and are appropriately scoped and aligned with site-specific goals
• Manage, coach and mentor the team
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with stakeholders and cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment with objectives and meeting all training deadlines
• Lead the design, development, and evaluation of content and hands-on training modules, including in-person courses on topics of leadership for people leaders
• Maintain the “Train the Trainer” program which ensures effective training methods that engage adult learners are consistently used
• Ensure training programs and materials adhere to regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal policies. Review training compliance data.
• Develop evaluation strategies that elevate a “read and understand” approach to training on standard operating procedures
• Collaborate with department leaders to develop qualification requirements that ensure employees are prepared to perform their role
• Oversee the complete implementation and sustainment of skills matrices by department
• Drive continuous improvement efforts: analyze data from quality events; monitor feedback from hands-on training and new hire orientation; incorporate feedback to make changes and improvements
• Define, establish and monitor achievement of KPIs, project milestones and deadlines
• Update site leadership on the status of the team’s objectives and KPIs on a regular cadence
• Develop and execute communication plans to promote training programs, raise awareness of available resources, and encourage employee engagement in learning activities
• Maintain composure in high-pressure situations, handle multiple priorities, possess a high level of discipline while remaining flexible to business needs
• Meet the expectations of the role
   

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in with a concentration in Education, Business, Human Resources or related field
• Minimum 8 years’ experience in training and talent development
• 5 years’ management experience
• 5 years’ experience in instructional design and implementation of adult learning theory
• Experience in a manufacturing organization preferred but not required
   

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This role is responsible for leading, managing, and supporting a team of trainers. This includes ensuring adherence to policies and procedures, setting and achieving departmental goals, overseeing day-to-day operations, and evaluating individual and team performance. This role is required to model Curia’s values, foster a positive work environment, while providing guidance and support to team members.

Language Skills:

The ideal candidate should have the ability to read and interpret various documents. These documents include safety instructions, standard operating procedures, technical procedures, and governmental regulations. Additionally, the candidate should possess strong written and verbal communication skills. They should also possess effective presentation skills, enabling them to successfully present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills:

Proficient in executing arithmetic operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division across various units of measurement, employing whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Candidates must possess a strong grasp of algebraic and geometric principles.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills:

The ideal candidate will be able to accurately and efficiently work with large data sets. Proficiency in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook) is required. 

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Leads with integrity and respect
• Provides guidance, coaching, and mentorship to team members
• Holds self and others accountable to meeting high standards
• Fosters a collaborative and positive work environment across all levels
• Engages in productive change efforts
• Promotes a safe and healthy work environment by actively identifying and addressing potential hazards, following established safety protocols, participating in safety training programs, and fostering a culture of awareness and responsibility among team members.
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail
• Communication: Strong verbal, written and presentation skills; conveys information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences
• Critical thinking: Adept at analyzing root causes that contribute to performance gaps, and assessing training needs in order to develop relevant programs, content, and resources
• Instructional skills: Demonstrate mastery of designing and delivering impactful lessons 
   

Other Qualifications:

• Must pass a background check 

• Must pass a drug screen

• May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening 

• Must be able to obtain and maintain gowning certification Must be able to obtain and maintain media qualification 

• May be required to wear a respirator

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The essential physical demands will vary for each Curia position.

All positions may require regular or occasional lifting, pushing and pulling up to 10 pounds, frequently; up to 25 pounds occasionally; and up to 50 pounds infrequently. Additionally, all positions entail regular sitting, standing and reaching, with some roles requiring prolonged periods of time for each activity. Visual acuity, both close and distant, along with depth perception is necessary in each role, with or without corrective lenses. Please note that employees are prohibited from wearing contact lenses in work areas with exposure to cleaning agents. Hand and finger dexterity are integral to all positions, with specific activities varying from typing to manipulating maintenance tools or operating keypads, switches, and buttons. Occasional stooping, kneeling, twisting, crouching, crawling and balancing are also part of each position’s physical requirements. Certain roles may involve climbing and working at elevated heights as well.