Learning and Development Manager

Description

Learning and Development Manager

Full-time | FLSA Exempt | Reports to Peter Robinson, Chief Operating Officer (COO)

The opportunity

Kaspar Companies is looking for a hands-on Learning and Development Manager to turn leadership potential into practical capability and prepare our next generation of leaders across the businesses. Working within the Kaspar Business System (KBS), you will design structured development programs for emerging leaders, experienced hires and executives, connecting curriculum, coaching and applied business experience to the capabilities people need for their next role. You will teach the mental models, systems and tools that help employees create greater value, working alongside leaders to strengthen judgment and improve performance.

You will partner with KBS, the Kaizen Promotion Office (KPO), HR, and business leaders to build and manage Kaspar University and connect learning to the real work of the organization. You will bring the discipline to see whether development is changing behavior and business results.

About Kaspar Companies

Founded in Shiner, Texas, in 1898, Kaspar Companies is a fifth-generation, family-owned group of businesses. Our values are Family, Versatility and Stewardship. We invest with a generational perspective, and our companies operate within the Kaspar Business System (KBS), which connects lean thinking, leadership development and continuous improvement. Our purpose is to improve lives by being faithful stewards of God-given resources.

What you will build and deliver

• Structured leadership development programs. Partner with the COO, KPO and business leaders to build programs across different levels and career paths, including frontline and emerging leaders, experienced hires preparing for defined roles, and executives. Establish clear learning objectives, curriculum, practical assignments, progress checkpoints and readiness criteria. Adapt each path to the person, role and business need.
• Leaders who develop others. Train and coach managers, supervisors and others responsible for employee development. Help them strengthen judgment, solve problems, give useful feedback and build capability in their teams through everyday work.
• KBS learning and a practical Kaspar University. Develop and maintain the learning pathways, content, standard work and supporting systems that help employees understand and apply KBS. Link these resources to leadership development programs and equip other leaders to teach and reinforce KBS.
• Learning that carries into the work. Design and deliver adult learning through one-on-one coaching, small groups, formal training and applied projects with structured reflection. Facilitate Kaizen events and coaching sessions, and follow through with leaders on what changes afterward.
• Clear evidence of impact. Agree on measurable goals, assess how learning is applied and track its effect on performance. Maintain useful status updates and dashboards, communicate and promote learning initiatives, and recognize progress and strong performance.
• Better ways to build capability. Develop and test learning tools and experiences that shorten the learning curve and help people apply what they learn. Use innovative technology where it improves practice, feedback or access, and evaluate results. Model the company's culture and philosophies, and carry out other duties assigned by management.

What success looks like

Leadership programs have clear purposes, expectations and measures of progress. Participants and managers understand the intended role, the experiences needed and how readiness will be assessed. Leaders apply learning in daily decisions, coaching and problem-solving. Kaspar University provides consistent development across the businesses without depending on one person to deliver it all. Business leaders can see improvements in capability and performance, beyond attendance and course completion.

The person who will do well here

• You earn trust by listening carefully, understanding the business and following through. You can work credibly with senior leaders while connecting with people close to the work.
• You are willing to learn KBS deeply and teach within it. You ask difficult questions respectfully, help leaders think through problems and adapt your approach to the work and the people.
• You enjoy building useful programs and doing the work yourself. You can identify a development need, design a program, coach people through it and measure progress.
• You can describe a program you built, how managers applied it and what improved. You develop others to carry the work forward and welcome honest feedback when an approach is not working.

Experience and skills

• Three years of combined professional experience in training, learning management systems or lean principles, with demonstrated knowledge and application of lean thinking.
• Experience designing and implementing leadership development programs for people at different career stages, including curriculum, applied learning and readiness assessment. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is preferred; relevant experience may substitute.
• Strong understanding of adult learning and instructional design, from identifying the need through measuring learning impact. Ability to research alternatives and design training with measurable business goals.
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills across topics and formats, including individual coaching, small groups and formal training. Clear speaking and writing, active listening and critical thinking.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication and influencing skills, including the ability to build stakeholder support. Strong organization and time management.
• Ability to use multimedia learning platforms and varied training methods. Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Preferred: Experience developing or applying innovative learning tools that accelerate skill development, such as AI-supported learning, simulations, virtual and augmented reality, etc.

Benefits

Health, vision and dental insurance; 401(k); paid time off; profit sharing; counseling.

Work environment and requirements

This job primarily operates in a professional office environment, with occasional exposure to manufacturing areas where the use and wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety glasses and closed-toe shoes, are required.

This is a full-time position and may require long hours and occasional weekend work to achieve business objectives. Typical days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel is expected.

Physical requirements

The role involves computer-based work, facilitating individual and group learning sessions, and moving between office, training and manufacturing areas. Occasional handling and setup of training materials or equipment may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.