You spend more than half of your waking hours working. Make these precious, fleeting moments matter by working for an organization and a cause you can believe in.   

Western Growers exists for one reason only: to ensure the future viability of its members – the hard-working, salt-of-the-earth farmers who grow the fruits, vegetables and tree nuts that feed our nation and nourish our bodies.   

Our members depend on us to help them remain competitive and profitable as they face challenges that make it increasingly difficult and expensive to do business. Our goal is to fight for them– heart and soul –every single day. We passionately advocate, facilitate technological advancements and provide insurance for our members. We do all of this, and more, from a position of leadership in the agriculture industry. This mission requires a team of intelligent, inquisitive and innovative individuals connected for our common purpose.   

The core company philosophy that strengthens our mission is that everything starts with people. Every employee of the organization has access to research-based training to encourage and support Outward Inclusion philosophy and our DEI initiatives. As an element of this training, employees are encouraged to recognize that there isn’t a work life and a home life, there is one life. This recognition throughout the organization emphasizes the value of finding a healthy and happy balance in every employee’s life. One way that is realized for employees of Western Growers is flexible work arrangements with work-from-home, in-office or hybrid options.   

At Western Growers, we recognize and welcome the many qualities you can bring to the team.  

Grow with us.  

Compensation: $102,058.25 - $140,330.48 with a rich benefits package that includes profit-sharing.     

Job Description Summary

Responsible for planning, organizing, leading and supervising training activities and deliverables for employees in Claims Operations, Customer Service, Provider Operations, Eligibility and Finance for Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) and Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc. (PCMI). The Manager, Operations Training is responsible for facilitating employee onboarding and training of operations teams and creating/implementing processes and programs to ensure staff and management team is knowledgeable and adheres to the department’s best practices. This position works closely with all functions across the Operations team to identify needs and opportunities for additional training and development, not just to meet the demands of today, but also the demands of the future. Together with the Operations Team, the Manager, Operations Training is responsible for understanding Operations business needs, making strategic recommendations to enhance organizational performance, bringing learning journeys to life, thus enabling ongoing learning of the Operations team. This position has three (3) learning and development specialist direct reports and may at times be managing contractors on training projects.  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Adult Learning, Education, Instructional Design, Organizational Leadership, Communications, Business required.  Master’s degree preferred.
• 5-7 years of experience designing learning (including e-learning) and facilitating training in a business environment plus 5+ Years managing a team of direct reports.
• Exceptional understanding of adult learning theory, ADDIE model and/or Instructional Systems Design (ISD). Formal education in Adult Learning a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to create development plans linked to people/organizational goals.
• Working knowledge of e-learning platforms and instructional practices.
• Sharp analytical skills with experience interpreting complex data for informed decision making.
• Strong people management skills with history of developing and motivating talent.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Excel
• Superb communication/facilitation skills including interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Strong and engaging presentation and public speaking skills.
• Proven ability to successfully deliver and communicate complex technical training in non-technical language.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to prioritize, multitask, work under pressure and tight deadlines, work independently and effective problem solver.
• Internet access provided by a cable or fiber provider with 40 MB download and 10 MB upload speeds (Home router with wired Ethernet (wireless connections and hotspots are not permitted).
• A designated room for your office or steps taken to protect company information (e.g., facing computer towards wall, etc.)
•  A functioning smoke detector, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit on site.

Duties And Responsibilities

Design & Implement Learning

• Identify and assess the current and future learning and development needs by identifying knowledge and performance gaps in consultation with department managers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and employees
• Manage the design, development, maintenance, and implementation of learning content, including course content delivery to support the organization's goals and employee's development. 
• Develop tools and processes to measure and analyze the effectiveness of learning programs to identify opportunities for continuous improvement with an emphasis on organizational change and business results.
• Collect learner feedback on training content, methods, and delivery and present findings to management team members and executives.
• Develop an effective training strategy by identifying the operations department training needs, testing skill knowledge, assessing resources available to support plan, prioritizing the training needs, setting budget, drafting a training plan, monitor performance and adjusting as needed to meet business needs and drive results. 
• Design learning program or individual learning and development plans that address needs and aligns with corporate goals and objectives.
• Evaluate and assess training program effectiveness and develop means for improvement.
• Facilitate virtual and in-person learning content independently and/or in concert with SMEs on procedures, customer services and the use of proprietary software.
• Partner with Subject Matter experts to develop an appropriate training curriculum and programs to meet regulatory compliance and departmental needs. 
• Create standardized tools, procedures, and practices used by the company for effective and efficient utilization of all resources required for training development and delivery that will meet operational development goals.
• Identify potential facilitators and provide learning opportunities to develop effective facilitation skills with department management.

Internal Communications & Process Improvement

• Drive innovative approach to L&D that engage/excite learners and guide process/policy improvements.
• Assist in developing a solid knowledge base management system, ensuring the learner is efficient & highly effective.
• Assist in managing projects with process identification, documentation, and process improvement initiatives
• Assist in establishing a central Internal Communication team to improve communication activities between departments.
• Partner with the Operations team to create the right communication infrastructure to support enterprise-wide learning and information sharing.
• Provide ideas, recommendations and implement new ways to collaborate, train, survey and engage our diverse employee populations.
• Assist in managing & updating SOP's/guidelines and communicating changes to standard work documentation and policies.
• Assist with maintaining & managing Operations document repository, process identification, documentation, and process improvement initiatives.
• Improve the business and administration of the organization in areas of quality, efficiency, service appropriateness, and service delivery

Management & Leadership

• Train, motivate, retain, develop, and lead a team of professionals to achieve target results.
• Assist in supporting a robust mentorship, leadership, management, and technical training programs are in place to continually develop staff.
• Assist in creating a career development plan for all staff members within the department of responsibility.
• Assure that the staff sees leadership as one, unison, cohesive team, implementing the decisions made by upper management, and communicating in a positive manner with other levels of management to ensure cohesiveness.
• Develop, manage, and lead a team of 3A+ self-accountable professionals.
• Develop a culture of real, personal accountability by modeling the behavior that defines it.
• Instill a culture of safety and expectation, within your respective area/s.
• Require direct reports to hold themselves accountable to high standards of performance and personal conduct, in a clear, helpful, straightforward way.
• Conduct one-on-one conversations with every direct report, quarterly, focused on their 3A+ capabilities, impact, and effort.
• Make decisions and choices, impacting staff, by using the steps as outlined in the “Outward Mindset Skills for Leaders” guide.

Other

• Utilize all capabilities to satisfy one mission — to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of our members. Do everything possible to help members succeed by being curious and striving to understand what others are trying to achieve, planning and executing work in a helpful and collaborative manner, being willing to adjust efforts to ensure that work and attitude are helpful to others, being self-accountable, creating positive impact, and being diligent in delivering results
• Maintain internet speed 40MB download and 10 MB upload and router with wired Ethernet.
• Maintain HIPAA-compliant workstation and utilize appropriate security techniques to ensure HIPAA-required protection of all confidential/protected client data.
• Maintain and service safety equipment (e.g. smoke detector, fire extinguisher, first aid kit).
• All other duties as assigned