Training and Development Specialist

Job Description:

• Provide skilled-trades subject matter expertise to support the National Instructor Pipeline Framework and Regional Pilot effort focused on strengthening the Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) and Maritime Industrial Base (MIB).
• Support workforce research, trade validation, and operational analysis activities focused on instructor recruitment, qualification, onboarding, readiness, deployment, and retention across priority skilled trades.
• Conduct research and provide practitioner insight regarding skilled-trades workforce requirements, training environments, instructional readiness, apprenticeship pathways, credentialing requirements, and shipyard production realities.
• Assist with national-to-local instructor supply and demand analysis by validating trade-specific workforce constraints, labor availability, provider readiness, and operational feasibility considerations.
• Support ecosystem mapping activities by identifying and assessing training providers, instructor sources, apprenticeship pipelines, employer partnerships, credentialing pathways, and regional workforce development organizations aligned to SIB/MIB priorities.
• Participate in stakeholder interviews, focus groups, workshops, and field engagements with shipyards, employers, labor organizations, training providers, community colleges, and workforce partners to gather operational insight and validate findings.
• Support the development of instructor archetypes, journey maps, and trade-specific instructor pathways by providing real-world perspective regarding skilled-trades career progression, barriers to instruction, and workforce transition considerations.
• Assist in benchmarking instructor development programs, train-the-trainer models, and accelerated qualification pathways to identify scalable leading practices for industrial workforce training environments.
• Provide practical trade and instructional insight to support the development of national instructor qualification standards, readiness requirements, and implementation recommendations.
• Review and validate research findings, pipeline models, pilot recommendations, and workforce development concepts to ensure alignment with operational realities and skilled-trades workforce conditions.
• Assist in the preparation of reports, white papers, briefing materials, presentations, and analytical deliverables that support SWIB objectives and Government workforce development priorities.
• Collaborate with research analysts, program leadership, employers, training providers, and subcontractor partners to support project execution, stakeholder engagement, and pilot planning activities.
• Support project administration, field coordination, workshop execution, and operational planning activities as required to support successful project delivery.

Required Skills and/or Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of direct skilled-trades experience within industrial, maritime, manufacturing, shipyard, maintenance, or related operational environments.
• Strong understanding of skilled-trades workforce development, apprenticeship systems, instructor qualification requirements, and industrial training operations.
• Experience in one or more priority trades such as welding, machining, marine electrical, pipefitting, outside machinist, maintenance, fabrication, or related disciplines preferred.
• Experience serving as an instructor, mentor, supervisor, foreman, training lead, quality assurance representative, or workforce development leader strongly preferred.
• Ability to translate operational and trade-specific knowledge into actionable workforce development recommendations and research findings.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to engage effectively with employers, shipyards, educators, workforce organizations, government stakeholders, and project teams.
• Familiarity with shipyard operations, industrial safety requirements, skilled-trades qualification standards, and production environments preferred.
• Ability to support interviews, workshops, stakeholder engagements, and collaborative working sessions involving diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to review, validate, and contribute to technical reports, presentations, white papers, and workforce analysis deliverables.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced project environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive operational or workforce-related information with discretion and professionalism.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.

Degree Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate degree, technical certification, apprenticeship completion, military technical training, or equivalent trade credential preferred.
• Significant operational or instructional experience within shipbuilding, industrial manufacturing, maintenance, or defense industrial environments may substitute for formal academic requirements.