Training Specialist

Certified Group is committed to partnering with customers to deliver innovative scientific solutions and expertise – So The World Can Trust In What It Consumes. Our network of 30+ North American and European laboratories serves the food & beverage, dietary supplements, cosmetics, OTC, tobacco/nicotine, cannabis, and hemp industries.

Our Brands

Certified Group is comprised of a set of specialized brands that collectively deliver laboratory testing, regulatory consulting, and certification & audit services across highly regulated industries:

• Certified Laboratories – Provides comprehensive analytical and microbiological testing, primarily supporting food, beverage, cosmetics, OTC, and dietary supplement industries.
• Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) – A leading network of ISO-accredited laboratories across North America, focused on food safety testing, operational support, and technical services for the food industry.
• Labstat – A global leader in contract research and testing for nicotine, tobacco, cannabis, hemp, and next-generation products, with deep expertise in analytical chemistry and toxicology.
• EAS Consulting Group – A regulatory consulting firm offering expert guidance, training, and auditing support across FDA, USDA, and other regulated sectors, powered by a large network of independent advisors.
• FSNS Certification & Audit – Provides accredited third-party auditing and certification services, including food safety, animal welfare, and GMP programs.

Job Summary

The Training Specialist is a member of the Certified Group network of training professionals responsible for developing, delivering, and maintaining comprehensive training programs for new and existing employees and supervisors. This role ensures employees are fully trained and competent across operational, technical, safety, quality, and professional development curricula through a blend of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and digital learning methods.

This position plays a critical role in building a high-performing laboratory workforce by tracking training completion, assessing competency, and driving accountability through training metrics and performance dashboards. In addition to formal training responsibilities, the Training Specialist supports employee engagement, retention, and career development by mentoring staff and fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

This role supports the organization’s purpose, mission, and values by enabling a skilled, compliant, and engaged workforce committed to quality and customer success.

Purpose: So the world can trust in what it consumes.
Mission: Partner with customers to deliver innovative scientific solutions and expertise.
Values: Start with the customer, commit to safety and quality, drive to deliver, act with integrity, and support the team.

This position primarily operates during peak business hours (approximately 12:00 PM–8:00 PM) and requires flexibility of approximately 25% shift variability to support training across multiple schedules. Up to 20% travel may be required to support nearby laboratory locations.

Leadership Accountabilities

Quality Excellence

• Promote a culture where quality, compliance, and data integrity are embedded into all training activities.
• Ensure training programs reinforce adherence to SOPs, regulatory requirements, and laboratory quality systems.
• Continuously improve training content and delivery methods to align with evolving operational and regulatory standards.

Customer Focus

• Enable a well-trained workforce capable of delivering accurate, timely, and high-quality results that meet customer expectations.
• Ensure training programs support consistent service delivery and strengthen customer trust.
• Reinforce behaviors that contribute to operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

People-Centric Leadership

• Foster a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment for all employees.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and hands-on support to develop employee capability and confidence.
• Support onboarding and ongoing development to ensure employees are equipped to succeed and grow in their roles.
• Partner with supervisors and leaders to reinforce accountability and employee development pathways.

Operational Support & Efficiency

• Partner with laboratory leadership to support workforce readiness, training alignment, and operational needs.
• Support cross-training initiatives to improve flexibility, coverage, and workforce resilience.
• Contribute to efforts that optimize onboarding processes and reduce time-to-competency.
• Assist in maintaining training schedules that align with production demands and staffing needs.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Support a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and knowledge sharing.
• Identify gaps in training programs, materials, and competency outcomes and recommend enhancements.
• Use feedback, performance data, and observation to improve training effectiveness and consistency.
• Promote adoption of new training tools, methods, and technologies.

Responsibilities

Training Delivery & Development

• Deliver onboarding, technical, operational, safety, quality, and professional development training for laboratory staff and supervisors.
• Conduct both classroom and hands-on training across multiple shifts and operational areas.
• Develop and update training materials, guides, and competency assessments in collaboration with subject matter experts.
• Ensure training content aligns with SOPs, regulatory standards, and company policies.

Competency & Performance Management

• Assess employee competency through observation, evaluation, and formal assessments.
• Track and document training completion, certifications, and competency status using training management systems.
• Maintain training metrics dashboards and report on workforce readiness and training effectiveness.
• Support corrective training actions when performance gaps are identified.

Onboarding & Employee Development

• Support onboarding of new hires to ensure smooth integration into the laboratory environment.
• Provide ongoing mentoring and coaching to employees to support skill development and career growth.
• Partner with leadership to identify development opportunities and training needs.
• Foster a culture of engagement, retention, and continuous improvement.

Compliance & Quality Support

• Ensure training programs support compliance with ISO/IEC 17025, GLP, GMP, and other applicable regulatory standards.
• Reinforce adherence to safety protocols, SOPs, and laboratory quality systems.
• Support audit readiness by ensuring training records are complete, accurate, and up to date.
• Participate in internal and external audits as needed to demonstrate training compliance.

Cross-Site Support & Collaboration

• Support training initiatives across multiple laboratory locations as needed.
• Travel to nearby sites (up to 20%) to deliver training and support workforce development.
• Collaborate with laboratory leadership, supervisors, and HR to align training with operational needs.

Qualifications

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Microbiology, Chemistry, Education, Training & Development, or related field preferred.
• 2–5 years of experience in a laboratory, manufacturing, or regulated operational environment required.
• Prior experience in training, onboarding, mentoring, or technical instruction strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with laboratory operations, quality systems, or regulated environments (ISO/IEC 17025, GLP, GMP, FDA, USDA) preferred.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to train diverse audiences across multiple shifts and skill levels.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage training schedules, documentation, and metrics.
• Experience with learning management systems (LMS) or training tracking systems preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong instructional and coaching ability.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly and effectively.
• Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy.
• Ability to assess competency and provide constructive feedback.
• Strong time management and multitasking skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
• Strong problem-solving and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to quality, safety, and continuous improvement.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Frequent standing, walking, and movement throughout laboratory areas during training activities.
• Occasional sitting for administrative and documentation tasks.
• Regular use of hands for computer systems, documentation, and training equipment.
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Potential exposure to laboratory environments including chemicals, fumes, airborne particles, and microbiological materials.
• Noise levels may vary from quiet office settings to active laboratory environments.
• Temperature conditions may vary depending on laboratory area.
• Fast-paced, interactive, and team-oriented environment.
• Required use of appropriate PPE when in laboratory areas.
• Ability to travel up to 20% to support other sites.

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We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and make employment decisions without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law.