Director of Training and Workforce Development

About the Role

The Director of Training & Workforce Development serves as the strategic leader for employee development, workforce readiness, leadership growth, and training excellence within the Safety & Training Department. Reporting to the Vice President of Safety & Security, this position is responsible for developing and executing enterprise-wide training and workforce development strategies that strengthen safety culture, reduce operational risk, improve workforce performance, and support organizational excellence. The Director provides leadership and oversight for training, professional development, leadership development, instructor qualification, onboarding, and employee career progression programs. Working collaboratively with Operations, Maintenance, Safety, Human Resources, executive leadership and the global L&D team, the position ensures employees at all levels possess the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to perform their duties safely, effectively, and consistently.

A key responsibility of this role is integrating safety principles, accountability, risk awareness, and operational discipline throughout the employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding through leadership development and succession planning. The Director leads safety awareness campaigns, workforce development initiatives, and leadership programs that promote continuous learning, employee engagement, and a strong safety culture. Through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement, this position develops training and workforce development solutions that enhance employee performance, strengthen leadership capability, improve safety outcomes, and support RATP Dev's commitment to safety, security, service, and operational excellence.

Critical Components

A highly conscientious leader who:

• Promotes a diverse and inclusive, positive, respectful, and healthy work environment
• Has accountability
• Excels in Communications
• Promotes Safety
• Has expertise and technical knowledge
• Has Trust and Credibility
• Is Result Driven
• Decision Making

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Training Strategy, Curriculum & Organizational Learning

• Develop and execute an enterprise-wide training and workforce development strategy aligned with safety, operational, and organizational goals
• Design and maintain standardized training frameworks, competency models, certification requirements, and qualification standards across all functions
• Design, implement, and continuously improve operator, supervisor, and leadership development curricula to ensure responsiveness to evolving industry standards, regulatory requirements, and operational challenges
• Oversee the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of training programs for Operations, Maintenance, Safety, Customer Service, and Leadership
• Ensure all training content is current, compliant, and aligned with industry best practices and regulatory and global training requirements
• Measure training effectiveness using performance metrics, audits, employee performance indicators, and operational outcomes

Workforce Development, Leadership & Succession Planning

• Design and implement workforce development programs that strengthen employee engagement, retention, career advancement, and workforce readiness
• Establish structured career pathways, mentorship programs, and leadership pipelines for frontline employees, supervisors, managers, and emerging leaders
• Lead leadership development programs focused on supervisory readiness, management capability, accountability, coaching, and high-potential employee growth
• Partner with Human Resources and Operations to support succession planning, talent development, and workforce capability planning
• Develop programs that prepare employees for advancement opportunities and strengthen organizational bench strength

Safety Training, Culture & Campaigns

• Partner with Safety leadership to integrate safety principles into all training and workforce development initiatives
• Develop training programs focused on hazard recognition, risk reduction, incident prevention, defensive driving, securement proficiency, regulatory compliance, and operational safety practices
• Lead enterprise safety campaigns, awareness initiatives, employee engagement programs, and promotional activities that reinforce a strong safety culture
• Analyze safety trends, audit findings, investigations, and incident data to identify training needs and drive corrective action strategies
• Ensure lessons learned from incidents, near misses, and operational events are incorporated into training and workforce development programs

Recruitment Support, Onboarding & Workforce Readiness

• Partner with Human Resources and Operations to support recruitment, onboarding, and workforce attraction initiatives
• Support workforce readiness programs including new hire onboarding, orientation, and early-career development
• Assist with employer branding efforts, career fairs, community outreach, workforce partnerships, and recruitment campaigns
• Develop programs that improve new hire retention, engagement, and job readiness
• Support initiatives that position RATP Dev as an employer of choice committed to safety, employee development, and career growth

Instructor Development & Training Quality

• Establish and maintain instructor qualification, certification, and performance standards
• Lead train-the-trainer programs to ensure consistency and quality in instructional delivery
• Evaluate training effectiveness and ensure continuous improvement across classroom, field, virtual, and on-the-job learning environments
• Promote innovative learning solutions and instructional best practices throughout the organization

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Organizational Support

• Serve as a strategic partner to Operations, Maintenance, Safety, Security, and Human Resources
• Support organizational initiatives related to employee engagement, operational performance, risk reduction, and change management
• Lead or support special projects that improve workforce capability, safety performance, regulatory compliance, and organizational effectiveness
• Collaborate with leaders across the organization to identify emerging workforce, operational, and safety challenges requiring training or development solutions

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, coaching, mentoring, and direction to training and workforce development staff
• Set departmental goals, performance expectations, strategic priorities, and development plans
• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, professionalism, safety, and continuous improvement
• Champion RATP Dev's mission, values, and commitment to safety, security, service, and operational excellence
• Promote collaboration and partnership across departments to support organizational objectives and workforce development initiatives

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Organizational Development, Business Administration, Human Resources, Safety Management, Transportation, or a related field
• Seven (7) or more years of progressive experience in training, workforce development, leadership development, organizational development, or safety training environments
• Three (3) or more years of leadership experience managing training, workforce development, or employee development programs
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing enterprise-wide training and workforce development initiatives
• Strong knowledge of adult learning principles, instructional design methodologies, and workforce development practices
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, leadership, and relationship-building skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public transportation, paratransit, fleet operations, maintenance, logistics, or other safety-sensitive industries
• Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and enterprise learning platforms
• Experience developing leadership development, mentorship, and succession planning programs
• Professional certifications related to training, organizational development, workforce development, coaching, safety, or leadership development

Knowledge

• Knowledge of adult learning principles, instructional design methodologies, training program development, and workforce development practices
• Knowledge of leadership development, employee engagement, succession planning, and organizational development strategies
• Knowledge of safety management systems, safety culture principles, risk mitigation practices, and regulatory compliance requirements
• Knowledge of public transportation, paratransit, fleet operations, maintenance operations, or other safety-sensitive industries preferred
• Knowledge of Learning Management Systems (LMS), e-learning platforms, and modern training technologies
• Knowledge of project management principles, change management methodologies, and performance improvement processes

Skills

• Exceptional leadership, coaching, mentoring, and team development skills
• Strong verbal, written, presentation, facilitation, and public speaking skills
• Excellent curriculum development, instructional design, and training program management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with the capability to evaluate data, identify trends, and implement effective solutions
• Skilled in workforce planning, talent development, employee engagement, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness initiatives
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, learning management systems, and training technologies

Abilities

• Ability to develop and execute strategic training and workforce development initiatives aligned with organizational objectives
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively with executive leadership, operations management, maintenance personnel, human resources professionals, safety personnel, global teams and external stakeholders
• Ability to assess organizational needs and translate them into practical and effective learning solutions
• Ability to design, implement, and continuously improve operator, supervisor, and leadership development curricula to ensure responsiveness to evolving industry standards, regulatory requirements, and operational challenges
• Ability to lead organizational change and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Ability to develop productive working relationships across multiple departments and geographically dispersed operating locations
• Ability to analyze operational, safety, and workforce data to identify performance gaps and development opportunities
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and manage sensitive information appropriately
• Ability to travel extensively and work effectively in a fast-paced operational environment

Work Environment

The work environment includes a mix of remote and corporate office settings, training facilities, maintenance locations, operating sites, and field environments. This position regularly engages with employees at all levels of the organization, including supervisors, managers, executives, customers, contractors, and external stakeholders. In the course of work, the role may occasionally be exposed to operational environments involving moving vehicles, maintenance equipment, and varying weather conditions commonly associated with public transportation operations. Travel is an essential function of this position and is expected to range between 50–75% of the time.