Training Specialist at High Liner Foods in Portsmouth, NH

Job Overview:

Based within our production facility at Portsmouth New Hampshire, the Training Specialist serves as a primary point of contact for all personnel training and is responsible for coordinating, administering, and sustaining the site training activities and programs for their designated client group. This role ensures training is planned, delivered, documented, validated, and followed through in a consistent way that supports safe work, food safety, quality, operational reliability, and front-line capability development.

Note:

This role is based in a plant environment and requires regular presence on the floor. Must be able to work in both office/classroom and operational environments, following all site safety, food safety, hygiene, and PPE requirements.

Some schedule flexibility may be required to support training across shifts, onboarding activities, consultant visits, and mandatory training sessions.

Essential Duties and responsibilities

• Confirm role-specific training requirements with subject matter experts, maintain departmental training matrices, and support a consistent site training calendar that balances operational needs, mandatory training, onboarding, and cross-training.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready training records, qualification status, certification progress, and compliance documentation in approved systems; follow up on outstanding signoffs, overdue training, and expiring certifications, and provide regular updates to Operations, EHS, and FSQA leaders.
• Coordinate, administer, and deliver the 90-day onboarding and orientation process for front-line hourly employees, tracking completion and missed milestones and following up with supervisors and trainers to ensure new employees are supported.
• Partner with subject matter experts to develop training programs and content, and coordinate external consultants’ access to resources, meetings, stakeholder reviews, and follow-up actions to support timely completion of training materials.
• Ensure finalized training documents are validated by appropriate subject matter experts before implementation to reflect current site practices, safety standards, food safety requirements, and operating conditions; maintain version control, remove obsolete materials from active use, and communicate changes to affected leaders and trainers.
• Coordinate classroom, floor-based, and on-the-job training; prepare rooms, technology, attendance and sign-in tools, learning materials, and practical equipment; and support trainers before, during, and after sessions, including co-facilitation as needed.
• Support trainers and front-line leaders in documenting observations, practical assessments, knowledge checks, and certification readiness.
• Administer the Learning Management System (LMS), maintaining employee records and learning histories, uploading and assigning courses, tracking learning activities, reporting completion, compliance, participation, and learning metrics, and troubleshooting basic issues for employees and managers.
• Support the development, review, and improvement of SOPs, OPLs, job hazard analysis content, training checklists, certification criteria, and training aids; identify recurring training gaps, unclear procedures, and certification barriers and work with site leaders to address them.
• Collect feedback from participants, trainers, and leaders to continuously improve training materials and delivery, and promote ongoing skill development and knowledge sharing as part of everyday work.

Qualifications

• Diploma or bachelor’s degree in human resources, Adult Education, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or equivalent experience, or a related field preferred. Equivalent manufacturing experience will be considered.
• Experience coordinating training, onboarding, workforce development, compliance programs, or manufacturing support processes is strongly preferred.
• Experience in a food manufacturing, safety-sensitive, or regulated manufacturing environment is an asset.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office tools and capable of learning training systems, learning management systems, skills matrices, dashboards, and electronic document repositories.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate operational requirements into clear training actions.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and build credibility.
• Strong planning, coordination, and organizational skills, with a high level of attention to detail and a demonstrated ability to follow through on commitments
• Team and safety focused – demonstrates both as central to daily work behaviours

Current employees please note: this position is referral bonus eligible! See our policy for more details.

What's in it for you?

Join High Liner Foods for a career where you shape your path, backed by great benefits, flexible work, and a culture of diversity, innovation, and sustainability. Immerse yourself in opportunities to make a real impact and grow with us in our mission to nourish lives. Start your adventure where endless possibilities to thrive together await.

• Competitive Salary
• Heath, dental & vision coverage
• Pay for performance incentives
• Employee & Family assistance programs
• Wellness Programs
• Retirement Planning
• Supplemental Parental Leaves
• Disability Support
• Family friendly Flex policies & Summer hours
• Volunteer hours
• Learning and mentorship opportunities
• Safety focused work environment

About High Liner Foods

Founded in 1899 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, High Liner Foods has grown from a small salt fish company into a leading North American processor and marketer of value-added frozen seafood. Our trusted brands — including High Liner, Fisher Boy, Mirabel, Sea Cuisine, C.Wirthy & Co, Mrs. Paul’s, Van de Kamp’s, and Icelandic Seafood — are enjoyed by families, restaurants, and institutions across Canada and the United States.

Guided by our purpose of Reimagining Seafood to Nourish Life, we combine over a century of expertise with innovation, consumer insight, and responsible practices to deliver high-quality seafood people can trust.

At High Liner Foods, we are a people-first organization. We invest in our employees through development opportunities, collaborative teamwork, and a culture where safety, well-being, and growth are priorities. Whether in our offices, plants, or distribution teams, our people work together to deliver excellence and drive the future of seafood.

Our Values

Serve with Purpose – We put our customers and consumers at the heart of everything we do, creating quality products that help to nourish lives and foster connections that go beyond the plate.

Do the Right Thing – We lead with integrity, act responsibly, and make choices that support our people, our partners, and our planet. .

Innovate & Reimagine – We challenge the norm, embrace fresh ideas, and turn innovation into impact.

All Hands on Deck – Powered by people and driven by purpose, we lead with courage, hold one another accountable, and celebrate as a team

Ready to make waves with us? Join High Liner Foods and help shape the future of seafood.

To learn more please visit our Career/LinkedIn/Indeed page

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