Field Operations - Training Director

We are looking for a Field Operations Training Director to lead the development, training, coaching, and performance of our field teams. This role is focused on making people better—building technical capability, improving quality and safety, strengthening leadership, and helping field employees reach proficiency faster.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who is comfortable working directly with field crews, conducting ride-alongs, coaching employees, identifying performance gaps, and holding teams accountable to high standards.

This is not a traditional operations management role. Our Operations Managers will continue to own day-to-day execution, staffing, scheduling, and production. The Field Operations Training Director will own the training, coaching, development, and performance improvement of our field organization.

Key Responsibilities

Field Training & Development

• Own the company's field training and development strategy across multiple markets.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve structured training programs for new and existing field employees.
• Conduct regular ride-alongs, field observations, hands-on coaching, technical evaluations, and retraining sessions.
• Establish clear training paths for employees at different levels of experience.
• Create development plans based on individual skill gaps, performance, and career goals.
• Establish standards for onboarding, technical proficiency, field readiness, and continued development.
• Develop programs that help new employees reach proficiency faster while maintaining quality and safety standards.

Leadership & Coaching

• Serve as a senior leadership resource for field employee development and performance improvement.
• Coach technicians, crew leaders, supervisors, and emerging field leaders.
• Provide direct, constructive feedback and hold employees accountable to established standards.
• Develop current employees into stronger technicians, crew leaders, managers, and future leaders.
• Build trust and credibility with field teams while maintaining high expectations.
• Identify high-potential employees and create pathways for advancement.
• Partner with Operations Managers to address performance concerns and determine when additional coaching or retraining is required.

Training Programs & Standards

• Develop and maintain training curricula, SOPs, skills matrices, assessments, checklists, and certification programs.
• Establish consistent technical, quality, safety, and performance standards across markets.
• Develop practical evaluations that accurately measure employee competency.
• Create train-the-trainer programs to ensure training standards remain consistent as the organization grows.
• Continuously evaluate and update training content based on field performance, technology, processes, and business needs.
• Ensure training programs are practical, relevant, and directly connected to field execution.

Performance Improvement

• Analyze field performance data to identify trends, recurring problems, and opportunities for improvement.
• Use metrics such as quality, rework, safety, productivity, proficiency, training completion, and retention to evaluate training effectiveness.
• Develop targeted action plans when performance gaps are identified.
• Measure the effectiveness of training programs through employee performance and operational results.
• Partner with Operations leadership to reduce recurring mistakes, improve execution, and increase field consistency.
• Establish accountability around training completion, technical proficiency, and ongoing development.

Talent Evaluation & Hiring

• Participate in the hiring process for skilled-trade and field positions.
• Interview and evaluate candidates based on technical knowledge, leadership potential, problem-solving ability, work ethic, and cultural alignment.
• Help establish consistent technical evaluation standards for field candidates.
• Identify development needs during the hiring and onboarding process.
• Provide recommendations regarding employee readiness for specific field responsibilities.

Field Leadership Development

• Build a strong pipeline of future crew leaders, supervisors, and field managers.
• Identify leadership potential within the field organization.
• Develop leadership training focused on communication, accountability, coaching, problem-solving, and field execution.
• Mentor emerging leaders and provide ongoing development.
• Help create clear career-development pathways for field employees.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with Operations Managers, Regional Directors, HR, Recruiting, Safety, and senior leadership.
• Partner with Operations leadership to identify the most critical development priorities for each market.
• Communicate field training trends, performance gaps, and development opportunities to senior leadership.
• Help align training programs with company goals, operational standards, and growth plans.
• Serve as a bridge between field employees and leadership to ensure training needs are understood and addressed.

Required Experience

• Minimum 4 years of relevant leadership, field operations, technical training, workforce development, coaching, or performance-improvement experience.
• Demonstrated success leading, training, coaching, or developing field employees.
• Experience in solar, electrical, HVAC, utilities, construction, telecom, home services, manufacturing, or another skilled-trades environment strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to work directly with experienced technicians and field professionals.
• Experience conducting hands-on training, field evaluations, ride-alongs, coaching, or performance assessments.
• Experience developing or implementing training programs, SOPs, practical assessments, skills matrices, or certification programs.
• Experience using performance data to identify gaps and drive improvement.
• Experience interviewing and evaluating skilled-trade candidates is strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel regularly between company markets.

Leadership Skills

• Strong executive presence and ability to influence at multiple levels of an organization.
• Exceptional coaching and communication skills.
• Ability to give direct feedback and have difficult performance conversations.
• Strong accountability mindset.
• Ability to build trust without compromising standards.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and markets.
• Comfortable operating independently and taking ownership without constant direction.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to connect training initiatives to measurable business results.

The ideal candidate is a field leader, trainer, and people developer who combines technical credibility with strong leadership ability.

They should be comfortable working in the field—not simply managing from a desk. They should be willing to get alongside technicians, observe their work, demonstrate the correct process, provide direct feedback, and follow up until improvement is achieved.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly driven and self-motivated
• Decisive and accountable
• Hands-on and field-oriented
• An exceptional coach and communicator
• Comfortable challenging existing processes
• Focused on measurable results
• Able to earn the respect of experienced technicians
• Passionate about developing people
• Comfortable holding high standards
• Capable of building scalable systems
• Able to operate at both the strategic and field level

The successful candidate will not simply deliver training. They will build a culture of continuous development and operational excellence across the field organization.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be demonstrated through measurable improvements i