Director of Technical Education

Company Description The Foundation of Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) is the leading professional organization for flexographic and package printing specialists. For nearly 70 years, FTA has set benchmarks in technical education, certification, and industry innovation, serving as a trusted resource for training and standards. The association connects a broad network of printers, suppliers, brand owners, and educators to support excellence across the entire packaging production workflow. As the only association focused solely on the advancement of flexography, FTA offers a dynamic environment where technology, expertise, and education come together.

Position Summary:

In this fully remote role, the Director of Technical Education leads FTA’s education strategy, technical content, and Education Team. The Director applies practical flexographic expertise to build learning experiences that help printing businesses develop their people, improve production performance, and adopt  FIRST  principles and best practices.   This role offers the opportunity to shape FTA’s next generation of education: modernizing the  FIRST  certification, expanding access to training, strengthening ongoing learner engagement, and connecting education to workforce development. The Director is accountable for educational quality and agreed program and financial results, working with staff, volunteer experts, instructors, and external partners to deliver them.

Essential Job Duties:

Education Strategy & Technical Leadership

• Translate FTA’s education strategy into a practical annual plan with clear priorities, budgets, milestones, responsibilities, and measures of success. Balance delivery of current programs with development of new offerings.
• Serve as FTA’s staff resource for flexographic technical education. Maintain the accuracy, relevance, and practical application of  FIRST  materials, certification content, and other educational resources.
• Engage printer employers, learners, the  FIRST  Committee, and other industry experts to identify skill gaps, assess demand, and guide program decisions. Ensure technical consensus while keeping projects moving.
• Oversee the technical framework, quality standards, and expert delivery network for  FIRST  Audit, maintaining client confidentiality and producing practical, prioritized recommendations.
• Guide the selection, review, and updating of educational content for FTA AI. Work with technical experts and technology partners to evaluate technical accuracy and usefulness.
• Support the industry job board through relevant career and learning resources.

FIRST Modernization & Program Development

• Lead the refresh and modularization of  FIRST  training across Press Operator, Prepress Operator, and Implementation Specialist pathways. Incorporate current production practices, practical exercises, and assessments that demonstrate learning.
• Develop and manage a coordinated portfolio of certification, test-out options, live training, webinars, microlearning, troubleshooting, and specialty learning. 
• Coordinate expert and editorial contributions to future  FIRST  editions and related resources, including planned  FIRST  8.0 development and new FTA AI platform.

Learning Delivery & Continued Engagement

• Oversee the quality and delivery of on-demand, live online, and in-person education. Teach  FIRST  Live and other programs, and recruit qualified instructors and subject matter experts (SMEs).
• Lead education development for FTA conferences and webinars, working with volunteers, speakers, and staff to establish relevant topics, clear learning objectives, and effective presentations.
• Guide the use of FTA’s learning management system (LMS). Improve course access, learner progression, reporting, and the overall learning experience.
• Develop connected pathways for recertification, continuing education units (CEUs), digital credentials, and advanced specializations. 
• Expand access through qualified translation and technical review partners.
• Broaden relevant content to address digital and hybrid printing workflows.

Financial Performance & Team Leadership

• Develop, manage, and monitor the Education Department’s annual budget, ensuring responsible resource allocation, revenue growth and alignment with the association’s financial objectives. 
• Evaluate demand, pricing, delivery costs, and scalability when proposing new programs or changes to existing offerings. 
• Manage and develop the Education Team. Set clear expectations, delegate effectively, provide timely feedback, and coordinate staff, volunteers, instructors, and contractors.
• Report progress, risks, and recommendations to the President. Use knowledge, instinct, data, feedback, and financial performance to improve programs. 

Education / Experience / Skills Requirements 

• Demonstrated practical expertise in flexographic printing, including process control, production troubleshooting, and print quality and consistency. Relevant experience may come from printing operations, suppliers, technical service, consulting, or industry education.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach, or develop technical employees and explain complex concepts clearly to people with different experience levels.
• FIRST Certification preferred. Candidates without the appropriate credential should be willing to obtain it within an agreed timeframe after hiring.
• Bachelor’s degree in education, educational Leadership, or a related field, or comparable experience is preferred.
• Strong understanding of educational best practices and standards.
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written in English, other languages are a plus
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to analyze data and use insights to drive program improvements.
• Proficiency in educational technology and learning management systems for online course delivery.
• Experience with budget development and resource management.

Essential Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to willingly and ably:

• Effective communicator (verbal and written) in English, other languages a plus
• Deadline oriented
• High volume/reliable performer/ effective manager in remote settings
• Flexibility to work extended hours/weekends as required
• Travel as needed