Onboarding Program Manager

The Onboarding Program Manager owns and drives the enterprise onboarding experience across the organization ensuring consistency readiness and a positive employee experience from Pre-Day One through early ramp-up.

This role serves as a central coordinator across corporate functions and site teams establishing onboarding governance standard processes and measurable outcomes. The position also supports scalable learning solutions aligned with business needs and enables a seamless transition for new hires.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage the end-to-end onboarding program across corporate and site locations
• Lead and deliver corporate orientation programs including ongoing onboarding sessions
• Define and maintain the onboarding lifecycle (Pre-Day One Day One Post-Day One)
• Standardize onboarding processes workflows and decision frameworks
• Establish and manage RACI alignment across HR IT L&D site leadership and managers
• Act as the primary point of contact for onboarding coordination and issue escalation
• Partner cross-functionally with HR IT Safety Compliance and site teams
• Facilitate onboarding forums working sessions and periodic program reviews
• Ensure onboarding programs are scalable consistent and adaptable by role and location
• Track and manage project costs onboarding activities and execution alignment
• Identify friction points and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure onboarding processes are audit-ready compliant and employee-centered
• Define and track success metrics (e.g. readiness completion satisfaction)
• Analyze feedback from new hires and managers to inform improvements
• Provide regular insights and recommendations to leadership

Success Criteria

Program Governance

• Onboarding processes are clearly documented communicated and adopted
• Ownership and RACI are well understood across stakeholders
• Reduced confusion around roles and responsibilities

Readiness & Risk Reduction

• Improved Day One readiness (access equipment compliance requirements)
• Reduced rework and onboarding-related escalations
• Strong audit and compliance posture

Measurement & Insights

• Standard onboarding metrics are established and consistently reported
• Actionable insights drive continuous improvement
• Leadership has clear visibility into onboarding effectiveness

Core Competencies

Operational Excellence

• Strong follow-through and timeline management
• Structured communication and organization
• Ability to build processes and frameworks from scratch

Cross-Functional Influence

• Ability to influence without authority
• Navigate complex stakeholder environments
• Drive alignment and accountability

Process & Program Design

• Map workflows end-to-end and clarify handoffs
• Turn ambiguity into structured documented processes

Data & Metrics Orientation

• Define success metrics and track performance
• Analyze trends and present insights to leadership

Change Management & Communication

• Lead rollout of new standards and processes
• Anticipate resistance and drive adoption
• Communicate clearly and reinforce messaging consistently

Qualifications

• 58 years of relevant experience (HR Learning & Development Operations or similar)
• Experience leading cross-functional programs or initiatives
• Comfortable engaging with site leaders and senior stakeholders
• Proven ability to build structure in ambiguous environments

Nice to Have

• Experience with HRIS or onboarding systems (e.g. SAP)
• Background in regulated or industrial environments
• Experience designing 30/60/90-day onboarding frameworks
• Survey design and Voice of Customer (VOC) experience
• Experience building governance models