Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wireless Program Trainer

🎯 Role Definition

The Wireless Program Trainer is responsible for designing, delivering, and continuously improving technical and sales training programs for wireless products, services, and in-store staff. This role blends adult learning principles, hands-on device experience, and data-driven performance coaching to accelerate product adoption, improve customer experience, and drive sales and operational KPIs across retail and field channels.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Retail Store Manager or Assistant Manager with wireless sales experience
Field Technician / Wireless Support Specialist
Sales Trainer or Corporate Training Coordinator
Customer Experience Specialist with mobility product knowledge

Advancement To:

Senior Training Manager, Wireless Programs
Manager, Sales Enablement or Field Training
Director of Learning & Development – Connectivity & Devices
Head of Retail Operations Training

Lateral Moves:

Curriculum Developer / Instructional Designer (L&D)
Product Trainer / Technical Training Specialist
Workforce Development Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design end-to-end training programs and curriculum for wireless products, services, and store processes, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and launch timelines.
Deliver instructor-led training (ILT), virtual instructor-led training (VILT), and blended learning sessions for retail associates, field technicians, and partner staff focused on device functionality, activation, network features (4G/5G), and troubleshooting.
Build and maintain course content in the Learning Management System (LMS), including course setup, enrollment workflows, reporting, certification paths, and completion tracking for compliance and performance audits.
Create engaging e-learning modules and microlearning assets using authoring tools (e.g., Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate), optimized for mobile access and short attention spans of frontline employees.
Develop and execute comprehensive onboarding plans for new hires and new store openings, including role-based competency maps, bootcamps, and new-product immersion sessions.
Lead “train-the-trainer” initiatives to certify regional trainers and store champions, providing facilitator guides, assessment rubrics, and ongoing coach-the-coach support to scale capability across markets.
Conduct hands-on device labs and scenario-based role plays to build troubleshooting confidence and sales conversations that convert, covering iOS, Android, device provisioning, and accessory upsell techniques.
Partner with Product Management, Marketing, and Operations to translate technical product releases and promotional offers into concise training collateral, FAQs, cheat sheets, and competitive talking points.
Establish and measure training effectiveness using Kirkpatrick- and business-oriented metrics (knowledge assessments, on-floor observation scores, certification pass rates, sales uplift, churn reduction), and present impact reports to senior stakeholders.
Schedule and coordinate recurring training sessions, field visits, and ride-alongs with store leadership to validate training transfer and identify local coaching needs.
Maintain and update training documentation, version control, and knowledge bases to reflect software updates, firmware changes, and shifting carrier or regulatory policies.
Provide in-the-field escalation and second-level technical coaching for complex activations, BYOD migrations, eSIM provisioning, and carrier interoperability issues.
Design performance improvement plans and individualized learning paths for underperforming teams or stores, using a data-driven approach to remediate knowledge or behavior gaps.
Manage cross-functional launch readiness checklists for device and service rollouts, including readiness scoring, go/no-go assessments, and post-launch reinforcement plans.
Create assessments, practical exams, and certification standards to validate competence for critical tasks such as point-of-sale activations, device transfers, and service migrations.
Curate and maintain a library of demo devices, provisioning kits, and sample scenarios to replicate real-customer experiences during training sessions and to support experiential learning.
Facilitate partner and vendor training sessions (carriers, device manufacturers, third-party service providers) to ensure consistent messaging and operational alignment.
Use analytics tools and ad-hoc data requests to track training ROI, course completion velocity, knowledge retention, and correlations to sales performance and NPS.
Advocate for learner experience improvements by collecting feedback, running pulse surveys, and iterating on content, delivery cadence, and assessment rigor.
Ensure training programs comply with privacy, security, and industry-specific regulations (e.g., PCI, data protection for SIM activations and account migrations).
Coach store leaders and supervisors on reinforcement techniques, effective feedback conversations, and how to use training dashboards to drive weekly performance huddles.
Manage program resources and budgets for training events, materials, third-party trainers, and LMS subscriptions to optimize cost-per-learner and training impact.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc training data requests and exploratory analysis to help business partners understand where learning investments will yield the highest operational returns.
Contribute to the organization's learning strategy and roadmap by recommending new technologies, formats (microlearning, AR/VR, simulations), and vendor partnerships based on field needs and ROI.
Collaborate with sales, marketing, product, and operations teams to translate business needs into actionable learning objectives and technical training requirements.
Participate in agile planning and sprint ceremonies when working as part of cross-functional squads responsible for digital learning product builds or LMS integrations.
Serve as a subject-matter expert on wireless product lifecycles, competitive device offerings, and industry trends, informing content prioritization and update cycles.
Assist HR and talent partners with competency frameworks and career ladders tied to training certifications and demonstrated on-the-job performance.
Coordinate logistics for national/regional roadshows, train-the-trainer events, and certification clinics, including travel planning, material shipment, and post-event evaluations.
Identify and document recurring knowledge gaps and process friction points, escalating systemic issues to process owners with recommended training or SOP changes.
Act as a liaison to field operations during major outages or software migrations to provide immediate training guidance and scripting for frontline communications.
Mentor junior trainers and learning specialists, providing feedback on instructional delivery, content design, and measurement approaches.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Learning Management System (LMS) administration and reporting (e.g., Cornerstone, Saba, SuccessFactors, Moodle) — course creation, enrollment automation, completion tracking, and compliance reporting.
Instructional design and curriculum development using ADDIE/AGILE methods and authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and Camtasia.
Hands-on mobile device expertise across iOS and Android ecosystems, including device activation, provisioning, eSIM management, carrier settings, and common hardware troubleshooting.
Deep understanding of cellular network concepts (3G/4G/5G fundamentals), Wi-Fi offloading, SIM/SUPI basics, and typical carrier workflows that impact customer experience.
Experience running virtual instructor-led training (VILT) platforms (Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams) and using interactive features (breakouts, polls, whiteboards) to increase learner engagement.
Data literacy: ability to analyze training and performance metrics using Excel, Google Sheets, Looker, Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools to drive continuous improvement.
Assessment design and validation: creating quizzes, scenario assessments, practical checklists, and certification criteria with pass/fail thresholds and retake policies.
Basic familiarity with retail point-of-sale (POS) systems, activation portals, CRM tools, and device lifecycle management platforms.
eLearning production skills: audio/video recording, simple video editing, and knowledge of accessibility standards (closed captions, transcripts).
Experience managing pilot programs, launch readiness processes, and correlate training interventions to KPI improvements (sales per labor hour, activation success rate, average handling time).

Soft Skills

Exceptional verbal and written communication with an ability to translate technical concepts into clear, concise, role-appropriate learning materials.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills, comfortable delivering high-energy sessions to groups of varying sizes and remote audiences.
Coaching and mentoring aptitude: ability to give constructive feedback and develop frontline leaders to sustain learning outcomes.
Stakeholder management and collaboration with cross-functional teams — product, operations, marketing, and vendor partners.
Analytical mindset and attention to detail when measuring program effectiveness and iterating on content.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced retail and field environments with frequent product and process changes.
Project management and organizational skills to coordinate multiple training initiatives, events, and content release schedules.
Influence and persuasion to secure buy-in for training investments and behavior changes from store leadership and regional managers.
Problem-solving orientation to design practical, scalable solutions for diverse learning needs and complex technical issues.
Cultural sensitivity and inclusion-focused design to ensure training resonates across diverse employee populations and geographies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree or relevant technical certification; equivalent practical experience in wireless retail, field operations, or technical training also accepted.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Education, Instructional Design, Communications, Information Technology, Telecommunications, or Business.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Instructional Design / Adult Learning
Telecommunications / Networking
Business Administration / Organizational Development
Information Technology / Computer Science
Communications / Corporate Training

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–7 years of combined experience in wireless retail/field operations, technical support, or corporate training roles.

Preferred:

4+ years designing and delivering training programs in wireless, telecommunications, retail, or field service environments.
Demonstrated experience with LMS administration, e-learning authoring tools, and performance analytics.
Prior experience leading product launches, certification programs, and train-the-trainer initiatives across multiple regions or channel partners.