Description
JOB SUMMARY
The Laboratory Manager oversees all day-to-day operations of a licensed cannabis processing, extraction, and/or testing laboratory, ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality control, throughput, and state and federal regulatory compliance. This role combines hands-on technical expertise in cannabis extraction, post-processing, and analytical testing with strong team leadership-managing technicians and, optimizing production workflows, maintaining complex processing and analytical equipment, and upholding rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aligned with state cannabis program requirements.
Location: On site. Monroe, OH
Pay: $80,000 - $85,000
Operations & Workflow Management
• Oversee day-to-day extraction, processing, and/or testing operations to ensure production schedules and throughput goals are met safely and efficiently
• Monitor inventories of cannabis raw material, solvents, reagents, and consumables; coordinate with licensed vendors and distributors to manage procurement and control costs
• Maintain accurate, real-time records within the state seed-to-sale tracking system (METRC) and reconcile inventory against physical counts
• Track and analyze operational metrics (e.g., turnaround times, extraction yields, potency consistency, error rates) using tracking tools and spreadsheets
• Identify bottlenecks in laboratory and processing workflows and implement continuous improvement strategies
Team Leadership & Personnel Development
• Lead, train, and mentor laboratory and processing staff, ensuring thorough onboarding for new technical Lab team members
• Prepare work schedules, assign daily tasks, and monitor individual and team productivity
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, and foster a collaborative, accountability-driven lab culture
Equipment Maintenance & Technical Oversight
• Supervise the operation, calibration, cleaning, and preventative maintenance of extraction and lab equipment (e.g., CO2/hydrocarbon/ethanol extraction systems, rotary evaporators, vacuum ovens, distillation systems, chromatography and other analytical instruments)
• Troubleshoot technical issues and equipment malfunctions promptly to minimize operational downtime
• Maintain comprehensive maintenance logs, equipment SOPs, and service records
Quality Control (QC) & Regulatory Compliance
• Enforce strict adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), state cannabis Division of Cannabis Control/program regulations, and internal SOPs
• Manage Quality Control (QC) protocols, auditing batch records, Certificates of Analysis (COAs), and testing data (potency, pesticides, residual solvents, microbials) for accuracy and compliance prior to final release
• Lead investigation of Out-of-Specification (OOS) results, failed batches, non-conformances, or deviations, establishing corrective and preventative actions (CAPA), including product holds, recalls, or destruction per state requirements
• Serve as primary point of contact for state regulatory inspections and audits, ensuring all documentation is inspection-ready
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
• Serve as a primary champion for workplace safety, ensuring all team members follow chemical hygiene plans (including flammable solvent handling), PPE requirements, and hazardous and cannabis waste disposal rules
• Participate actively in workplace safety, helping drive safety audits, risk assessments, and incident investigations
• Maintain up-to-date Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and ensure compliance with OSHA and relevant state environmental and cannabis-specific safety standards
COMPETENCIES:
• Leadership & Communication: Ability to delegate effectively, resolve team conflicts, and communicate complex technical concepts clearly
• Problem-Solving: Strong diagnostic skills for addressing process deviations and mechanical equipment issues
• Attention to Detail: Uncompromising commitment to precision, record-keeping, and safety standards
• Adaptability: Capability to prioritize tasks effectively in a fast-paced, evolving regulatory environment
• Strong proficiency in data analysis and tracking tools (e.g., Excel, LIMS, ERP systems, or seed-to-sale software such as METRC)
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, ELIGIBILITY and TRAINING:
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in a cannabis extraction required.
• 3+ years in a supervisory, lead technician, or team management role required.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining and troubleshooting complex laboratory and extraction equipment and instruments
• Must be at least 21 years of age and able to pass a state-required cannabis industry background check and obtain any applicable state work permit/badge
• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biology, Chemical Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent hands-on cannabis industry experience will be considered
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Drop Down Selection
1. Sitting
Occasionally
18. Lifting
2. Standing
Continuously
10 lbs. or less
Occasionally
3. Walking
Continuously
11 to 25 lbs.
Frequently
4. Bending Over
Continuously
26 to 50 lbs.
Occasionally
5. Crawling
Occasionally
51 to 75 lbs.
Not Applicable
6. Climbing
Occasionally
76 to 100 lbs.
Not Applicable
7. Reaching Overhead
Occasionally
Over 100 lbs.
Not Applicable
8. Crouching
Frequently
19. Carrying
9. Kneeling
Frequently
10 lbs. or less
Continuously
10. Balancing
Occasionally
11 to 25 lbs.
Frequently
11. Pushing or pulling
Frequently
26 to 50 lbs.
Occasionally
12. Talking
Continuously
51 to 75 lbs.
Not Applicable
13. Repetitive use of hands/arms
Continuously
76 to 100 lbs.
Not Applicable
14. Repetitive use of legs
Continuously
Over 100 lbs.
Not Applicable
15. Grasping
Continuously
20. Hearing
Continuously
16. Eye/Hand Coordination
Not Applicable
21. Visual Acuity
Continuously
17. Fine Manipulation
Frequently
22. Subject to Noise
Continuously
