R & D Manager

Glass House Brands

$90K — $120K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 4-8+ years of experience in commercial cannabis cultivation, horticulture, agronomy, or related fields
  • Hands-on experience with designing or running plant trials
  • Proficient in collecting and interpreting plant performance data
  • Cross-functional collaboration experience with production teams
  • Ability to translate observational data into operational improvements

Responsibilities

  • Oversee applied cultivation research initiatives companywide
  • Design and execute various cultivar and environmental trials
  • Collaborate with teams to establish aligned research goals
  • Maintain a centralized tracking system for trial data
  • Analyze data related to plant performance and quality
  • Identify opportunities to enhance operational efficiency
  • Present findings and recommendations to leadership

Benefits

  • Collaborative work environment across multiple teams
  • Opportunity to influence research direction and cultivation practices
  • Engagement with cutting-edge plant science and technology
  • Professional development through hands-on project leadership
  • Exposure to regulated agricultural processes and compliance
Full Job Description
Description

What You Will Own
  • Oversee companywide applied cultivation research initiatives
  • Design and execute cultivar trials and environmental trials
  • Partner with Propagation, Cultivation, Processing, and Sales teams to establish research goals aligned with production and business objectives
  • Maintain a centralized system for tracking trial data and results
  • Collect, organize, and analyze plant performance data (yield, potency, vigor, plant health, and consistency)
  • Identify opportunities to improve quality, yield, and operational efficiency
  • Translate research findings into actionable cultivation recommendations
  • Present findings and recommendations to operational leadership and decision makers
  • Standardize documentation and protocols for research across facilities
  • Ensure projects remain on schedule and within defined scope


Requirements

Required Experience
  • 4-8+ years of commercial cannabis cultivation, horticulture, agronomy, greenhouse production, or production agriculture experience
  • Hands-on experience designing or running plant trials (cultivar testing, nutrient trials, propagation trials, environmental trials, or yield studies) in a commercial or academic setting.
  • Experience collecting and interpreting plant performance data
  • Experience working cross-functionally with operations or production teams
  • Demonstrated ability to turn observations into practical operational improvements

Strongly Preferred
  • Experience evaluating new genetics or cultivars for commercial production
  • Experience standardizing cultivation practices or SOPs across multiple rooms or facilities
  • Experience in multi-site or large-scale cultivation environments
  • Experience with environmental monitoring systems, irrigation systems, or cultivation software platforms
  • Experience working in regulated agriculture or regulated manufacturing environments

Education
  • Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Plant Science, Agronomy, Botany, Agriculture, Environmental Science, or a related field required.

Technical Knowledge & Skills
  • Understanding of plant physiology and growth cycles
  • Nutrient management concepts (EC, pH, fertigation principles)
  • Environmental control variables (lighting intensity, irrigation strategies, airflow, VPD concepts)
  • Integrated Pest Management fundamentals
  • Data collection, documentation, and comparative analysis
  • Ability to clearly communicate findings to non-scientific operational teams
  • Proficiency with Excel or similar data analysis tools

Helpful But Not Required
  • Familiarity with METRC or regulated cultivation tracking systems
  • Experience building or maintaining research or cultivation databases

Certifications (Nice to Have)
  • Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) or related coursework
  • Greenhouse or commercial agriculture training
  • IPM or pest management coursework
  • OSHA safety training

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