R & D Manager

Brief Description

You will:

• Establish the long-term R&D roadmap
• Determine how new cultivars are evaluated and approved
• Create a repeatable phenohunting and selection process
• Guide decisions on propagation strategy and tissue culture utilization
• Influence production efficiency and product quality
• Advise executive leadership on technology adoption and capital investment
  
  

Key Responsibilities

Scientific Leadership & Infrastructure

• Lead and manage Genetics, Testing, Tissue Culture, and R&D teams
• Build laboratory capabilities including testing and tissue culture operations (design, compliance, staffing, SOPs, and workflow)
• Establish research governance, documentation standards, and quality systems
• Develop departmental budgets and capital plans
  
  

Research Design & Execution

• Design scientifically sound experiments addressing cultivation, propagation, and production questions
• Lead cultivar trials, phenohunts, and performance validation
• Evaluate growing methods, biological inputs, and post-harvest impacts
• Implement standardized research protocols and data collection procedures
• Oversee statistical review and interpretation of results
  
  

Data & Decision Science

• Develop systems for centralized research data collection and analytics
• Convert plant performance data into actionable operational recommendations
• Present findings and recommendations to executive leadership and operational teams
• Provide scientific justification for production, financial, and capital decisions
  
  

Cross-Functional Integration

• Align R&D priorities with cultivation, operations, and commercial objectives
• Serve as the bridge between science and operational execution
• Partner with Finance on ROI-based project evaluation
• Advise leadership on future technologies, genetics strategy, and scaling opportunities
  
  

Performance & Quality Optimization

• Improve cultivar performance, consistency, yield, and plant health
• Establish validation protocols before operational rollout
• Implement continuous improvement and quality assurance programs
  
  

Team Development

• Recruit, mentor, and develop scientists and technical staff
• Build a culture of scientific rigor, experimentation, and accountability
• Create clear performance standards and development pathways for technical teams
  
  

Requirements

Required Experience

• 8–15+ years in cannabis, horticulture, plant science, agriculture, greenhouse production, or plant biotechnology
• Experience designing and leading applied research programs tied to production environments
• Experience leading technical teams or laboratories
• Experience evaluating genetics, propagation strategies, or cultivar performance
• Demonstrated experience translating research into operational improvements
  
  

Strongly Preferred

• Cannabis cultivation science leadership experience
• Tissue culture or plant propagation program oversight
• Experience building or scaling lab or research infrastructure
• Experience supporting multi-site or large-scale production
• Experience in regulated industries (agriculture, food production, pharmaceuticals, or biotech)
  
  

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Plant Science, Horticulture, Agronomy, Botany, Biology, Agricultural Science, or related field required.
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) strongly preferred but not required if equivalent applied industry leadership experience is present.
  
  

Technical Knowledge

• Plant physiology and cultivation systems
• Phenotyping and cultivar evaluation
• Propagation and tissue culture fundamentals
• Environmental controls and crop steering concepts
• Experimental design and comparative analysis
• Data interpretation and reporting to non-technical audiences
  
  

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to influence operations and executive leadership
• Balances scientific rigor with operational practicality
• Strategic thinker with hands-on problem-solving ability
• Strong communicator capable of translating technical findings into business impact
  
  

Supervisory Responsibility

This role leads all company research, genetics, and laboratory functions including scientists, lab staff, and technical specialists.

Summary

Glass House Brands is expanding its scientific capabilities across cultivation, genetics, and propagation. We are building an integrated research program that connects plant science with operational and commercial outcomes.

We are seeking a Director of Research & Development to lead and scale this effort. This leader will define how genetics are evaluated, how cultivation methods are validated, and how data informs production and investment decisions.

This is a build-and-scale role. The Director will establish research structure, standards, and processes while overseeing Genetics, Testing, Tissue Culture, and applied cultivation research. The position also serves as the company’s primary technical advisor on plant performance and cultivar strategy.

Position Summary

The Director of Research & Development sets the strategy and execution for research across cultivation-related functions. The role leads breeding and cultivar selection, propagation strategy, testing, and validation of cultivation practices.

Working closely with executive and operational teams, the Director translates scientific findings into clear, actionable recommendations that improve yield, quality, and production consistency. The position requires strong plant science expertise, experimental design, data interpretation, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams.