Head of Cultivation

Location: Gauteng, South Africa

Full-time, Onsite position (Relocation/Visa Support Possible)

Our client is a globally recognized licensed producer focusing on the cultivation, processing, and exporting of Medicinal euGMP Cannabis products to international markets.

They are seeking an experienced cannabis cultivation and production leader to join their team as their Head of Cultivation as they scale into their next phase of growth. 

Working closely with the Head of Production, this position is responsible for managing all aspects of cultivation and GACP processes, as well as managing the team within the relevant departments.

The person is expected to dedicate 100% to this position. They are required to be onsite at the facility full-time during regular business hours, and ‘on-call’ availability outside of business hours as needed.

MUST have previous leadership experience in a large-scale (100k+ sqft) legal, GACP-regulated cannabis cultivation facility. A working knowledge of GMP/euGMP is a strong asset. 

MUST be a strong people-leader, with demonstrated ability to teach, mentor and coach staff and team members at all levels of the organisation.

MUST be full-time onsite, relocation/work visa will be supported for the right candidate.

ROLE/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct regular meetings with appropriate staff members to align on previous and future tasks
• Plan and implement proper IPM strategies 
• Management of all R&D-related activities with focus around pheno-hunting and cultivar-specific improvement
• Develop and maintain irrigation strategies: with focus mainly on dry back intervals and VWC management
• Implement/ Maintain KPI’s and track staff performance based on these. 
• Budgeting and procurement of all supplies used in the GACP area relative to cultivation
• Manage all fertilizer recipes and ensure they are mixed according to established procedures 
• Canopy management, with a focus on maintaining the leaf area index through pruning strategies as well as plant density control 
• Perform weekly SAP analysis to confirm correct ratios of fertilizer are present within the plants of each batch
• Development of SOP’s
• Conduct regular testing/ screening of all relevant diseases, viruses and viroids
• Perform risk assessments
• Ensure that products are produced and stored according to the appropriate documentation in order to obtain the required quality
• Approve workflow and processes relating to production operations and to ensure their strict implementation
• Planning and organising production schedules
• Ensure that the production records are evaluated and signed by an authorised person
• Ensure the qualification and maintenance of his GACP area and equipment
• Ensure that the appropriate validations are done
• Ensure that the required initial and continuing training of the GACP department personnel is carried out and adapted according to needs 
• Authorize written procedures and other documents, including amendments 
• Monitoring and ensuring compliance with the requirements of GACP 
• Monitor and perform climate management-related activities alongside pump room operators ensuring that requirements of stage-specific climate specifications are met within each GACP room
• Review and perform process validations
• Overall hygiene; Maintain a clean and organized work environment 
• The inspection, investigation, and taking of samples to monitor factors which may affect product quality
• Participation in management reviews of process performance, product quality, and of the quality management system and advocating continual improvement
• Ensuring that a timely and effective communication and escalation process exists to raise quality issues to the appropriate levels of management

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Problem-solving aptitude
• Good communication skills
• Physical aptitude and health to perform manual labor and tasks required for the proper management of the facilities
•  Accountability, proactive behavior and strong attention to detail
•  Willingness to continue learning about horticulture and cannabis farming
•  Staying on top of current and future trends
•  Understanding of pest and disease management techniques
•  Knowledge of the entire cannabis growth cycle and requirements
•  Understand the current GMP and GACP standards
•  Familiarity with the local and international legal framework regarding cannabis

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Tertiary Qualification/Post Secondary Education in Horticulture or a relevant area of study
• Minimum of 3+ years experience in professional roles in horticulture/large-scale cultivation, cannabis preferred.
• Minimum 3+ years experience in a cultivation leadership management position at a large-scale (100k+ sq ft) legal cannabis cultivation facility.
• Demonstrated strong people/team management experience, including mentoring, coaching and training. 
• Cannabis plant disease and pest management knowledge, including troubleshooting and remediation.
• Must have Large-scale greenhouse cultivation experience 
• Growing and taking care of mother plants
• Experienced in all aspects of cannabis production

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