Head of Pre-Roll Product Development

Cronos Group Inc.; Stayner; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Cronos Group Inc. is seeking a hands‑on Product Development Manager - Pre‑Roll to lead a multidisciplinary team in Stayner, Ontario, advancing Derivative Flower, Pre‑Roll, and Infused Pre‑Roll programs from concept to commercialization.

You will oversee formulation, scale‑up, and lifecycle management while coordinating cross‑functional partners across Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Finance.

Qualifications

• Minimum bachelor's degree in science, engineering, food science, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, material science, or a related discipline; graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of product development, process development, or manufacturing experience in cannabis or another regulated consumer‑packaged goods industry; cannabis experience is strongly preferred.
• Minimum 4 years of direct people leadership experience, including experience managing scientists, technicians, or other technical team members.
• Strong technical knowledge of Derivative Flower, Pre‑Roll, and Infused Pre‑Roll product development, including flower and extract inputs, blend and formulation design, infusion and coating technologies, paper and filter selection, product performance, manufacturing scale‑up, specification development, product safety, and quality systems.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements for cannabis products, derivative flower, pre‑roll products, infused pre‑roll products, consumer‑packaged goods, and regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting or leading cross‑functional commercialization projects from concept through launch, including business case support, product development, scale‑up, documentation, and post‑launch optimization.
• Experience leading technology transfer and scale‑up activities with manufacturing teams, Engineering, contract manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and other external partners; experience with pre‑roll manufacturing equipment or automation is preferred.
• Experience designing, reviewing, and approving experiments, stability studies, product specifications, process development studies, technical reports, and formal product development documentation.
• Experience operating within GMP or comparable regulated quality environments and using QMS processes, including Change Controls, CAPAs, Deviations, DMS documentation, technical assessments, and product impact assessments.
• Experience tracking materials, cannabis inventory, development lots, product samples, or production batches through LIMS, ERP, or comparable inventory systems; SAP and Salesforce experience are assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Product Development team responsible for Derivative Flower, Pre‑Roll, and Infused Pre‑Roll product formats, including formulation and blend development, product performance, extract quality, finished product specifications, product renovations, line extensions, and new‑to‑market innovation.
• Lead the day‑to‑day technical execution of Derivative Flower, Pre‑Roll, and Infused Pre‑Roll projects from concept through commercialization, scale‑up, launch, post‑launch optimization, and lifecycle management.
• Represent Product Development in commercialization projects, drive technical decisions within the approved project scope, and maintain clear two‑way communication between R&D and cross‑functional business teams.
• Translate consumer insights, business requirements, and technology‑team outputs into development plans, testable product requirements, experiments, and technical recommendations.
• Develop and communicate new products, cost‑saving initiatives, quality improvements, and novel product attributes; support business‑case development and implementation when appropriate.
• Manage technical inputs for business cases and Profit and Loss models, including Cost of Goods Sold, cannabinoid ratios, flower and extract selection, formulations and blends, process yields, manufacturing requirements, packaging, equipment needs, technical feasibility, and product risk.
• Manage day‑to‑day laboratory and pilot work priorities; directly supervise Product Development scientists and technicians; and ensure work is completed safely, on schedule, within scope, and within budget.
• Design, review, approve, and execute Product Development experiments, protocols, technical reports, product specifications, and formal development records; communicate conclusions and recommendations to cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Develop and optimize product formulations and blends, infusion and coating processes, paper, cone, and filter selection, fill‑weight targets, physical integrity, burn behaviour, draw performance, and sensory attributes.
• Define critical process parameters, critical quality attributes, manufacturing controls, and process limits for milling, blending, dosing, rolling, infusion, coating, and packaging operations.
• Lead and coordinate technology transfer and scale‑up activities with Manufacturing, Engineering, internal sites, and contract manufacturers, including production trials, troubleshooting, qualification or validation support, training, and technical documentation.
• Support cross‑border product launches and regional technology transfer by adapting products, processes, specifications, and technical documentation to local market requirements and manufacturing capabilities.
• Develop, review, and approve specifications for cannabis inputs, extracts, ingredients, papers, cones, filters, work‑in‑progress or intermediate materials, finished goods, and packaging components.
• Design, review, approve, and coordinate stability studies for durable dates, shipping conditions, real‑time, accelerated, in‑use, and other applicable product or market requirements.
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs and Quality to ensure development activities comply with applicable cannabis regulations, internal quality standards, product‑safety expectations, and market‑specific requirements.
• Manage Product Development activities within the Quality Management System, including Change Controls, CAPAs, Deviations, DMS documentation, technical assessments, product impact assessments, and implementation plans; act as a technical subject‑matter expert as required.
• Ensure inventory traceability and administrative documentation for cannabis materials, development lots, samples, and production batches used in development, technology transfer, and scale‑up activities.
• Act as a technical contact for internal teams, contract manufacturers, contract research organizations, consultants, equipment suppliers, ingredient suppliers, packaging suppliers, and other external development partners.
• Communicate project status, technical risks, commercialization readiness, roadblocks, mitigations, and acceleration opportunities to R&D leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Support Product Development capacity planning, resource management, budgets, timelines, and operating cadences; coach team members in technical judgment, project execution, documentation, and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Continually survey the cannabis, dried flower, pre‑roll, infused pre‑roll, CPG, packaging, manufacturing automation, and adjacent consumer product landscapes; lead technical analysis and communicate relevant findings to the business.

Skills

People leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in science/engineering

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

LIMS

ERP

SAP

Salesforce

Job description

Cronos Group Inc. is seeking a hands‑on Product Development Manager - Pre‑Roll to lead a multidisciplinary team in Stayner, Ontario, advancing Derivative Flower, Pre‑Roll, and Infused Pre‑Roll programs from concept to commercialization.

You will oversee formulation, scale‑up, and lifecycle management while coordinating cross‑functional partners across Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Finance.