Head of Beverage Production & Operations

Lazarus Naturals; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Lazarus Naturals, headquartered in Portland, OR, seeks an experienced Senior Operations leader to drive production, packaging, and formulation initiatives. This role reports to the CEO and leads a multi-disciplinary team across planning, manufacturing, and quality functions.

You will develop strategic operations plans, manage capex and cost targets, and collaborate with finance to improve real-time performance metrics while ensuring regulatory compliance in cannabis operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a senior production/packaging leadership role.
• 15+ years in food/beverage production.
• Experience with startups and mid-size companies.
• Strong analytical/problem-solving skills with data-driven decisions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration with stakeholders.
• Detail-oriented with organizational skills.
• Experience in METRC-regulated cannabis operations preferred.
• Proven ability to recruit, train, and coach team members.
• Self-starter with prioritization in fast-paced environments.
• Experience with Google Sheets/Excel and ERP systems; willingness to learn new software.

Responsibilities

• Plan and report to develop strategic operations for growth, efficiency, and future readiness.
• Lead Capex and improvement plans for production; manage ROI analysis, risk, and execution.
• Oversee annual production and staffing plans.
• Set product cost targets and long-term profitability via cost drivers and investments.
• Collaborate with Finance & BI to deliver real-time performance insights.
• Implement workstation time-card tracking and automate production costing reporting.
• Define goals and responsibilities for production teams, ensuring accountability.
• Manage production schedule, inventory risk, and cross-functional solutions for shortages.
• Lead production and formulation teams; improve quality, reduce stockouts, and raise efficiency.
• Drive lean principles across production; secure executive buy-in for changes.
• Oversee ERP deployment and integration of systems and reporting.
• Partner with Quality & Sanitation to uphold organoleptic and customer-facing standards.
• Develop capacity planning tools aligned to forecast and demand.

Skills

Senior leadership

Production management

Budgeting

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean manufacturing

Recruiting & coaching

Data-driven decision making

Forecasting

Communication skills

Regulatory compliance (cannabis)

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in operations/business

Tools

Google Sheets/Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Lazarus Naturals, headquartered in Portland, OR, seeks an experienced Senior Operations leader to drive production, packaging, and formulation initiatives. This role reports to the CEO and leads a multi-disciplinary team across planning, manufacturing, and quality functions.

You will develop strategic operations plans, manage capex and cost targets, and collaborate with finance to improve real-time performance metrics while ensuring regulatory compliance in cannabis operations.