We are seeking an experienced Lab Manager to lead day-to-day operations within a cannabis extraction and manufacturing facility. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for overseeing a small extraction team while maintaining a strong focus on hydrocarbon extraction, product quality, production efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance.
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience operating and troubleshooting hydrocarbon extraction systems, with a strong understanding of the complete extraction workflow from biomass preparation and extraction through post-processing, filtration, solvent recovery, and finished-product preparation. This person should be comfortable working directly on the floor, developing team members, establishing SOPs, and driving consistent production results.
Key Responsibilities
Extraction & Production
- Lead daily cannabis extraction operations with a primary focus on hydrocarbon extraction.
- Operate, monitor, and troubleshoot hydrocarbon extraction equipment and associated systems.
- Oversee biomass preparation, extraction, filtration, solvent recovery, post-processing, and material handling.
- Optimize extraction processes for yield, potency, consistency, throughput, and product quality.
- Identify production bottlenecks and implement process improvements.
- Maintain accurate production records, batch documentation, and material tracking.
- Coordinate production schedules to ensure extraction targets are consistently achieved.
- Work closely with manufacturing and production leadership to support downstream products, including concentrates, vape products, and other cannabis-derived products.
- Supervise and develop a small team of extraction technicians.
- Establish daily priorities, production goals, and workflow expectations.
- Train employees on equipment operation, SOPs, safety procedures, and quality standards.
- Monitor team performance and provide coaching and feedback.
- Maintain a culture of accountability, cleanliness, safety, and continuous improvement.
Safety & Compliance
- Ensure all extraction activities are performed according to applicable state regulations, facility policies, SOPs, and safety requirements.
- Maintain strict adherence to hazardous-material handling and hydrocarbon safety procedures.
- Ensure equipment is operated within established specifications and safety parameters.
- Support inspections, audits, investigations, and corrective actions as needed.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and compliant laboratory/extraction environment.
- Partner with QA and Compliance teams to ensure batches meet established quality and regulatory requirements.
Process Improvement
- Develop, update, and implement extraction SOPs and work instructions.
- Evaluate equipment, processes, and workflows for opportunities to improve efficiency and consistency.
- Assist with equipment commissioning, maintenance, troubleshooting, and vendor relationships.
- Maintain appropriate preventative-maintenance and equipment documentation.
- Track key production metrics including yield, throughput, downtime, waste, and batch performance.
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years of professional cannabis extraction experience, with significant hands-on hydrocarbon extraction experience.
- Proven experience working with hydrocarbon extraction systems in a commercial cannabis environment.
- Strong understanding of extraction, solvent recovery, filtration, post-processing, and concentrate production.
- Previous experience supervising or leading a small production/extraction team.
- Strong understanding of laboratory and manufacturing safety practices.
- Experience working within a regulated cannabis environment and maintaining compliant documentation.
- Ability to troubleshoot equipment and identify process issues independently.
- Strong organizational and documentation skills.
- Comfortable working in a hands-on production environment.
- Ability to train, coach, and hold team members accountable.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with closed-loop hydrocarbon extraction systems.
- Experience with hydrocarbon systems utilizing butane, propane, or blended solvents.
- Experience producing live resin, cured resin, sauce, badder, shatter, or other hydrocarbon-derived concentrates.
- Experience with solvent recovery and post-extraction processing.
- Experience developing and implementing SOPs from the ground up.
- Familiarity with cannabis seed-to-sale tracking systems such as Metrc.
- Experience working with QA/QC teams and regulated batch-release processes.
- Familiarity with GMP, HACCP, or other quality-management systems.
- Technical degree, chemistry background, or relevant laboratory/manufacturing education is a plus.