R & D Manager

Brief Description

Oversee companywide applied cultivation research initiatives.
Design and execute cultivar trials and environmental trials.
Partner with Propagation, Cultivation, Processing, and Sales teams to establish research goals aligned with production and business objectives.
Maintain a centralized system for tracking trial data and results.
Collect, organize, and analyze plant performance data (yield, potency, vigor, plant health, and consistency).
Identify opportunities to improve quality, yield, and operational efficiency.
Translate research findings into actionable cultivation recommendations.
Present findings and recommendations to operational leadership and decision makers.
Standardize documentation and protocols for research across facilities.
Ensure projects remain on schedule and within defined scope.

Requirements

• 4–8+ years of commercial cannabis cultivation, horticulture, agronomy, greenhouse production, or production agriculture experience.
• Hands-on experience designing or running plant trials (cultivar testing, nutrient trials, propagation trials, environmental trials, or yield studies) in a commercial or academic setting.
• Experience collecting and interpreting plant performance data.
• Experience working cross-functionally with operations or production teams.
• Demonstrated ability to turn observations into practical operational improvements.

Strongly Preferred Experience

• Evaluating new genetics or cultivars for commercial production.
• Standardizing cultivation practices or SOPs across multiple rooms or facilities.
• Experience in multi-site or large-scale cultivation environments.
• Experience with environmental monitoring systems, irrigation systems, or cultivation software platforms.
• Experience working in regulated agriculture or regulated manufacturing environments.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Plant Science, Agronomy, Botany, Agriculture, Environmental Science, or a related field required.

Technical Knowledge & Skills

• Understanding of plant physiology and growth cycles.
• Nutrient management concepts (EC, pH, fertigation principles).
• Environmental control variables (lighting intensity, irrigation strategies, airflow, VPD concepts).
• Integrated Pest Management fundamentals.
• Data collection, documentation, and comparative analysis.
• Ability to clearly communicate findings to non-scientific operational teams.
• Proficiency with Excel or similar data analysis tools.

Helpful But Not Required

• Familiarity with METRC or regulated cultivation tracking systems.
• Experience building or maintaining research or cultivation databases.

Certifications (Nice to Have)

• Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) or related coursework.
• Greenhouse or commercial agriculture training.
• IPM or pest management coursework.
• OSHA safety training.

About the Company

Glass House Brands is a vertically integrated cannabis company operating cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations across California. As we continue to scale, we are strengthening how we use plant science and operational data to guide production decisions, cultivar selection, and product quality. We are building a structured research and development program that connects cultivation practices to measurable business outcomes. This role will help establish how research informs what we grow and how we grow it.

About The Role

We are seeking a Cannabis R&D Program Lead to design and execute applied cultivation research that directly influences production. This is a hands-on role working alongside cultivation, propagation, post-harvest, and commercial teams. This position is not a lab-only research role and not a documentation role. The individual in this role will run trials, analyze plant performance, and translate findings into operational recommendations leadership can act on. You will be responsible for creating a repeatable research program that evaluates genetics, environmental strategies, and cultivation techniques to improve yield, consistency, and quality across facilities.