Director of Cultivation

Full-time, Onsite

Australia (Visa Sponsorship & Relocation Support Offered)

Our client is a licensed Australian medicinal cannabis producer known for premium flower supplied to domestic and international medical markets. With a strong reputation for quality and clear plans for growth, the business is entering its next stage of development.

They are seeking a hands-on Head of Cultivation to run the facility and lead the cultivation team. Reporting to ownership, this leader will be accountable for flower quality, yield, cost, compliance, and day-to-day site performance, and will play a central role in shaping the operation as it scales. Beyond the facility, this leader will be a visible representative of the company across the industry.

This is an opportunity for an experienced cultivation leader from overseas to relocate to Australia and make a full-time, long-term commitment to the company. The role is designed to grow with the business: as operations expand, the Head of Cultivation will have the chance to take on broader operational and leadership responsibility beyond cultivation.

Must-Have Requirements

- Must hold a passport from Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, or France and meet the eligibility criteria for Australia's Visa (subclass 417).
- Willing to relocate to Australia and work full time onsite, with availability outside standard hours for critical cultivation activities or operational issues.
- 10+ years of professional work experience, including 5+ years managing regulated commercial indoor cannabis cultivation, or closely related controlled-environment horticulture, with a proven record of high-quality production.
- Cultivation leadership experience within a legal, licensed, GACP-regulated medical cannabis operation supplying the global medical cannabis market.
- Experience with multi-tier indoor growing and perpetual harvest systems.
- Working knowledge of GACP and GMP standards and how to apply them in a cultivation setting.
- Ability to meet Australian visa and immigration requirements, as well as the employment, security, and regulatory requirements for working in a licensed Australian medicinal cannabis facility.

Key Responsibilities

Cultivation Performance

- Oversee cultivation from propagation through harvest and post-harvest, planning crops to meet production forecasts, harvest schedules, and sales commitments.
- Deliver consistent premium flower quality and yield across rooms, genetics, and crop cycles, using crop data to improve results and reduce losses.
- Run a lean, efficient, low-touch cultivation program that protects quality while keeping labour requirements under control.
- Work hands-on on the floor, solving problems directly when environment, airflow, irrigation, or plant health need attention.

Plant Health, Quality & R&D;

- Manage plant health, pest and disease prevention, hygiene, and post-harvest quality,



investigating problems early and fixing root causes.
- Run documented trials to assess genetics, growing methods, and technology, including genetic selection and the introduction of new cultivars.
- Use measurable trial results to guide improvements, and obtain internal approval for significant changes.

Facility, Systems & Cost Management

- Keep facility systems reliable, including HVAC, irrigation, fertigation, lighting, and automation, with inspection and preventative maintenance routines and coordinated contractor repairs.
- Manage labour, inputs, energy, and equipment costs against budget, reducing cost per gram without compromising quality.
- Recommend equipment and infrastructure investments where the benefit is clear, and contribute to planning for future capacity growth.

Compliance, Quality Systems & Safety

- Meet applicable legislation, licence and permit conditions, SOPs, and quality requirements.
- Maintain accurate crop records, traceability, security, waste controls, and inventory reconciliation.
- Operate to GACP standards and strengthen systems and documentation to support the business's progression toward GMP.
- Maintain a safe workplace, support audits and inspections, and report and investigate incidents and deviations, following through on corrective and preventative actions.

Team Leadership, Reporting & Industry Presence

- Lead, train, and develop the cultivation team, setting clear expectations and reviewing performance.
- Organise staffing, handovers, and coverage for weekends, leave, peak harvest periods, and critical work, including casual and labour-hire support.
- Build practical SOPs and reliable routines, sharing knowledge openly so the team's capability continues to grow.
- Keep ownership informed of quality, yields, forecasts, costs, and risks, raising issues early with recommended actions and resources needed.
- Represent the company externally at industry events, conferences, and partner meetings, speaking to its cultivation program and supporting sales and brand initiatives.

Qualifications

Required

- 10+ years of professional cultivation experience, including 5+ years in regulated commercial indoor cannabis cultivation management or closely related controlled-environment horticulture, with a record of high-quality production at scale.
- Experience with multi-tier indoor growing and perpetual harvest systems, plus strong knowledge of plant physiology, nutrition, irrigation, environmental control, and crop protection.




- Demonstrated experience leading teams, managing budgets and labour, and using crop data to improve quality and yield.
- Experience in a legal, licensed, GACP-regulated medical cannabis cultivation facility supplying the global medical cannabis market, with a working knowledge of GMP/EU-GMP.
- Experience running efficient operations in hands-on, less automated facilities, not only turnkey or highly automated sites.
- Strong planning, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to build practical SOPs and reliable routines.
- A hands-on, proactive approach: takes responsibility for results, deals with problems early, and works well with the team and external specialists.
- Positive energy, a collaborative mindset, and a genuine willingness to share knowledge and develop others.
- Confidence representing the company externally, including at industry events and with commercial partners.

Nice to Have

- Experience cultivating medical-grade cannabis for export to EU-GMP international medical markets.
- Experience with genetic selection, phenohunting, cultivar optimisation, and documented R&D; trials.
- Knowledge of advanced environmental controls, fertigation, lighting, and automation.
- Post-secondary qualification in horticulture, agronomy, plant science, or a related field.

Location & Travel: This role is based onsite, full-time at their Australia facility, with occasional travel to industry events. Relocation & Visa support is available. Must meet the eligibility criteria for Australia's Visa (initially subclass 417).

Equal Opportunity Statement

Emerald Lane Recruitment is committed to advancing equity and inclusion across the global cannabis industry. We proudly support our clients in building teams that reflect the full diversity of the communities they serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Please Note: At Emerald Lane Recruitment, we truly appreciate every application we receive. Due to the high volume of interest in our roles, our team will carefully review all submissions and contact candidates whose skills and experience align with the requirements of the position. We are committed to ensuring a fair, inclusive, and respectful recruitment process that adheres to global HR best practices. If you don’t hear from us this time, please know that your application will be kept on file for future opportunities that may be a better fit. Thank you for considering a role with us!

Looking to explore a new job in the global cannabis industry? Find all our active roles at https://emeraldlanerecruitment.com/

📌 Director of Cultivation (Australia)
🏢 Emerald Lane Recruitment
📍 Australia