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 opportunity to take on broader operational and leadership responsibility beyond cultivation.

Must-Have Requirements

- 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 environment.
- 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 transparent 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 Southern Australia facility, with occasional travel to industry events. Relocation & Visa support is available.

📌 Production Director (South Australia)
🏢 Emerald Lane Recruitment
📍 South Australia