Manager, Cultivation and Operations
 

Division: Science and Innovation
Job location: Comox, BC – Coast Facility
Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday

Employment type: Permanent full-time position onsite
 

A little about us

Hi, we’re Aurora Cannabis, and we’re so excited to meet you!

We’re a global cannabis company with operations across Europe and North and South America. We’re driven by our passion to help people improve their lives and have a diverse team who bring their best every day, so Aurora can be the cannabis provider of choice for patients and consumers.  We love our work, and we especially love our high quality, innovative brands that make up the Aurora family – from Aurora, Aurora Drift, San Rafael ’71, Greybeard and Whistler.

Our Breeding and Genetics program was established to provide the science, technical innovations and services that underpin the Aurora’s global cannabis production. We use modern plant breeding approaches to develop next generation cannabis varieties and genetics research to understand how this plant functions at a molecular level. Our research efforts allow Aurora to achieve more economical production, through higher yields, reduce pressure from disease and reduce inputs, and to produce higher value cannabis products that meet patient and consumer needs. Our plant science and breeding activities are focused at our Coast facility in Comox, British Columbia. This dedicated research facility includes over 10,000 square feet of laboratory/research space and a 22,500 square foot purpose designed greenhouse.  


Job summary
We’re searching for a dynamic leader to plant their roots with us as a Manager, Cultivation and Operations. In this role, you will lead our cultivation efforts and facility operations to deliver healthy plants that meet our breeding and R&D activities at Aurora. You will make strategic operational decisions, define priorities and mange multiple projects that help open the world to cannabis through innovation at our Coast Facility in Comox BC. Sound interesting? Here is a little more…

As the Manager, Cultivation and Operations you will focus on…

• Managing the Aurora Coast Facility to enable smooth and consistent delivery of new candidate cannabis varieties and deliver a globally competitive pipeline of genetics for our markets
• Ensuring a stable and reliable production environment to enable our breeding pipeline and other R&D activities
• Continuously improving the facility’s cultivation and operational systems to maintain important genetic resources
• Providing leadership to ensure successful outcomes and nurture a high-performing team of professionals

You will manage a diverse portfolio including... 
 

Cultivation management:

• Lead a team of cultivators, ensuring proper training, development, and performance management
• Oversee cultivation schedules, including planting, harvesting, and trimming, to meet the needs of Aurora’s Science and Innovation agenda
• Implement best practices for plant nutrition, pest management, and disease prevention
• Monitor and maintain optimal environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, lighting, etc.) in cultivation areas using Priva and manage risks to plant health
• Oversee nutrient, water and propagation management and the distribution of clones to Aurora’s network while facilitating production scale trials, initiating new mother stock and ensuring redundancy of key genetics assets
• Recommend, perform, and coordinate corrective actions such as the removal, isolation, or destruction of plants

Facility operations:

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Coast Facility including the maintenance and operations of control systems for cultivation and the facility including electrical, mechanical, and site management systems
• Supervise and lead the operations and maintenance team, ensuring proper training, development, and performance management
• Work with Aurora’s engineering, IT and security teams to manage maintenance activities using DIMO and other systems

Science and innovation:

• Collaborate with the R&D team to improve cultivation techniques and participate in the development of new cultivars and product lines to meet market demands
• Stay informed about industry trends, consumer preferences and demands, new cultivation technologies, and advancements in cannabis genetics

Process improvement:

• Evaluate cultivation processes and identify areas for improvement to optimize productivity and product quality based on data and KPIs

Reporting and administration:

• Maintain accurate records of cultivation activities, production metrics, and inventory levels and generate reports for leadership to track KPIs
• Collaborate with the Operational Finance team and broader Operations team to manage and adhere to Coast Facility budgets
• Monitor and control expenses related to cultivation and operations, optimizing resources without compromising quality of the work
• Ensure compliance with federal, provincial, and local regulations for cannabis production and storage including Health Canada license conditions
• Oversee the facility’s inventory control and record-keeping and collaborate with the Regulatory Affairs team, as well as regulatory agencies during inspections

Health and safety:

• Work with the Director, HSE to align health and safety programs with Aurora’s programs and policies and required legislations
• Champion health and safety practices in the facility, ensuring compliance with safety standards and protocols and implementation of SOPs

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Identify and implement sustainable cultivation practices to minimize environmental impact and introduce energy-efficient measures and waste reduction strategies, that align with ESG goals
   

You will be setup for success if you have…

• A Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Agriculture, Plant Science or related field
• Proven experience in cannabis cultivation, with a minimum of 5 years in a management and or a people-management role (we would also welcome an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience)
• In-depth knowledge of cannabis cultivation techniques, plant nutrition, and pest management and experience with commercial plant propagation in a greenhouse environment; experience with cannabis or hemp propagation and cultivation would be an asset
• Familiarity with modern greenhouse operational systems including irrigation, Priva, air handling, lighting, etc., and cannabis regulations and compliance requirements
• Excellent computer skills in MS Office, particularly with Outlook, Teams, Excel, and Word

You’re the ideal candidate because…

• You are a change champion with an analytical mindset who is always questioning the status quo, trying new things and leveraging data
• You are a detailed-oriented professional who takes pride in maintaining high quality practices and effective SOPs
• You are a natural leader who leads with empathy to coach others to success and nurture inclusive team dynamics
• You are a strong communicator who can leverage interpersonal skills to develop relationships and satisfy agendas

Life@Aurora.
With us, you'll find a place where you belong and love where you work with competitive compensation, stock options, RRSP matching, performance bonuses, remote-work, benefits, virtual happy hours, 420 celebrations and more! We will go above and beyond to prioritize your success and help you #GrowWithAurora. Learn more by visiting our Careers Page - Careers - Aurora Global Leader in Cannabis (auroramj.com)

Next steps
Apply today by submitting your resume through our website. You can expect your application to be reviewed by our Talent Acquisition Team and we will contact you if we see a fit via email.

Think you’re the ideal candidate but you don’t meet all the requirements? Apply anyways. We would love to review your application to see if you’re the right fit or find you an alternative opportunity. Not the role for you? Share this posting with your network while subscribing to our Talent Community to learn more about upcoming opportunities (hot tip: if you are an Aurora employee, take advantage of the employee referral program by sharing this posting with someone in your network! If they are the successful candidate, you may be eligible for a bonus!).

 

Diversity and inclusion
At Aurora, we are proud to foster and celebrate a diverse community of professionals! We take pride in nurturing an inclusive culture that empowers our people to be their authentic selves, celebrate their differences and love where they work.

Our diverse community combined with our inclusive culture, is what sets us apart in the industry and equips our A-Team with superpowers – and this is why, we encourage all candidates to apply for job opportunities regardless of race, national origin, colour, religion, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital and family status, disability, or any other identifying characteristic. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site or alternate format of job posting) during the recruitment and selection process, please do not hesitate to let our team know!

 

Health and safety

If applicable, Aurora Human Resources will contact you via your email address provided. We do not contact candidates over Facebook or other Social Media apps. You will never be requested to provide confidential information such as banking information or your Social Insurance Number in the interview process.


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