Post Harvest Manager

• Health/Vision/Dental insurance coverage.
• 401k
• Employee discounts
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Paid sick time

Summary of the Role:

The Post-Harvest Manager owns post-harvest operations from dry-room handoff (after the Harvest Team hangs plants) through cure release to the Production Manager. This role determines takedown timing based on moisture content (MC) and water activity (aw) specs, then leads dry-room takedown, bucking, trimming (hand and machine), and cure program execution to deliver in-spec, on-time flower for packaging. The Post-Harvest Manager drives throughput, quality, compliance, worker safety, and cost efficiency with audit-ready documentation and tight cross-functional alignment.

Key Responsibilities:

Dry-Room Oversight & Takedown Timing

• Monitor dry-room environmental conditions and dry-down progress; coordinate with Cultivation/Harvest to prioritize rooms and strains; confirm readiness using MC/aw measurements, visual/tactile checks, and run cards.
• Plan and lead takedown crews; stage bins/liners/sanitation supplies; maintain chain-of-custody and accurate room/lot tracking; record weights and grades and reconcile variances same shift.

Bucking & Trimming Operations

• Lead bucking to spec (branch selection, contamination control) and route material by grade/use (top colas, smalls, trim) to meet quality and yield targets.
• Manage hand-trim and machine-trim operations (setups, blade/screen changes, sanitation, QC pulls); maintain throughput and trim loss % within target.
• Implement inline QC (foreign matter checks, visual grade standards, weight checks); document and correct issues before cure.

Cure Program Management

• Oversee jar/bin cure cycles: burping/tumbling cadence, RH control, aroma development, and stabilization; ensure lots remain segregated and labeled throughout.
• Maintain cure logs (dates, RH, temp, aw/MC checks) and release criteria; hold lots that miss criteria, escalate to QA as needed, and communicate expected release timing to the Production Manager.

Cure Release & Handoff to Production Manager

• Execute lot release from cure to the Production Manager: confirm release criteria, provide grade mix and weights, and ensure COA linkage and labels are correct for downstream packaging.
• Stage and transfer released lots using approved containers and tracking movements; communicate constraints, substitutions, or holds early to protect packaging schedules.

Continuous Improvement & Cost Control

• Drive labor efficiency and flow (standard work, 5S, line balancing, takt-based staffing); monitor productivity KPIs and implement countermeasures to hit plan.
• Own loss reduction initiatives (trim loss, foreign matter, over-dry events) and equipment uptime improvements; partner with Maintenance on PMs and quick-turn repairs to minimize downtime.

Documentation, Traceability & Compliance

• Maintain batch records (takedown, buck/trim, cure), sanitation logs, scale calibrations, and variance/hold investigations; keep records audit-ready.
• Ensure accurate movements and reconciliations in internal systems and the state-mandated tracking system; support audits/inspections with complete lot genealogy.

People Leadership & Training

• Hire, schedule, and coach Post-Harvest Leads & Technicians; run start-/end-of-shift huddles; maintain a skills matrix (takedown, buck, hand-trim, machine-trim, cure).
• Train to SOPs (sanitation, PPE, ergonomics, machine safety) and quality standards; conduct performance reviews and corrective coaching; escalate HR issues appropriately.

Safety, Sanitation & Equipment Care

• Enforce PPE, hygiene, foreign-matter control, and ergonomic best practices; stop work and correct hazards immediately.
• Own room and equipment sanitation frequencies; coordinate with Maintenance on PMs for trimmers, tumblers, racks, scales, and RH/aw meters; ensure guarding and lockout/tagout practices are followed.

Planning & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Build the weekly post-harvest schedule from Cultivation’s harvest plan and QA releases; align staffing and room capacity (dry, trim, cure) to demand.
• Partner with the Production Manager on packaging priorities and release cadence; coordinate with QA on holds/releases and with Logistics on vault intake timing for packaged goods.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• ·       3+ years in cannabis post-harvest or food/CPG production leadership; cannabis post-harvest strongly preferred.
• ·       Demonstrated expertise in drying oversight, takedown, bucking, trimming (hand & machine), and curing; strong understanding of MC/aw and aroma preservation.
• ·       Strong documentation and lot-traceability discipline; comfortable with scales, labels, and electronic/state tracking systems.
• ·       People leadership with proven results in throughput, quality, and safety; able to coach, develop, and hold teams accountable.
• ·       Basic mechanical aptitude with post-harvest equipment; Excel/Sheets and KPI dashboard fluency.

Physical and Environmental Requirements:

• Ability to work up to 10 hours a day and rotating shifts.
• Ability to bend/stoop/kneel/reach up to 90% of the workday.
• Ability to climb a ladder.
• Flexible schedule availability including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to lift, push, and pull 75 pounds.
• Ability to sit, squat, bend, and kneel repetitively throughout a workday.
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time.
• Extended computer usage.
• Comfortable being under constant video surveillance.
• Work environments that include exposure to, but not limited to fumes, dust, odors, heights, indoor AC, no AC, motion, and noise.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, or because of liability for service in the armed forces of the United States or the nationality of any individual, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.