Director of Research & Development

Brief Description

Establish the long-term R&D roadmap; determine how new cultivars are evaluated and approved; create a repeatable phenohunting and selection process; guide decisions on propagation strategy and tissue culture utilization; influence production efficiency and product quality; advise executive leadership on technology adoption and capital investment.

• Scientific Leadership & Infrastructure:
  Lead and manage Genetics, Testing, Tissue Culture, and R&D teams; build laboratory capabilities including testing and tissue culture operations (design, compliance, staffing, SOPs, and workflow); establish research governance, documentation standards, and quality systems; develop departmental budgets and capital plans
• Research Design & Execution:
  Design scientifically sound experiments addressing cultivation, propagation, and production questions; lead cultivar trials, phenohunts, and performance validation; evaluate growing methods, biological inputs, and post-harvest impacts; implement standardized research protocols and data collection procedures; oversee statistical review and interpretation of results
• Data & Decision Science:
  Develop systems for centralized research data collection and analytics; convert plant performance data into actionable operational recommendations; present findings and recommendations to executive leadership and operational teams; provide scientific justification for production, financial, and capital decisions
• Cross-Functional Integration:
  Align R&D priorities with cultivation, operations, and commercial objectives; serve as the bridge between science and operational execution; partner with Finance on ROI-based project evaluation; advise leadership on future technologies, genetics strategy, and scaling opportunities
• Performance & Quality Optimization:
  Improve cultivar performance, consistency, yield, and plant health; establish validation protocols before operational rollout; implement continuous improvement and quality assurance programs
• Team Development:
  Recruit, mentor, and develop scientists and technical staff; build a culture of scientific rigor, experimentation, and accountability; create clear performance standards and development pathways for the technical team

Required Experience

• 8–15+ years in cannabis, horticulture, plant science, agriculture, greenhouse production, or plant biotechnology
• Experience designing and leading applied research programs tied to production environments
• Experience leading technical teams or laboratories
• Experience evaluating genetics, propagation strategies, or cultivar performance
• Demonstrated experience translating research into operational improvements

Strongly Preferred

• Cannabis cultivation science leadership experience
• Tissue culture or plant propagation program oversight
• Experience building or scaling lab or research infrastructure
• Experience supporting multi-site or large-scale production
• Experience in regulated industries (agriculture, food production, pharmaceuticals, or biotech)

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Plant Science, Horticulture, Agronomy, Botany, Biology, Agricultural Science, or related field required.
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) strongly preferred but not required if equivalent applied industry leadership experience is present.

Technical Knowledge

• Plant physiology and cultivation systems
• Phenotyping and cultivar evaluation
• Propagation and tissue culture fundamentals
• Environmental controls and crop steering concepts
• Experimental design and comparative analysis
• Data interpretation and reporting to non-technical audiences

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to influence operations and executive leadership
• Balances scientific rigor with operational practicality
• Strategic thinker with hands-on problem-solving ability
• Strong communicator capable of translating technical findings into business impact

Supervisory Responsibility

This role leads all company research, genetics, and laboratory functions including scientists, lab staff, and technical specialists.

Glass House Brands is expanding its scientific capabilities across cultivation, genetics, and propagation. We are building an integrated research program…