Director, Cultivation, Systems & Crop Science

Role Summary

The Director of Cultivation Systems & Crop Science owns the national fertigation strategy, crop steering programs, cultivation technology platform, and fertigation infrastructure across all company cultivation facilities. This role is responsible for designing and standardizing strain-specific nutrient and irrigation programs, engineering and overseeing fertigation system buildouts, implementing and managing sensor-driven cultivation platforms (Aroya, Growlink, or equivalent), and leading facility-level fertigation teams.

This position serves as the bridge between plant science and cultivation technology, ensuring every facility operates on data-driven, scalable, and optimized growing protocols.

• Own and standardize the national fertigation program - including strain-specific nutrient formulations, feed schedules, EC/pH targets, and irrigation protocols across all facilities and growing media.
• Develop and implement crop steering strategies across the national footprint, standardizing generative and vegetative steering protocols through dry-back management, irrigation timing, EC ramps, and VPD coordination.
• Spec, design, and oversee the engineering and installation of fertigation systems across new builds and facility retrofits - including dosing equipment, reservoir systems, emitter layouts, plumbing, and controls.
• Own the national cultivation technology platform strategy, leading the integration, configuration, and optimization of Aroya, Growlink, or equivalent sensor and substrate monitoring systems across all facilities.
• Establish sensor deployment standards and ensure consistent data collection across facilities - including substrate moisture, EC, temperature, VPD, and dry-back metrics.
• Translate platform data into actionable cultivation decisions and SOPs, training facility teams to use real-time data for irrigation timing, steering adjustments, and environmental management.
• Own water quality strategy nationally - including source water testing, RO/filtration system specifications, and water treatment protocols by facility.
• Lead R&D trials on nutrient formulations, irrigation strategies, crop steering techniques, and new cultivation technologies, translating results into scalable SOPs.
• Partner with the National Cultivation Planning Manager to align fertigation and crop steering programs with the strain-mix plan, canopy schedule, and production timeline.
• Manage input procurement strategy for nutrients, additives, and fertigation supplies - optimizing cost, quality, and vendor relationships nationally.
• Manage and develop facility-level fertigation staff, building local technical capability while maintaining national program consistency.
• Partner with Facilities and Engineering teams on capital projects involving irrigation infrastructure, environmental controls, and cultivation technology installations.
• Manage fertigation and cultivation technology budgets, including capital expenditures for system buildouts and ongoing operational costs.
• Ensure all fertigation and crop steering practices comply with state regulations, quality standards, GMPs, and company SOPs.
• Travel to facilities to audit system performance, calibrate equipment, train teams, and oversee installations.
• Perform other related duties as required or assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Plant Science, Agricultural Engineering, or related field required. Master's degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience managing fertigation programs in commercial cannabis or controlled-environment agriculture.
• 3+ years of experience in a multi-site or national-scope role.
• Demonstrated experience with crop steering methodologies including dry-back management, generative/vegetative steering, and substrate-based irrigation strategies.
• Hands-on experience specifying, installing, or overseeing fertigation system buildouts - including dosing systems, reservoir design, and emitter infrastructure.
• Proficiency with Aroya, Growlink, or equivalent sensor-driven cultivation platforms.
• Strong understanding of plant nutrition, water chemistry, pH/EC management, and irrigation science across multiple…