Head of Cultivation

Commercial Indoor Cannabis Cultivation | Portland, Oregon Area

Location: On-site, Portland, Oregon area
Company Name: A Cut Above 
Employment: Full-time
Compensation: $83,900–$102,000 annually, based on qualifications and demonstrated experience
Reports to: Ownership

About the Opportunity

We are an established, expanding commercial indoor cannabis cultivation operation seeking an experienced, hands-on Head of Cultivation to lead our garden, develop our team, and take ownership of consistent, high-quality production.

We have invested significantly in the infrastructure necessary to support precision indoor cultivation, including automated fertigation, Growlink environmental controls and substrate monitoring, substantial HVAC and dehumidification capacity, supplemental CO₂, overhead and under-canopy lighting, and coco-based production systems.

Our goal is to maximize the potential of our facility through disciplined cultivation practices, intelligent use of technology, strong leadership, and repeatable execution.

We are looking for more than an experienced grower.

We need a cultivation leader who understands plant science, knows how to interpret data, can troubleshoot complex production challenges, and has the leadership skills to build a team that consistently delivers exceptional results.

The right candidate will combine deep technical knowledge with sound operational judgment, accountability, and a genuine passion for growing outstanding cannabis.

Position Overview

The Head of Cultivation will be responsible for the overall performance of our indoor cultivation operation, including crop health, cultivation strategy, environmental management, team leadership, operational systems, production planning, and continuous improvement.

This individual will work directly with ownership and our existing facilities manager to ensure that our cultivation practices, equipment, and personnel operate cohesively and efficiently.

Success in this role requires balancing four essential priorities:

• Quality: Consistently producing healthy, premium cannabis that meets established quality standards and market expectations.

• Consistency: Developing reliable cultivation practices that deliver predictable, repeatable results across production rooms and harvest cycles.

• Efficiency: Maximizing the performance of our facility, personnel, and resources while maintaining responsible operating costs.

• Leadership: Building a knowledgeable, accountable cultivation team that follows established standards and takes pride in the quality of its work.

Key Responsibilities

1. Cultivation Strategy & Crop Performance

• Take ownership of crop health, development, uniformity, and performance throughout all assigned stages of production.

• Develop, implement, and continuously refine cultivation strategies based on plant physiology, genetics, environmental conditions, substrate behavior, and measurable production outcomes.

• Manage crop-steering strategies using substrate moisture, EC, dryback trends, irrigation data, environmental information, and direct plant observations.

• Establish appropriate cultivation protocols for different cultivars and stages of development.

• Monitor plant development through daily inspections, identifying and correcting nutritional, irrigation, environmental, pest, and disease issues.

• Implement proactive integrated pest management, sanitation, and crop-health programs.

• Evaluate harvest results and use findings to improve flower quality, consistency, yield, and overall crop performance.

• Identify root causes of underperformance and implement documented corrective actions.

2. Environmental Controls, Irrigation & Fertigation

• Independently program, operate, optimize, and troubleshoot automated cultivation systems, including Growlink or comparable platforms.

• Develop and maintain crop-stage environmental and irrigation programs, including schedules, rules, alerts, and control strategies.

• Manage fertigation systems, including nutrient formulation and preparation, stock solutions, dosing accuracy, feed verification, irrigation delivery, and runoff monitoring.

• Optimize environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, VPD, CO₂, airflow, and lighting, based on crop stage, plant response, and facility capabilities.

• Verify sensor accuracy, maintain calibration procedures, and identify inconsistencies between programmed settings and actual equipment performance.

• Analyze environmental and substrate data to anticipate crop needs, identify problems, and make informed adjustments.

• Work collaboratively with the facilities manager to troubleshoot equipment issues, coordinate preventative maintenance, and improve system reliability.

3. Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to cultivation personnel.

• Establish clear expectations, daily priorities, work assignments, and standards of execution.

• Develop, train, and mentor employees to improve technical knowledge, productivity, consistency, and accountability.

• Ensure cultivation tasks are completed accurately, efficiently, and on schedule.

• Conduct regular staff check-ins, provide constructive feedback, address performance concerns, and identify opportunities for employee development.

• Foster a professional, organized, collaborative working environment centered on quality, safety, continuous improvement, and shared accountability.

• Support staffing plans, scheduling, hiring, and performance evaluations in coordination with ownership.

4. SOP Development & Operational Excellence

• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive standard operating procedures for recurring cultivation activities.

• Establish clear protocols for irrigation, nutrient mixing, environmental monitoring, sampling, calibration, sanitation, crop observations, equipment checks, and other critical production processes.

• Create practical training materials and ensure staff understand and consistently follow established procedures.

• Monitor SOP adherence, identify inefficiencies, and implement improvements based on operational data and outcomes.

• Maintain accurate room records, crop-stage documentation, system changes, corrective actions, and cultivation performance reports.

• Build reliable operating practices that reduce variability and maintain consistency regardless of which employees are performing daily tasks.

5. Production Planning, Quality & Performance Management

• Coordinate cultivation schedules and room transitions to support consistent, predictable harvest cycles.

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators, including crop uniformity, harvest yield, sellable flower quality, production consistency, crop loss, and resource efficiency.

• Evaluate cultivation performance against established quality and production objectives.

• Communicate anticipated harvest schedules, projected output, risks, and production challenges to ownership.

• Analyze harvest data to identify opportunities for improved plant performance, product quality, labor utilization, and cost efficiency.

• Collaborate with ownership to establish realistic production targets and improvement priorities.

• Maintain a disciplined approach to resource utilization, supply planning, labor efficiency, and the economics of indoor cultivation.

6. Compliance, Safety & Quality Assurance

• Ensure cultivation activities comply with applicable Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) requirements and internal policies.

• Oversee accurate cultivation-related tracking, documentation, and METRC workflows within the scope of the role.

• Maintain appropriate procedures for plant inventory, harvest documentation, waste handling, sanitation, and production records.

• Establish preventative practices to minimize contamination, crop loss, and avoidable testing failures.

• Maintain safe working conditions and promote proper equipment handling, sanitation, and workplace safety practices.

• Work with ownership and designated compliance personnel to identify and address potential compliance risks.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum [5+] years of commercial indoor cannabis cultivation experience, including substantial responsibility for crop performance.

• Minimum [2–3+] years of cultivation team leadership or management experience.

• Demonstrated experience operating commercial indoor cultivation environments with automated fertigation, advanced environmental controls, supplemental CO₂, and high-intensity lighting.

• Strong understanding of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, substrate management, irrigation science, environmental management, and plant response.

• Hands-on experience with coco-based cultivation and data-informed crop steering.

• Demonstrated ability to independently program, operate, and troubleshoot automated irrigation and environmental control systems.

• Proven ability to diagnose plant-health and production problems, identify root causes, and implement effective corrective actions.

• Experience developing and implementing practical SOPs and training staff to execute them consistently.

• Ability to manage competing production priorities, communicate effectively, and maintain organized documentation.

• Demonstrated experience leading employees, establishing accountability, and maintaining operational standards.

• Understanding of commercial cultivation performance metrics and the relationship between flower quality, production volume, efficiency, and profitability.

• Relevant horticultural education, technical training, or equivalent demonstrated commercial cultivation expertise.

• Ability to meet applicable OLCC marijuana worker permit requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct Growlink experience, including environmental programming, crop-stage blueprints, irrigation strategies, substrate sensors, alerts, and troubleshooting.

• Formal education in horticulture, plant science, agronomy, crop science, controlled-environment agriculture, or a related field.

• Experience overseeing multiple flowering rooms at different stages of production.

• Documented improvements in cultivation yield, flower quality, production consistency, or operating efficiency.

• Experience implementing integrated pest management and preventative crop-health programs.

• Knowledge of Oregon cannabis compliance requirements and METRC plant and harvest workflows.

• Experience managing cultivation labor, production schedules, resource utilization, and operating budgets.

• Experience successfully scaling a cultivation operation or improving an established facility's performance.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Head of Cultivation will establish a garden that operates with precision, consistency, and accountability.

Within the first several months, we expect the right candidate to demonstrate a strong understanding of our facility, equipment, team, and existing cultivation practices, identify meaningful opportunities for improvement, and implement a practical plan for measurable progress.

Long-term success will be demonstrated through:

• Consistently healthy, uniform, high-quality crops.

• Predictable harvest schedules and reliable production outcomes.

• Strong environmental, irrigation, and crop-steering execution.

• Reduced preventable crop loss and production variability.

• Clearly documented and consistently followed SOPs.

• A well-trained, organized, accountable cultivation team.

• Timely reporting, proactive problem-solving, and transparent communication.

• Continuous improvements in flower quality, sellable production, and operational efficiency.

The Ideal Candidate

You are a highly capable cultivator who understands that producing exceptional cannabis requires both scientific knowledge and disciplined execution.

You are comfortable working directly with plants, but you also know how to lead people, develop systems, and make decisions that support the long-term success of a commercial operation.

You are analytical without losing touch with what the plants are telling you.

You know how to distinguish a temporary symptom from an underlying problem, and you can explain not only what adjustments you are making, but why.

You take ownership of results, communicate openly, follow through on commitments, and understand that an excellent garden is built through consistent execution, not occasional extraordinary harvests.

Most importantly, you bring both the expertise and the leadership to help an established operation reach its full potential.

Work Environment & Expectations

This is a hands-on, on-site leadership position requiring regular time in cultivation rooms, active oversight of production systems, and direct engagement with staff.

The position includes coordination of weekend and time-sensitive cultivation coverage, with scheduling and emergency-response expectations established in advance.

The Head of Cultivation will work closely with ownership and the facilities manager while maintaining responsibility for cultivation decisions and execution within established authority.

How to Apply

We're looking for an experienced cultivation leader who combines technical expertise, strong leadership, and a proven track record of producing exceptional cannabis.

To apply, please submit:

• Your resume highlighting relevant commercial cultivation and leadership experience.

• A brief introduction sharing your experience, the scale of operations you've managed, and why you're interested in this opportunity.

Qualified candidates will be contacted for an initial conversation to discuss their technical background, leadership experience, and approach to cultivation management.

We look forward to connecting with individuals who share our commitment to quality, consistency, and operational excellence.