The Role
The VP, Production owns the end-to-end conversion of finished biomass into sellable, compliant, high-quality cannabis products across flower packaging and pre-roll manufacturing. This leader is accountable for hitting output, cost, service, and quality targets while building a disciplined, execution-focused production organization grounded in lean manufacturing principles. This role has an enterprise-wide scope, overseeing production operations across all GTI sites. It sits at the center of GTI's manufacturing organization — connecting raw material readiness to finished goods availability — and is the primary driver of operational excellence and continuous improvement across all production functions and sites.
This is a remote position. Up to 50% travel to our production facilities is required.
Responsibilities
Drive Output & Execution
- Partner with Regional Operations Directors to drive and own weekly and daily production performance against plan; supporting site teams in executing shift-level targets through a structured Daily Management System
- Partner with Regional Operations Directors to drive conversion of WIP to finished goods (FG) and ensure lean flow through the network with minimal accumulation or aging inventory
- Partner with Regional Operations Directors to ensure teams are staffed and structured to hit targets; flex labor planning dynamically based on demand signals and schedule requirements
- Remove bottlenecks across pre-rolls and packaging through rapid escalation, cross-trained workforce deployment, and constraint-based scheduling
- Establish daily accountability routines anchored in visual management and standard work; ensure deviations are surfaced, investigated, and resolved within the same operational period
Own Cost, Efficiency & Continuous Improvement
- Collaborate with Regional Operations Directors to drive labor productivity across all production functions; track cost per unit as a primary operating KPI and establish improvement targets with clear line-of-sight ownership
- Partner with Regional Operations Directors and Regional Plant Controls to reduce cost per unit through standardization, process stability, and structured Kaizen activity
- Minimize waste, rework, and unplanned downtime through proactive maintenance partnerships and lean-based root cause analysis
- Lead structured OEE improvement programs across key production assets; report weekly and escalate when targets are missed
- Build and maintain an improvement pipeline — prioritized by impact — with active project ownership assigned at the director and manager level
Production Planning & Scheduling
- Direct the Primary Production Scheduler to develop and maintain executable, demand-driven production plans aligned to available materials and labor capacity; hold the role accountable to schedule quality, timeliness, and cross-functional alignment
- Ensure alignment between demand signals, raw material inventory, WIP, and production output through structured S&OP participation
- Hold teams accountable to schedule adherence; use pull-based scheduling logic to reduce WIP accumulation and improve finished goods predictability
- Coordinate with the Project Specialist, Production to manage capacity constraints, capital project sequencing, and operational improvement initiatives
Quality Leadership
- Oversee the Director of Quality to ensure consistent, embedded quality standards across all production operations
- Drive a right-first-time quality culture grounded in lean principles — prevention over inspection, standard work over heroics
- Ensure rapid deviation identification, root cause investigation, and corrective action closure across all production lines
- Maintain audit readiness across all production activities; treat every day as an inspection-ready state, not a periodic event
- Track and review quality KPIs at weekly leadership cadence
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner with Cultivation / Post Harvest to ensure material readiness, biomass quality standards, and timely handoffs into production
- Align with Supply Chain and Procurement on materials, packaging components, and supply constraints that impact production scheduling
- Coordinate and collaborate with Innovation and Commercial on product priorities, launch timing, and SKU mix changes that affect production planning
- Represent production in executive forums with clear, data-driven reporting on throughput, cost, quality, and improvement trajectory
Team & Organizational Leadership
- Build a high-accountability production and quality organization with clear role ownership, performance expectations, and operating rhythms
- Develop leaders across pre-rolls, packaging, scheduling, quality, and project management; focusing on lean capability development at all levels
- Create psychological safety for problem escalation and continuous improvement participation; reward structured problem solving over firefighting
- Build succession depth within the production organization; identify and develop internal talent as GTI scales
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing roles with high-growth company in cannabis, CPG, or related industry. Should include 5+ years management
- Lean expertise required; Lean Six Sigma certification strongly preferred (Green Belt or higher; Black Belt or higher preferred)
- Demonstrated track record of building and leading high-performing production organizations
- Hands-on experience implementing lean manufacturing systems
- Experience managing multi-function teams including quality, scheduling, and production
- Strong P&L and cost management capability; experience owning cost per unit and labor productivity targets
- Experience operating in a regulated manufacturing environment (cannabis, food & beverage, pharma, or CPG preferred)
- Familiarity with production scheduling systems and ERP/MES platforms
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to positively influence people at all levels in the organization
- Proven ability to manage numerous priorities, projects and resources remotely in a highly dispersed matrix organization.
- Strong business planning skills to execute strategic projects with implications for business areas with rapidly evolving business processes. Must possess a balanced perspective on strategic and tactical issues.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, operations or equivalent experience
Additional Requirements
- Must pass any and all required background checks
- Must be and remain compliant with all legal or company regulations for working in the industry
- Must possess valid driver’s license
- Must be a minimum of 21 years of age
- Must be approved by state badging agency to work in cannabis industry
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