Cannabis Lab & Extraction Manager

Vireo Health

Cannabis Lab & Extraction Manager

Otsego & Elk River, MN - Full Time

Who we are:

What the role is about:

What impact you'll make:

• Manage day-to-day lab operations, including scheduling, staffing, and workflow across extraction, distillation, formulation, and kitchen teams.

• Oversee ethanol extraction operations, including solvent recovery, winterization, and filtration, ensuring yield, quality, and safety targets are consistently met.

• Direct distillation processes using wiped film and short path systems to produce high-purity distillate that meets product specifications.

• Lead formulation development and execution for finished goods, including vape carts, edibles, tablets, tinctures, balms, and oral solutions.

• Develop, validate, and maintain SOPs for all extraction, distillation, and formulation processes, ensuring consistency, repeatability, and regulatory compliance.

• Maintain accurate batch records, equipment logs, and inventory of solvents, raw materials, and finished intermediates in compliance with state cannabis regulations and seed-to-sale tracking requirements.

• Manage preventive maintenance, calibration, and qualification of lab equipment, including extractors, rotary evaporators, wiped film and short path units, homogenizers, and filling equipment.

• Ensure lab safety, including ethanol handling, C1D2 compliance, PPE use, and emergency response readiness.

• Train, mentor, and evaluate lab technicians. Build technical depth across the team and drive a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

• Identify and implement process improvements to increase yield, reduce cycle time, and lower cost per unit across the lab.

• Other duties as assigned.

What you've accomplished:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related scientific field; advanced degree preferred. Equivalent professional experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in cannabis, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, or food-grade extraction and manufacturing, with at least 1 year in a lab leadership role.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, is required.

• Demonstrated expertise in ethanol extraction and downstream processing (winterization, decarboxylation, solvent recovery).

• Hands-on operating experience with wiped film and short path distillation systems; able to troubleshoot, optimize, and validate runs.

• Strong formulation experience across multiple product formats, including vape carts, edibles, tablets, tinctures, and oral solutions.

• Proven ability to author and maintain SOPs, batch records, and validation protocols.

• Strong understanding of analytical methods and how to interpret COAs to make production decisions.

• Experience with seed-to-sale systems (METRC) preferred.

• Demonstrated leadership: hiring, training, performance management, and developing technical talent.

• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively across teams.

• Excellent attention to detail and a continuous improvement mindset focused on safety, quality, execution, and teamwork.

• Must be 21+ and able to pass a state-required background check for cannabis industry employment.

What We Offer:

• Compensation: $80,000-85,000 annually depending on experience
• Relocation may be considered on a case by case basis depending on experience level
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance on the first of the month after you begin employment
• Competitive additional benefits including HSA, FSA, Dependable Care, EAP services, etc.
• 11 Days of accrued PTO in addition to 2 Wellness Days & Volunteer Hours that will increase with tenure
• 401k program with an employer match after six months of employment

Why Choose Vireo?

• A Growing Industry:

• Passionate Culture:

• Employee Perks:

• Making an Impact:

EEO Statement