Technical Manager, Product Innovation (Vape, Concentrates, Specialty products)

Green Thumb•Chicago, IL

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Green Thumb, continuous innovation is a key focus area as we seek to create the best product experiences for our consumers. As the Technical Manager, Product Innovation – Vape, Concentrates, Specialty products you will play a critical role in bringing our innovation strategy to life within our vape and concentrates categories. You’ll bring bold, new-to-world concepts from idea to launch and support your team to drive the expansion of existing product lines across markets. This role requires strong project and people management skills, collaborative execution, a continuous improvement mindset, and strong technical knowledge of extraction methods, oil specifications, and vape hardware components, as we seek to deliver products that both delight our consumers and strengthen our market position. This is a hybrid role, requiring 2 days per week in our Chicago office. You will also be asked to travel to our production facilities on a periodic basis (~1x/quarter).

Requirements

3+ years of EITHER: 1) Cannabis lab/R&D experience – with a focus on extraction OR 2) Cannabis/nicotine vape hardware development experience
People management experience, including supervising, coaching, and developing direct reports
Strong technical knowledge of extraction methods, oil specifications, and vape hardware components; must be able to participate in highly technical conversations with both internal and external stakeholders and translate technical details effectively to our commercial, leadership, and downstream production teams
Demonstrated ability to balance multiple priorities and projects simultaneously
Strong detail orientation and organizational skills
Ability to navigate ambiguity and remain focused and positive amidst shifting priorities
Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization, including our executive team
Strong product acumen and cannabis knowledge
Strong understanding of project management methodologies (formal certification like PMP a plus)
Proficiency with basic Microsoft Office required; proficiency with project management tools, including Microsoft Suite, MS Project, etc., a plus
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

Responsibilities

Support the development of a multi-year innovation pipeline, grounded in category and consumer insights, industry trends, and local market needs
Own the full innovation process for all new vape and concentrates products; successful project delivery will include full implementation from project initiation to launch
Work collaboratively with your Director, Product Innovation – Smokable, Specialty to establish the business case and technical brief for all new innovation projects.
Drive a clear and consistent feedback loop with Product Development to ensure alignment, transparency, and progress throughout the product development process.
Develop launch timelines and track projects throughout the product launch process, inclusive of risk assessments and performance metrics
Lead the cross-functional development of new packaging structures, including the briefing process, coordination of feedback, and approvals with key stakeholders
Partner with Brand Marketing to ensure seamless transitions of creative deliverables throughout the new product development process
Collaborate effectively with our VP, Extraction & Formulation on new product concepts and the overall development process, including highly technical extraction processes and both oil and hardware specifications
Deliver highly technical feedback to external vape hardware manufacturers AND translate back in simplified terms to the broader team
Extrapolate highly technical data and specifications to inform overall product and project plans
Work directly with our production sites to ensure operational readiness ahead of launch
Support Technical Associates, Product Innovation – Vape, Concentrates, Specialty on the execution of all market expansion projects inclusive of business cases, market-specific formulations, packaging, and overall product launch process
Understand all state-specific regulations impacting both formulations and packaging.
Coach, develop, and manage a team of Technical Associates, Product Innovation – Vape, Concentrates, Specialty