Senior Operations Manager (Cannabis Industry)

Job Title: Senior Operations Manager

Location: Boulder County, CO

Salary Range: $110,000 – $125,000

About the Company

Our client is a well-established, family-founded cannabis brand recognized for its commitment to quality, innovation, and product excellence. Originating in Colorado, the company has built a strong reputation as a premium market leader, with recent expansion into new markets.

With a robust portfolio spanning flower, live resin, and live rosin products, the organization is known for its proprietary genetics, deep product catalog, and consistent top-tier industry rankings. The team is passionate about craftsmanship, continuous improvement, and pushing the boundaries of cannabis production.

About the Role

Our client is seeking a strategic yet hands-on Senior Operations Manager to oversee post-production operations, including packaging, labeling, and finishing across multiple product lines (carts, concentrates, pre-rolls, and flower).

This role serves as a key link between production and downstream functions like inventory and fulfillment, ensuring finished goods are delivered with accuracy, consistency, compliance, and efficiency. You’ll lead a team of 30+ employees while driving performance, maintaining product quality, and aligning output with evolving business demands.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who thrives in fast-paced, regulated manufacturing environments and enjoys building teams, optimizing processes, and delivering operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 30+ employees across production, packaging, printing, and sanitation
• Manage frontline leadership, including Production Managers and Supervisors
• Oversee all post-production workflows from production handoff through final packaging and labeling
• Direct daily and weekly production scheduling to balance long-term planning with just-in-time production needs
• Monitor output against forecasts and adjust production in collaboration with planning teams
• Ensure packaging, labeling, printing, and sanitation operations meet productivity, quality, and safety standards
• Maintain accurate manufacturing documentation and ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements
• Align printing operations with packaging workflows, compliance needs, and production timelines
• Oversee sanitation programs, ensuring adherence to hygiene, safety, and changeover protocols
• Lead audit readiness efforts for OSHA, state regulatory bodies, and internal compliance standards
• Partner with Facilities to support equipment performance, preventative maintenance, and operational uptime
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, throughput, and cost control
• Track and report on KPIs such as throughput, labor utilization, yield, and schedule adherence
• Analyze operational data and implement improvements based on performance insights
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Compliance, Facilities, HR, Marketing, Inventory, and Fulfillment teams

What’s In It for You

• Opportunity to lead a large, high-performing operations team within a premium cannabis organization
• High-visibility role with direct impact on production, quality, and overall business performance
• Ownership over process improvement, team development, and operational strategy
• Collaborative, cross-functional environment with strong leadership support
• Ability to help scale and optimize operations within a growing company

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of experience in manufacturing or production operations (cannabis, food, or other regulated industries preferred)
• Proven experience managing teams across production, sanitation, or shift-based environments
• Strong understanding of sanitation protocols, food safety standards, and facility hygiene
• Working knowledge of OSHA and regulated manufacturing compliance standards
• Experience partnering with Facilities or Maintenance teams on equipment performance and preventative maintenance
• Familiarity with cannabis compliance/tracking systems is a plus
• Experience with scaling production, managing changeovers, and launching new products
• Background in process improvement, equipment optimization, and production flow design
• Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems and making data-driven decisions
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement experience strongly preferred
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills

Work Environment

This is an onsite role based in Boulder, CO, requiring regular time spent in production, packaging, and office settings. The position involves extended periods of standing and walking, as well as occasional bending, reaching, and lifting (up to ~40 lbs).

Flexibility is important, as occasional extended hours or weekend work may be required depending on production schedules and operational needs.

Benefits

The company offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees (30+ hours/week), including:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• HSA option (for eligible plans)
• Company-paid life and AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid time off
• 401(k) plan

Benefits typically become effective the first day of the month following 60 days of employment. Eligibility for the 401(k) plan begins after 90 days, subject to plan terms.

About Vangst:

Vangst is the cannabis industry’s hiring platform. Vangst helps cannabis companies find the talent they need to grow their business. From on-demand gig workers to trained & credential full-time employees, Vangst has built the industry’s go-to talent marketplace for all cannabis hiring. Vangst is proud to work with 1,200+ of the cannabis industry’s leading businesses.

Since raising their seed round in 2018, Vangst has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the cannabis industry and was recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.

Today, over 300,000 people have full-time jobs in the cannabis industry and this number is expected to triple over the next five years. Vangst is on a mission to fill every job in the cannabis industry.

Vangst’s headquarters is in Denver, CO. Vangst is a Series B company backed by Lerer Hippeau, Colle Capital, Level One Fund, Snoop Dogg’s Casa Verde Capital, and others.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Vangst provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.