Product Development Manager

Cronos is an innovative global cannabinoid company committed to building disruptive intellectual property by advancing cannabis research, technology, and product development. With a passion to responsibly elevate the consumer experience, Cronos is building an iconic brand portfolio. Cronos' diverse international brand portfolio includes Spinach®, PEACE NATURALS® and Lord Jones®. For more information about Cronos and its brands, please visit:
At Cronos Group, we hire talented people who thrive on solving difficult problems and give them the opportunity to hone new skills and approaches. If you want to play a part in shaping an innovative industry and help build a historically significant company, we want to meet you.
If you are a hands-on product development leader who can turn technical challenges into scalable commercial products, organize multidisciplinary projects, and develop a high-performing technical team, then this is the job for you. As the Product Development Manager - Pre-Roll, you will manage the team responsible for Derivative Flower, Pre-Roll, and Infused Pre-Roll development and lead projects from concept through commercialization. You will coordinate internal and external development work;
supervise scientists and technicians;
and partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, Consumer Insights, Finance, and external partners. The ideal candidate is technically rigorous, organized, collaborative, and able to balance hands-on development work with people and project leadership in a fast-paced environment.
This position is based out of Stayner, Ontario.
What you'll be doing:
Manage the Product Development team responsible for Derivative Flower, Pre-Roll, and Infused Pre-Roll product formats, including formulation and blend development, product performance, extract quality, finished product specifications, product renovations, line extensions, and new-to-market innovation.
Lead the day-to-day technical execution of Derivative Flower, Pre-Roll, and Infused Pre-Roll projects from concept through commercialization, scale-up, launch, post-launch optimization, and lifecycle management.
Represent Product Development in commercialization projects, drive technical decisions within the approved project scope, and maintain clear two-way communication between R&D and cross-functional business teams.
Translate consumer insights, business requirements, and technology-team outputs into development plans, testable product requirements, experiments, and technical recommendations.
Develop and communicate new products, cost-saving initiatives, quality improvements, and novel product attributes;
support business-case development and implementation when appropriate.
Manage technical inputs for business cases and Profit and Loss models, including Cost of Goods Sold, cannabinoid ratios, flower and extract selection, formulations and blends, process yields, manufacturing requirements, packaging, equipment needs, technical feasibility, and product risk.
Manage day-to-day laboratory and pilot work priorities;
directly supervise Product Development scientists and technicians;
and ensure work is completed safely, on schedule, within scope, and within budget.
Design, review, approve, and execute Product Development experiments, protocols, technical reports, product specifications, and formal development records;
communicate conclusionsand recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
Develop and optimize product formulations and blends, infusion and coating processes, paper, cone, and filter selection, fill-weight targets, physical integrity, burn behaviour, draw performance, and sensory attributes.
Define critical process parameters, critical quality attributes, manufacturing controls, and process limits for milling, blending, dosing, rolling, infusion, coating, and packaging operations.
Lead and coordinate technology transfer and scale-up activities with Manufacturing, Engineering, internal sites, and contract manufacturers, including production trials, troubleshooting, qualification or validation support, training, and technical documentation.
Support cross-border product launches and regional technology transfer by adapting products, processes, specifications, and technical documentation to local market requirements and manufacturing capabilities.
Develop, review, and approve specifications for cannabis inputs, extracts, ingredients, papers, cones, filters, work-in-progress or intermediate materials, finished goods, and packaging components.
Design, review, approve, and coordinate stability studies for durable dates, shipping conditions, real-time, accelerated, in-use, and other applicable product or market requirements.
Partner with Regulatory Affairs and Quality to ensure development activities comply with applicable cannabis regulations, internal quality standards, product-safety expectations, and market-specific requirements.
Manage Product Development activities within the Quality Management System, including Change Controls, CAPAs, Deviations, DMS documentation, technical assessments, product impact assessments, and implementation plans;
act as a technical subject-matter expert as required.
Ensure inventory traceability and administrative documentation for cannabis materials, development lots, samples, and production batches used in development, technology transfer, and scale-up activities.
Act as a technical contact for internal teams, contract manufacturers, contract research organizations, consultants, equipment suppliers, ingredient suppliers, packaging suppliers, and other external development partners.
Communicate project status, technical risks, commercialization readiness, roadblocks, mitigations, and acceleration opportunities to R&D leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
Support Product Development capacity planning, resource management, budgets, timelines, and operating cadences;
coach team members in technical judgment, project execution, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration.
Continually survey the cannabis, dried flower, pre-roll, infused pre-roll, CPG, packaging, manufacturing automation, and adjacent consumer product landscapes;
lead technical analysisand communicate relevant findings to the business.
Your Environment:
Able to work in laboratory, office, manufacturing, and production environments.
Able to work in varying temperatures and conditions, including manufacturing areas, laboratory spaces, and supplier or contract manufacturing sites.
Able to travel domestically and internationally to Cronos facilities, third-party manufacturers, suppliers, research partners, and other external locations for product development, technology transfer, scale-up, troubleshooting, audits, and technical consultations.
Able to conduct presentations for management, cross-functional teams, external partners, and technical peers.
Frequent time spent in a laboratory or production environment, including standing, walking, bending, crouching, and observing manufacturing or testing activities.
Office environment requiring manual dexterity and use of standard office equipment.
Busy office, laboratory, and manufacturing environments with frequent interruptions, changing priorities, and time-sensitive business needs.
Overtime as required.
You'll need to have:
Minimum bachelor's degree in science, engineering, food science, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, material science, or a related discipline;
graduate degree preferred.
Minimum 5 years of product development, process development, or manufacturing experience in cannabis or another regulated consumer-packaged goods industry;
cannabis experience is strongly preferred.
Minimum 4 years of direct people leadership experience, including experience managing scientists, technicians, or other technical team members.
Strong technical knowledge of Derivative Flower, Pre-Roll, and Infused Pre-Roll product development, including flower and extract inputs, blend and formulation design, infusion and coating technologies, paper and filter selection, product performance, manufacturing scale-up, specification development, product safety, and quality systems.
Strong working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements for cannabis products, derivative flower, pre-roll products, infused pre-roll products, consumer-packaged goods, and regulated manufacturing environments.
Experience supporting or leading cross-functional commercialization projects from concept through launch, including business case support, product development, scale-up, documentation, and post-launch optimization.
Experience leading technology transfer and scale-up activities with manufacturing teams, Engineering, contract manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and other external partners;
experience with pre-roll manufacturing equipment or automation is preferred.
Experience designing, reviewing, and approving experiments, stability studies, product specifications, process development studies, technical reports, and formal product development documentation.
Experience operating within GMP or comparable regulated quality environments and using QMS processes, including Change Controls, CAPAs, Deviations, DMS documentation, technical assessments, and product impact assessments.
Experience tracking materials, cannabis inventory, development lots, product samples, or production batches through LIMS, ERP, or comparable inventory systems;
SAP and Salesforce experience are assets.
Demonstrated ability to assess product safety, compliance quality, technical feasibility, manufacturing risk, and commercial trade-offs in a regulated product environment.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships across Product Development, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, Consumer Insights, Finance, and external partners.
Strong business acumen with the ability to connect technical decisions to Cost of Goods Sold, product margin, manufacturing strategy, supply continuity, product claims, and consumer experience.
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize team workload, manage multiple projects, maintain documentation, and deliver against timelines and budgets.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical information, project status, risks, and recommendations to management and non-technical stakeholders.
Highly independent and comfortable establishing objectives, leading complex projects, making technical decisions within the role's authority, and escalating to the Senior Director as needed.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
Salary range: $100,000 - $110,000 (Stayner, Ontario*) per year. The actual compensation offered will be based on factors such as the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, geographic location, applicable market data, internal equity, and business needs, and may vary within the stated range. This role may be eligible for bonus, incentive compensation, or other variable pay in accordance with applicable company plans.
Cronos does not use artificial intelligence or automated decision-making tools in the screening or selection of applicants.
We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, and we welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and people with diverse backgrounds, identities, and cultures. For candidates with disabilities, accommodations are available upon request in all phases of the selection process.
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