Implementation Specialist - Preroll
Green Thumb · Chicago
The Role
The Implementation Specialist – Preroll serves as a technical expert for all preroll manufacturing processes, equipment, and best practices. This role drives process optimization, supports process development, and ensures consistent operational excellence across manufacturing sites through training, documentation, and hands-on support. By partnering closely with production teams, this position resolves technical challenges and elevates performance across the network.
*Strongly prefer candidates based in North East region of USA, but is not a requirement. Candidate must be within driving distance of a major international airport and be willing to travel 2-3x a month for up to 4 day stints*
Essential Functions
Technical Expertise:
- Extensive working knowledge on prerolls (flower, infused, blunts, coated prerolls & ct) manufacturing process and processing equipment.
- Stay up to date with the latest advancements in preroll production technologies and best practices.
- Provide expert guidance to manufacturing sites on preroll processing methods, equipment, and techniques to optimize production processes.
- Address and resolve technical issues, equipment malfunctions, and unexpected challenges in preroll production.
Process Improvement:
- Continuously assess and improve processing methods and operations for efficiency improvements, cost effectiveness, and product quality.
- Recommend and implement process enhancements and automation where applicable.
- Instill optimized processes at manufacturing sites and challenge the status quo.
- Assist in benchtop R&D studies for new preroll product development and continuous improvement initiatives by conducting time studies, cycle time analyses, and process audits to evaluate operational efficiency, optimize production workflows, and ensure new products are commercially and economically viable prior to launch.
- Manage and maintain electronic batch records across multiple sites, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with operational and regulatory requirements; train sites personnel in electronic batch record processes, responsibilities, and best practices to support consistent documentation and execution standards.
Training & Education:
- Provide training and guidance to production teams on product Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), best practices, safety protocols, & equipment operations.
- Assist in developing and delivering training materials, educational resources, and refresher workshops to support standardized preroll manufacturing processes, employee knowledge, and operational preferred methods; contribute to continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing initiatives as needed to enhance efficiency, quality, and workforce effectiveness.
- Travel to low preforming sites to assist in RCA process and retraining on documentation and process.
- Assist with developing Tech transfer package and training new sites on new process.
- Facilitate weekly meetings with sites to review operational and quality data, analyze performance trends, identify process gaps, and collaborate with site teams to develop and implement corrective actions.
Documentation:
- Assist in the development and continuous improvement of corporate preroll SOPs and TAMUs, ensuring documentation remains accurate and aligned with operational preferred methods, quality standards, and objectives across sites.
- Develop and maintain work aids, One-Point Lessons (OPLs), and detailed work instructions derived from SOPs, translating process requirements into clear documentation that promotes standardized execution, training, consistency, and compliance across sites.
- Assist in developing site readiness documentation to assist with a successful product/process launch.
- Collect, analyze, and communicate or present preroll quality scorecard data, levering key performance metrics and trend analysis to monitor product quality, identify improvement opportunities, and provide actionable insights to support quality objectives across sites.
Safety & Compliance:
- Be aware of hazards in the workspace.
- Report safety incidents/ concerns and comply with follow-up actions.
- Be compliant with area safety requirements, state regulations and PPE requirements when at manufacturing facilities.
- Follow GMP, biosecurity, sanitation or other quality and compliance requirements when at manufacturing facilities.
Working Conditions
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to perform reaching, grasping, bending, stooping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
- May be required to stand and/or walk for extended periods of time. Must be able to lift, carry and balance up to 75 pounds (200 pounds with assistance).
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing, and challenging environment.
- Work involves daily exposure to allergens (such as cannabis, tree nuts, and coconut oil).
- This role will require extensive up to 70% travel as needed to support sites across the enterprise during project implementation.
Qualifications
- Associate’s in Science, Engineering, or related STEM discipline such as food science, chemistry, biology, chemical and mechanical engineering, etc. preferred.
- Experience with preroll product development, have acquired preroll development expertise, knowledge and experience with all preroll offerings.
- Experience in innovating and commercializing preroll products within the cannabis or hemp spaces.
- Experienced in preroll production (milling, infusing, filling, closing, Painting, & packaging), and knowledgeable of cannabis/preroll market trends.
- Experience with both manufacturing and lab equipment and processes in preroll development.
- Experience completing conversions, moving materials, and other associated functions in seed-to-sale tracking systems.
- Knowledge of laboratory and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) best practices.
- Advanced math skills.
- Familiarity with OSHA guidelines for dealing with hazardous chemicals.
Skills & Competencies
- Ability to plan, design experiments, and solve problems.
- Ability to lead and manage multiple projects.
- Ability to troubleshoot, fix, and service a wide range of equipment and software without assistance.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to understand and adhere to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations as they pertain to the industry, safety regulations, local municipal codes and organizational rules, regulations, directives and standard operating procedures.
Additional Requirements
- Must be at a minimum of 21 years of age.
- Must possess valid state ID.
- Must be able to obtain, and maintain, state badging requirements to work in the cannabis industry (requires background check and state review)
- Ability to travel up to 70% of the time as needed.