The Post-Harvest Manager is the primary custodian of harvested asset value within the cannabis supply chain. This role takes ownership of the cannabis plant at the moment of harvest and directs its transformation into a consistent, marketable commodity ready for extraction or packaging. The manager's domain—encompassing drying, curing, trimming, and bulk storage—represents the most critical value-preservation stage in the entire production cycle. Success is measured by the ability to maximize the retention of cannabinoids and terpenes, prevent catastrophic loss from environmental failures, and ensure absolute compliance with seed-to-sale tracking mandates. This position requires a unique synthesis of agricultural science, lean manufacturing principles, and rigorous regulatory adherence. The Post-Harvest Manager directly controls the quality attributes that define the final product's market position and profitability, making this a central function for operational excellence and brand reputation.
The operational day for a Post-Harvest Manager begins with a quantitative review of environmental control systems. The manager analyzes data logs from sensors in all active drying and curing rooms, verifying that temperature and relative humidity have remained within the precise tolerances defined by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Any deviation, even minor, triggers an immediate investigation to prevent the onset of mold or the degradation of valuable terpenes. This data analysis is cross-referenced with the previous day's production reports, including wet weights from the harvest team and dry weights from the trimming department, to monitor drying rates and forecast team assignments.
Following the data review, the manager conducts a physical inspection of the drying and curing environments. This involves a sensory evaluation of the biomass, assessing aroma, texture, and visual cues to gauge the progress of the cure. The manager coordinates with the cultivation department to confirm the schedule and volume of incoming harvests for the day, ensuring that sufficient space and resources are prepared for a seamless transition. This coordination is critical for maintaining workflow efficiency and preventing bottlenecks that could compromise product quality. The manager then meets with the trim team supervisor to establish daily production targets, allocate manpower to either manual or machine trimming based on the grade of material, and reinforce quality control standards.
The midday period is dedicated to process oversight and compliance. The manager observes the trimming teams to ensure SOPs for handling, sanitation, and waste management are strictly followed. A key task is overseeing the weighing and batching of dried material. Each batch is meticulously weighed on state-certified scales, assigned a unique identifier, and logged into the seed-to-sale tracking system, such as METRC. This process ensures a complete and auditable chain of custody. The manager also works closely with the Quality Assurance team to collect samples for moisture content analysis and third-party laboratory testing, ensuring the product meets all safety and potency requirements before it is transferred to the extraction or packaging departments.
The latter part of the day shifts focus to reporting and optimization. The manager compiles and analyzes key performance indicators (KPIs), including wet-to-dry weight conversion ratios, labor hours per pound trimmed, and pass/fail rates from quality inspections. This data is used to identify opportunities for process improvement, such as adjusting drying parameters or refining trimming techniques to increase efficiency. The day concludes with a final check of all environmental controls, a review of inventory reports to ensure accuracy, and communication with the next shift or department managers to facilitate a smooth handoff. This cycle of planning, execution, monitoring, and optimization is constant and essential for success.
The Post-Harvest Manager's duties are structured around three core operational pillars:
The Post-Harvest Manager's performance directly affects the company's financial health and strategic positioning through several key levers:
| Impact Area | Strategic Influence |
|---|---|
| Cash | Directly protects cash flow by preventing the loss of harvested inventory, which is the company's most immediate convertible asset. Every pound saved from mold or improper curing is revenue preserved. |
| Profits | Maximizes gross profit margin by increasing the final saleable weight and quality grade of the product from a fixed input cost (cultivation). Efficient operations also reduce labor costs per unit. |
| Assets | Manages and preserves the value of the company's primary biological asset post-cultivation. The quality of the cured flower inventory directly impacts the company's balance sheet. |
| Growth | Develops scalable and repeatable post-harvest systems that are essential for successful expansion into new facilities and markets, ensuring consistent product quality across all operations. |
| People | Builds and leads a large operational team, fostering a culture of quality, efficiency, and compliance. Effective leadership reduces turnover and improves team productivity. |
| Products | The manager's execution of the curing process is the single most important factor in determining the final product's sensory characteristics (aroma, flavor) and overall consumer appeal. |
| Legal Exposure | Minimizes legal and financial liability by ensuring impeccable compliance with state-mandated inventory tracking, preventing diversion and ensuring readiness for regulatory audits. |
| Compliance | Acts as the frontline owner of chain-of-custody compliance, guaranteeing that all movements, weight changes, and batch creations are accurately reported to state authorities in real-time. |
| Regulatory | Ensures that all post-harvest environments and procedures meet or exceed standards set by state cannabis boards and local health departments regarding sanitation and product handling. |
Reports To: This position typically reports to the Director of Operations or the Director of Manufacturing, reflecting its role as a bridge between agriculture and production.
Similar Roles: Professionals with experience as a Production Manager in food processing, a Cellar Master in winemaking, or a Curing Supervisor in the tobacco industry possess highly transferable skill sets. Other relevant titles include Agricultural Operations Manager, Dry/Cure Manager, or Biomass Manager. The core competencies align with managing a perishable, high-value commodity through a controlled environmental process while maintaining strict inventory control and quality standards.
Works Closely With: This role requires constant coordination with the Head of Cultivation to plan for incoming harvests, the Extraction Manager to supply quality input material, the Compliance Manager to ensure regulatory adherence, and the Quality Assurance Manager to validate product safety and quality.
Mastery of the following technologies is essential for effective post-harvest management:
Candidates from adjacent, highly regulated industries often possess the ideal foundational skills:
The role demands specific professional attributes for success:
The operational parameters and compliance requirements of this role are shaped by these key entities:
| Acronym/Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biomass | Raw plant material, typically referring to the stalks, stems, leaves, and flowers of the cannabis plant before processing. |
| Bucking | The process of removing cannabis flowers from the main stem and branches of the plant after harvest. |
| Curing | A slow drying process in a controlled environment that allows for the preservation of terpenes and cannabinoids, enhancing aroma, flavor, and shelf stability. |
| GMP | Good Manufacturing Practices. A system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. |
| METRC | Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance. A widely used seed-to-sale software system for regulatory tracking. |
| S2S | Seed-to-Sale. A term for the compliance tracking systems used to monitor the entire lifecycle of the cannabis plant from planting to final sale. |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure. A set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out complex routine operations. |
| Terpenes | Aromatic compounds found in cannabis that create its characteristic scent and flavor profiles (e.g., pine, citrus, berry). |
| Trichomes | The crystal-like resin glands on the surface of cannabis flowers that produce and store the majority of the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes. |
| Wet Weight | The weight of the cannabis plant material immediately after it has been harvested and before any drying has occurred. |
| Dry Weight | The final weight of the cannabis material after the drying and curing process has removed the majority of its moisture content. |
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