Research Associate Project Manager Jobs in Collingwood, ON

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: https://thecronosgroup.com/. 

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.

The Enterprise Program Manager is responsible for leading the successful execution of product commercialization projects and manufacturing initiatives within a licensed, GMP-regulated cannabis facility. This role sits at the intersection of quality systems, product development, and operational excellence guiding cross-functional teams from product concept through commercial launch while upholding the highest standards of GMP compliance. The ideal candidate is a process-oriented, collaborative leader with a track record of driving both regulatory rigor and commercial results in a fast-paced, regulated environment. This role may include direct reports.

This position is based out of Stayner, Ontario

What you’ll be doing:

Program & Project Management

• Lead multiple large, multidisciplinary projects through the full commercialization lifecycle from concept through development, regulatory review, and launch delivering on time, on budget, and in scope.

• Build and maintain project plans covering milestones, timelines, resources, and risk mitigation.

• Own and optimize commercialization processes, tools, stage-gate frameworks, and documentation for consistent, efficient execution.

• Track milestones; escalate and adjust plans and resources to address slippage or shifting priorities.

• Manage project constraints (cost, time, scope, quality), communicate trade-offs to stakeholders, and own commercialization inputs for stage-gate documents and business cases.

• Report progress to senior leadership, flagging roadblocks and proposing solutions.

• Support capital appropriation requests for facility and production needs, including financial models and business cases.

GMP & Regulatory Compliance

• Serve as GMP subject matter expert, ensuring alignment with Health Canada Cannabis Regulations, EU GMP, and market- or customer-specific standards.

• Lead development and maintenance of GMP processes, procedures, and documentation across warehousing, processing, packaging, and quality operations.

• Assist with validation plans, protocols, and reports (IQ/OQ/PQ) for equipment, utilities, cleaning, computerized systems, and manufacturing processes.

• Integrate GMP processes to support business development and expansion into new domestic and international markets.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Guide cross-functional teams (Manufacturing, Engineering, QA, Regulatory, Supply Chain, R&D, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Operations) to execute plans on time and on budget.

• Give cross-functional and senior stakeholders the visibility to make timely decisions, letting projects pivot, evolve, or stop as needed.

• Hold leaders and stakeholders accountable, for deliverables and timelines while maintaining collaborative partnerships and managing trade-offs.

• Build trusted relationships to leverage cross-functional expertise; serve as the central point of contact for project communications with senior and executive stakeholders.

• Communicate project updates, root-cause analyses, and risk mitigation plans to senior leadership, providing solutions and realigning expectations as needed.

People Leadership

• Manage, coach, and develop direct reports; oversee hiring and onboarding as required.

• Coach and train the broader organization on GMP compliance and project management tools, templates, and processes.

• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and positivity, bringing energy and purpose when projects get tough.

You’ll need to have:

• Undergraduate degree or diploma in Life Sciences, Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field required.

• Project Management designation an asset (PMP, Six Sigma, or equivalent).

• 5–8 years of progressive experience in project management, product commercialization, or manufacturing operations within a regulated industry (cannabis, pharmaceuticals, biotech, food, or natural health products).

• Strong working knowledge of GMP, GPP, and EUGMP frameworks; demonstrated experience developing and executing validation plans, protocols, and reports (IQ/OQ/PQ) required.

• Proven experience managing full product lifecycle projects in consumer products (CPG, Pharmaceuticals, Adult Beverage, or similar); cannabis industry experience an asset.

• Cross-functional technical knowledge spanning R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain; experience with Smartsheet preferred.

• Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies, tools, and techniques; experience with workflow process mapping, stage gate processes, and QMS platforms.

• Strong critical thinking and data analysis capabilities; knowledge of Six Sigma, SPC, or Lean methodologies an asset.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including technical writing for SOPs, validation documentation, and executive-level presentations.

• Demonstrated ability to inspire, direct, and develop both direct and indirect teams; player-coach mentality with experience managing and growing direct reports.

• Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building skills across all levels and functions; proven ability to influence without authority.

• Superb organizational skills and adaptability to navigate complex, fast-paced, and evolving business environments.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required (up to 15%).

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.