Lab Director - Cannabis Testing

Viridian Staffing's (www.viridianstaffing.com) Client is looking for an experienced Laboratory Director for an Analytical Cannabis Testing Laboratory in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Founded in 2013, Viridian Staffing (www.viridianstaffing.com) is the premier staffing, recruiting, and HR consulting firm solely dedicated to organizations in and supporting the commercial, medical, and industrial cannabis / hemp industry.

In this role, you will oversee day-to-day analytical laboratory operations in a high-throughput commercial testing environment serving licensed cannabis operators. The laboratory is an established ISO/IEC 17025 accredited facility with a strong market presence and an experienced team already in place, allowing you to focus on leadership, quality oversight, customer support, and continuous improvement rather than building processes from scratch. You will supervise laboratory staff across sample preparation and data review functions while ensuring defensible data and consistent turnaround times for approximately 1,500 samples per month.

You will provide final data review and release for regulated testing and ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 quality systems, including audits, documentation control, deviation management, and CAPA processes. Using your hands-on analytical chemistry expertise, you will oversee calibration, qualification, validation, and maintenance of instrumentation including LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, ICP-MS, and HPLC platforms. You will also support LIMS/QMS administration and collaborate with operations leadership to maintain throughput efficiency and data integrity.

This role requires a strong customer-service mindset, and you will serve as a technical resource to clients, responding quickly to inquiries and resolving technical issues. You will work closely with onsite leadership and operations management while mentoring an established technical team and fostering a collaborative, hands-on culture where leaders actively assist staff when needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct oversight of daily laboratory analytical operations and sample throughput
  

• Final data review and release of regulated analytical testing results
  

• ISO/IEC 17025 Quality Management System oversight and compliance
  

• Internal and external audit preparation and accreditation maintenance
  

• Instrument calibration, qualification, validation, and maintenance
  

• Method validation and technical troubleshooting (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, ICP-MS, HPLC)
  

• LIMS and QMS administration (commercial laboratory environment)
  

• Continuous improvement of turnaround times and operational efficiency
  

• Staff supervision, coaching, scheduling, and performance management
  

• Customer technical support and issue resolution
  

• Collaboration with operations leadership to ensure defensible data and regulatory compliance
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or related life science field (advanced degrees welcomed but not required)
  

• Experience working in an analytical testing laboratory
  

• Hands-on operation and maintenance experience with:
  

  • LC-MS/MS
    

  • GC-MS
    

  • ICP-MS
    

  • HPLC
    

• Experience with method validation and laboratory troubleshooting
  

• Working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025 quality systems and audits
  

• Experience supervising laboratory or technical staff
  

• Exceptional communication and customer service skills/Ability to explain complex scientific results
  

Preferred Experience

• Cannabis, hemp, pharmaceutical, environmental, or regulated testing laboratory experience
  

• ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation audits (internal or external)
  

• Experience with Shimadzu instrumentation platforms
  

• Experience with laboratory informatics systems (LIMS/QMS; QBench a plus)
  

• Statistical analysis, data trending, and KPI reporting
  

• Laboratory automation, throughput optimization, or capacity planning
  

Technical & Professional Skills

• Analytical chemistry and instrumental analysis
  

• Quality systems, SOPs, CAPA, and deviation management
  

• Data integrity and defensible reporting
  

• Laboratory informatics systems (LIMS/QMS)
  

• Leadership, teamwork, and operational accountability
  

• Strong customer-service orientation and collaborative communication style
  

Viridian Enterprises LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Viridian does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, Marital status, genetic information, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting at viridianstaffing.com

Pay Range: $85,000 – $105,000 + performance bonus eligible
Benefits: Medical, Dental, PTO