Tissue Culture Lab Manager

Tissue Culture Lab Manager (Micropropagation) Location: SE QLD – Harrisville/Mutdapilly (Scenic Rim, near Ipswich/Brisbane) Relocation: Relocation support available (within Australia) Help build one of Australia’s most advanced medicinal cannabis projects from the ground up. Austranna is seeking an experienced Tissue Culture Lab Manager to manage a high-throughput micropropagation lab producing 1,000,000+ plants per year for our hybrid indoor glasshouse in the Scenic Rim. Why this role? Lead a 1M+ plants/year microprop lab. Manage and grow a 5–15 person lab team over 3–5 years. Build GMP/GLP/ISO-style systems from day one. Work in a sustainable hybrid‑indoor glasshouse powered significantly by solar in SE QLD. About Austranna Austranna (Hydroganics Pty Ltd trading as Austranna) is a licensed medicinal cannabis company based in Southeast Queensland. Forty five minutes drive from Brisbane CBD, our hybrid‑indoor glasshouse on the northern edge of the Scenic Rim produces consistent, high‑quality medicinal cannabis products for Australian patients and global partners. Our facility combines: Advanced environmental control in a glasshouse setting. Significant use of solar energy and efficient irrigation to reduce our footprint. A strong focus on quality, compliance and data‑driven cultivation . The Opportunity You will: Lead the commissioning and day‑to‑day operation of Austranna’s cutting‑edge plant tissue culture lab. Manage 5–7 lab staff , scaling to 10–15 as throughput grows. Own the delivery of 1,000,000+ plants/year through a highly standardised micropropagation pipeline. Align lab output with nursery and glasshouse planting schedules. Work closely with cultivation, quality, engineering and automation teams to integrate the lab into a modern, large‑scale facility. Key Responsibilities People leadership – Lead, roster, coach and performance‑manage a team of TC technicians and seniors. Capacity planning – Plan media, explants, incubator/growth room space and labour to hit throughput targets. Quality & documentation – Own SOPs, batch records, logbooks and checklists; support deviations, CAPA and change control. KPIs & improvement – Set and track KPIs (contamination, yield, cycle time, throughput/FTE, cost/plant); drive continuous improvement. Technical oversight – Ensure robust contamination control, aseptic practice and reliable multiplication/rooting. Integration & automation – Work with engineering and IT on workflow design, future automation, barcoding and LIMS/MES. About You Mandatory: Proven line management of at least 5–10 lab staff (rostering, supervision and performance management). Experience running a high‑throughput lab (plant tissue culture/microprop or cell culture/bioprocessing/pathology) using SOPs, batch records, QC checks and CAPA . Comfort operating under GMP/GLP/ISO‑style quality systems. Strong organisational competence: capacity planning for media, explants, incubator/growth room space and labour. KPI literacy (throughput, contamination rate, labour productivity, cycle time). Strong hands‑on technical competence in tissue culture or a closely related discipline, with credibility at the bench. Preferred: Experience with medicinal cannabis, hops, grapevine or other sensitive/high‑value crops . Exposure to start‑up / scale‑up environments. Experience with automation and digital systems (ERP, conveyors, robotics, LIMS/MES, barcoding, e‑batch records). Why Join Us Shape a flagship tissue culture lab from day one. Direct impact on plant health, genetics and patient outcomes . Work alongside a next‑generation, sustainable hybrid‑indoor glasshouse in a great lifestyle region. Competitive salary package with relocation support for the right candidate. Job Details Seniority level: Mid‑Senior Employment type: Full‑time Industry: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Austranna by 2x #J-18808-Ljbffr