About Aurora Gardens LLC At Aurora Gardens LLC, we are a diverse group of individuals who celebrate each other's differences and empower every employee to embrace their authentic selves. Our rich diversity, spanning race, gender, age, religion, veteran status, and experience, fuels our drive for excellence and innovation. By blending diverse perspectives and ideas, we harness the collective strength of our team, which is truly at the heart of our success. Together, we are committed to advancing our company and the cannabis industry as a whole. Job Summary Performs and leads hands-on plant care across the full cultivation cycle — propagation, vegetative growth, flowering, and harvest — and serves as a senior technical resource to the cultivation technician team. Day-to-day work includes cloning, transplanting, watering and feeding, defoliation, topping and trellising, integrated pest management scouting and treatment, environmental monitoring, and harvest, drying, and trimming support. Trains cultivation technicians and provides day-to-day direction on assigned tasks, verifies completed work against SOPs, and maintains accurate plant counts, movements, and waste entries in the state seed-to-sale traceability system. Escalates plant health, environmental, and compliance concerns in accordance with the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act and Illinois Department of Agriculture craft grower rules. Key Responsibilities Plant Care & Cultivation Tasks Perform daily plant care across all stages of the cultivation cycle, including cloning, transplanting, pruning, defoliation, topping, trellising, staking, watering, feeding, and plant movement between rooms, following facility SOPs and cultivation schedules Team Leadership & Training Serve as a senior technical resource to the cultivation technician team: train new technicians on SOPs and technique, provide day-to-day direction on assigned tasks, spot-check completed work, and reinforce quality and consistency standards Pest Management & Plant Health Monitoring Scout rooms for pests, pathogens, deficiencies, and stress and apply approved integrated pest management treatments in accordance with label and state requirements, documenting all applications Monitor and record environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, VPD, CO2, lighting, and irrigation performance, adjusting within SOP parameters and escalating out-of-range conditions Nutrient & Irrigation Management Mix and apply nutrient solutions, monitor pH and EC, and maintain irrigation and fertigation equipment Harvest Support Lead and support harvest activities including cutting, hanging, drying, bucking, trimming, and weighing, ensuring accurate wet and dry weights are captured Compliance & Recordkeeping Maintain accurate, timely entries in the state seed-to-sale traceability system and internal cultivation records, including plant tagging, batch creation, plant movement, waste, and destruction events, in accordance with Illinois Department of Agriculture requirements Support state inspections and internal or external audits by providing plant counts, batch records, and application logs on request Facility, Safety & Sanitation Maintain sanitation and organization of grow rooms, tools, and equipment, and follow facility SOPs, security and access protocols, OSHA and safety standards, and pesticide handling requirements Qualifications High school diploma or equivalent required; coursework or certification in horticulture, plant science, agronomy, or a related field is a plus. Minimum of two years of hands-on commercial cultivation experience, preferably in a licensed cannabis facility; experience across propagation, veg, flower, and harvest strongly preferred. Demonstrated proficiency in cloning, transplanting, pruning and canopy management, fertigation, and integrated pest management. Prior experience training or providing day-to-day direction to other technicians preferred. Working knowledge of environmental controls, irrigation systems, and plant health troubleshooting. Comfort with seed-to-sale traceability software, tablets, and basic spreadsheets; accuracy with counts, weights, and records. Working knowledge of safe material and pesticide handling practices and OSHA requirements; familiarity with Illinois cannabis cultivation, waste, and recordkeeping requirements preferred. Illinois pesticide applicator license preferred (particularly relevant for IPM-focused responsibilities). Strong reliability, communication, and follow-through, with the ability to work independently and coordinate across departments. Must be 21 years of age or older and able to obtain and maintain an Illinois Department of Agriculture agent identification card, subject to a background check. Physical Demands Extended periods of standing, walking, bending, kneeling, crouching, squatting, and reaching overhead while working with plants at varying heights, including work on ladders, step stools, and rolling platforms. Repetitive hand and wrist motion during pruning, defoliation, trimming, and transplanting. Regularly lifts and carries up to 50 pounds, including soil, media, nutrient containers, and harvest totes, and may push or pull carts, racks, and hand trucks. Work occurs in environments with elevated temperature and humidity, high-intensity lighting, and exposure to plant material, pollen, fertilizers, pesticides, and cleaning agents; personal protective equipment is required. Extended or off-schedule hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, may be required during harvest, transplant, treatment cycles, and inspections. Mental Demands Requires sustained attention to detail in plant care, dosing, weighing, and recordkeeping, where small errors carry crop, regulatory, and financial consequences. Must observe plant health closely, recognize early signs of pest and disease pressure, and make sound judgment calls within SOP parameters. Involves managing competing task priorities across multiple rooms on a fixed cultivation schedule while modeling technique and standards for other technicians. Requires reliability, independent follow-through, and composure during harvest, treatment cycles, audits, and state inspections. Working Environment Works in a licensed indoor cultivation facility with controlled temperature, humidity, lighting, and airflow, subject to strict security, access, and sanitation protocols. Role is spent almost entirely on the grow floor, with limited time at a workstation or tablet for traceability entries and record completion. Involves daily direction from the Cultivation Manager and close coordination with the cultivation technician team, plus regular contact with quality, compliance, and facilities staff. Environment can be fast-paced and physically demanding, with harvest, transplant, and treatment cycles driving workload peaks. Administrative time is spent on seed-to-sale traceability entries, environmental and application logs, plant counts and weights, and inspection or audit records. Employment Statements Accommodation and Accessibility Aurora Gardens LLC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act. If you need an accommodation to apply for a position or to perform your job, contact Human Resources. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement Aurora Gardens LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions, citizenship or work authorization status, military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, order of protection status, arrest or conviction record, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, including the Illinois Human Rights Act. Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion We believe diversity fosters innovation, and we are committed to a culture where everyone can contribute and thrive. Applicants of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Job Description Disclaimer This job description describes the general nature and level of work expected of this position and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Duties may be added, removed, or changed at any time at the Company's discretion. This description does not create an employment contract or alter the at-will nature of employment with Aurora Gardens LLC, under which either the employee or the Company may terminate the relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice. Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace Aurora Gardens LLC prohibits the use, possession, sale, or distribution of alcohol, cannabis, and unlawful controlled substances during work hours, on company premises, or while operating company equipment or vehicles, and prohibits reporting to work impaired. Consistent with the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act and the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, this policy does not restrict lawful off-duty conduct away from company premises. The Company may act on a good-faith determination that an employee is impaired at work, subject to the notice and response opportunity required by Illinois law. Employees are expected to comply with this policy and with all safety and security requirements applicable to a licensed cannabis facility.

Pay:

$22.00 per hour Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Employee assistance program Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Referral program Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person