Technology & Information Lead

As the Technology, Security, & Information Lead, you will be an experienced individual contributor responsible for the hands-on execution and operational excellence across IT, Security, Technology Stack, and Information Officer functions. This role demands a strong execution focus, leveraging AI, automation, and scalable solutions to drive efficiency, enhance security, and optimize our technological infrastructure within the highly regulated science manufacturing environment. Additionally, this work will drive support for developing high performing teams through the shared People and Technology functional initiatives for 2026 and 2027. You will work cross-functionally to ensure our systems are robust, secure, and future-proofed to support Vertosa's growth and compliance in industries like cannabis, food, and alcohol.

Over the next one to two years, you will have the opportunity to:

• IT & Systems Management:

• Optimize and maintain IT infrastructure, ensuring high availability and performance for manufacturing and lab environments.

• Manage the company's technology stack (hardware, software, network, cloud).
• Automate routine IT operations, system provisioning, and maintenance in a manufacturing setting.
• Manage vendor relationships and procurement for IT, ensuring regulatory compliance and strong vendor engagement across technologies.

• Provide expert technical support and troubleshooting, escalating issues for manufacturing and R&D teams.

• Information Security & Compliance:

• Implement and enforce information security policies tailored to highly regulated industries.

• Conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to mitigate risks, especially for proprietary data.
• Manage incident response plans, including detection, containment, eradication, and recovery from breaches, understanding regulatory reporting.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and industry-specific security standards (e.g., cannabis, alcohol manufacturing).
• Support security awareness training, emphasizing data integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for all systems, security protocols, and operational procedures.
• Optimize and maintain data retention policies and disaster recovery plans for critical information assets.

• Act as the co-primary contact for all information-related matters, ensuring data governance and lifecycle management.

• Technology & Insights Execution (with AI/Automation focus):

• Execute AI workforce initiatives using agents, automations, and bots to optimize full-cycle workflows, develop a high performing workforce, and enhance business impact.

• Drive AI/ML adoption to enhance operations, security monitoring, data analysis, and business processes in partnership with leaders.
• Identify and implement automation opportunities across all technological processes to improve efficiency and team utilization.
• Develop the insights platform and reporting with the data flow mechanisms and connection of all system data.
• Owning the data flows to ensure there is accurate forecasting and reporting across the company for better data-driven decision making, specifically in production, revenue, commercialization, food science, and financials.

• Manage the organization and accessibility of company data to support business intelligence and operational efficiency.

• Ad hoc requests from the team, leadership, or manager:

• Actively engage in strategic discussions concerning the employee and technology experience, aligning with the People & Technology functions' shared objective of cultivating a leading business environment.

To Be Successful In This Role, You Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in IT, systems administration, and information security roles, with a strong emphasis on hands-on execution.
• Experience in execution and development of an AI workforce that impacts the business bottom line and enhances a high-performance people workforce.
• Experience in implementing and managing complex IT infrastructure, including cloud environments (AWS, GCP), ideally within a manufacturing or R&D context.
• Strong understanding of information security principles, frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001), and best practices, with experience navigating compliance in regulated industries (e.g., F&D, cannabis, alcohol).
• Exceptional problem-solving skills with a proactive and analytical approach to identifying and resolving technical challenges.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, including scientific and production teams.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated experience with automation tools and scripting languages (e.g., Python, PowerShell, Ansible) preferred.
• Experience with HubSpot, Odoo, Google Workspace, Zapier, Gemini, Chat-GPT, or Finance Systems preferred.
• Experience with AI/ML workforce concepts and their practical application highly preferred.
• You've used AI tooling for work and personal use. You explore new tools, workflows, and ideas to make things more efficient, and are eager to deepen your understanding of implementing a technical workforce to optimize a high performing team to identify the crossroads between people and technology.

Why Vertosa?

Vertosa's core values and company culture are as important as our products and services. Founded in 2018, we are a science-first cannabis company that creates the most effective and reliable active ingredients for infused products. Our patented and patent-pending emulsion systems are carefully designed for the specific needs of each customer, and we work closely with lab partners and brands of all sizes throughout the manufacturing process to achieve target potency and accelerate products to market.

Trust, Leadership, and Community guide our team in leveraging the power of natural ingredients and science to create better alternatives to recreational consumer products and medicine. Our knowledge, experience, best-in-class products, white-glove service, and relentless drive for excellence offer our customers the quality, consistency, and reliability they seek in a product. As an equal-opportunity employer, Vertosa celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth in a dynamic, collaborative work environment.