Director, International Business Development
Description
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 Director of International Business Development is responsible for driving global market expansion and new product commercialization within a complex, highly regulated cannabis environment. This role blends strategic leadership with hands on execution, identifying new international opportunities, designing compliant and resilient supply chain pathways, and project managing new markets and products from ideas through commercial launch and organizational integration.
This individual operates at the intersection of strategy and hands on execution. They are equally comfortable building financial models and executive business cases as they are talking to customers, coordinating import/export plans, solving supply bottlenecks, and driving cross functional execution. The role requires a proactive view of market, regulatory, and geopolitical shifts to inform ongoing strategic decision making. The ideal candidate is energetic, collaborative, and forward- thinking.
This position is currently remote.
What you’ll be doing:
Market Identification & Strategic Development:
- Identify and prioritize new international cannabis market opportunities aligned with enterprise growth objectives, including new geography and new product expansion.
- Conduct market assessments including regulatory feasibility, market sizing, competitive analysis, pricing dynamics, and distribution models.
- Develop financial models, investment cases, and strategic recommendations for senior leadership.
- Evaluate and recommend market entry pathways (exports, partnerships, local presence, licensing, or foreign or domestic production).
Regulatory & Risk Intelligence
- Evaluate international cannabis regulatory frameworks (medical, adult-use, GMP, import/export requirements, product registration).
- Maintain a forward-looking view of regulatory, trade, and geopolitical developments.
- Translate regulatory change into strategic recommendations and execution plans.
- Partner closely with Legal, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality to ensure compliant market entry and ongoing operations.
Supply Chain Design & Redundancy
- Design scalable and compliant cross-border supply chain pathways and work with cross functional teams to implement.
- Evaluate sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, and distribution options.
- Develop supply chain redundancies to mitigate operational and geopolitical risk.
- Assess make-vs-buy decisions and identify contract manufacturing or in-market production opportunities.
- Work with cross functional teams to troubleshoot operational bottlenecks.
End-to-End Project Leadership (Idea to Launch)
- Lead cross-functional initiatives from opportunity assessment through commercial launch.
- Develop and manage detailed project plans, budgets, timelines, and KPIs.
- Coordinate across Sales & Marketing, Operations, Finance, Regulatory, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.
- Proactively identify and mitigate execution risks to maintain launch timelines.
- Own executive reporting and milestone tracking.
Organizational Integration & Scaling
- Ensure seamless integration of new markets and international products into enterprise planning, forecasting, operations, and reporting systems.
- Establish scalable processes and cross-functional workflows to support sustainable growth.
- Drive knowledge transfer across departments and regions.
- Identify follow-on opportunities for portfolio expansion and operational optimization.
You’ll need to have:
Core Competencies
- Strategic thinking with operational follow-through
- Strong project management discipline
- Regulatory awareness and risk mitigation
- Supply chain design and redundancy planning
- Cross-functional leadership and influence
- High ownership mentality in ambiguous environments
Qualifications and Education
- 7-10 years of experience in international business development, global strategy, supply chain strategy, or market expansion roles.
- Experience in regulated industries (cannabis, pharma, biotech, alcohol, tobacco, or similar).
- Demonstrated success launching products or entering new international markets.
- Strong financial modeling and business case development skills.
- Experience navigating cross-border regulatory and compliance frameworks.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives in high-growth, evolving environments.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred but not required.
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.