General Manager in Leeds

Location: On-site within commuting distance of Skipton, with occasional travel to Portugal (Lisbon)

Salary: £60,000 - £70,000 per annum

Contract: Full time, Permanent

Hours: Monday - Friday (an element of flexibility required to meet demands of role)

Lunara is an emerging Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) dedicated to raising the standard of medicinal cannabis across the UK and Europe. With a focus on GMP-compliant manufacturing, advanced formulation, and patient-centred solutions, Lunara's mission is to become the leading medicinal cannabis CDMO in the UK and EU. This is a rare opportunity to join at the beginning of that journey and help build the organisation from the ground up.

Lunara is seeking a General Manager who will take responsibility for shaping, launching, and leading the business through its early stages and into commercial maturity. This is a foundational position that combines strategic leadership with practical, hands-on involvement. You will hold full commercial and P&L responsibility, guide operational setup, and establish the company's presence in a growing and highly regulated market.

The right individual will be comfortable working in an environment where structures, teams, and processes are being built, and where commercial acumen is essential to success.

What This Role Will Involve

• Building the operational, commercial, and quality foundations of the company
• Recruiting key roles as the organisation grows
• Creating strategies based on market opportunity and executing them with urgency
• Establishing Lunara's GMP specials manufacturing capability for medicinal cannabis
• Preparing the business for compliant market entry in the UK and Europe

As the company progresses, your remit will develop to include oversight of:

• P&L delivery and financial performance
• Scaling operations and commercial activity across UK and EU markets
• Strengthening the sales and marketing approach to build market presence
• Leading product development, innovation, and R&D initiatives
• Shaping Lunara's position as a trusted partner to cultivators, distributors, pharmaceutical companies, and emerging cannabis brands
• Representing the organisation at industry forums, conferences, and strategic meetings

This is a role for someone who can combine strategic thinking with active implementation, someone who can both map the future and take day-to-day responsibility for making it happen.

As our General Manager, you will:

• Lead Lunara's strategic, commercial, operational, and organisational development from early stage through scale-up
• Deliver P&L targets, manage financial performance, and execute the company's strategic plan
• Oversee commercial development, marketing activity, and client engagement while maintaining strong market and regulatory intelligence
• Establish a GMP-compliant manufacturing facility and ensure effective operations across production, warehousing, distribution, and supporting systems
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing cross-functional team as the business expands
• Shape a culture focused on accountability, quality, innovation, and delivery
• Ensure compliance with UK Home Office, MHRA, and EU regulatory frameworks, maintaining proactive relationships with regulatory bodies
• Lead product development, R&D activity, and innovation projects, contributing to Lunara's formulation expertise and intellectual property portfolio

We are looking for someone who brings:

• Senior leadership experience in pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, specialty manufacturing, or related regulated environments
• Strong commercial capability, including developing go-to-market strategies and winning business
• Experience growing a business or scaling operations (startup or early-stage experience is advantageous)
• Understanding of GMP manufacturing, quality systems, supply chain, and regulatory frameworks
• A practical, hands-on approach willing to work at both strategic and operational levels
• The ability to build effective relationships with clients, partners, regulators, and internal teams
• An analytical, structured approach to decision-making, coupled with the ability to work at pace

Above all, the role calls for someone who is motivated by building something meaningful from the early stages and who can deliver commercial results while ensuring the highest standards of quality and compliance.

Interested in Learning More

If you would like to explore this opportunity further, please apply with your CV. Shortlisted applicants will receive a full recruitment pack and benefits with further details about Lunara and the role. No agencies please.