Quality Assurance Jobs in Cannabis and Pharmaceutical Industries

For a company to achieve its business objectives, high levels of quality are essential. High quality is not an added value but it is an essential basic requirement. Quality provides a competitive advantage and is a hallmark of any company’s products and services.  Quality is not only related to the end products and services a company provides, but it also conveys the way the company employees do their job. Employees make up the most important resource for improving quality. The work processes that the employees follow need to be efficient and continually improving so as to produce quality products or services. Quality, therefore, is an overarching and driving force propelling organizations forward.

Undetermined: An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.

Fair: The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• Several positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Good: The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• Several positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

According to the Government of Canada Job Bank website, the establishment of the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) and the legalization of recreational marijuana have been reported to have led to numerous investments in this sub-industry. This would lead to more job prospects in the industry.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing, according to the Government of Canada Job Bank website, has also seen some growth over the last few years. This area is expected to continue to grow due to greater demand for pharmaceutical products, increased sales of generic drugs, growth of biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars, as well as the expanding field of nanopharmaceuticals.

According to the Government of Canada Job Bank website, Quality Assurance Managers – Cannabis usually earn between $28.85/hour and $76.92/hour in Canada. 

The following table extracted from the Government of Canada Job Bank website lists how much workers earned in different provinces and regions in Canada.

N/A: Data not available

Job seekers targeting QA jobs may need a university/college degree/diploma or equivalent professional experience in a natural or applied science (e.g., chemistry, biology, food/pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field).

If you are targeting QA jobs in the cannabis industry, you may require 1-3+ years’ experience in the legal cannabis, agriculture, food, or pharmaceutical industry. You would also require knowledge, training, and significant experience in Good Production Practices (GPP) and/or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and other regulatory standards. Knowledge of analytical chemistry/microbiology and extraction systems would be considered an asset.

NACPT trains its students with sufficient and updated industrial skills. This enables NACPT students to secure most employment opportunities in various sectors including leading cannabis, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, nutraceutical, food, cosmetic, and medical device companies.

NACPT provides its graduates with maximum access to various companies through job fairs, direct access to employers, practical placements, internships, co-ops, alumni events, networking events, industrials workshops, and conferences. Over the years, NACPT has brought in the greatest number of recruiting companies including its partnered companies, to place its students in safe and secure firms.

NACPT also conducts a unique job/development program for its students. This program which is optional and for free is led and delivered by NACPT’s team of expert faculties to equip the students with all the potentials required in the industry. In this program, NACPT’s graduates are given an opportunity to work with a career coach on a one-to-one basis. Hands-on training is given to the students during the training sessions. As part of the job development program, NACPT graduates are also given access to network with industry experts, career coaches, and employment centers through workshops, alumni events, and guest speaker sessions from the industry. For further details see Job Development (nacptpharmacollege.com)

NACPT is a leading career college in Canada that provides in-depth skill training in pharmaceutical, cannabis, business, technology and related fields to maximize the job and business opportunities within the target industries. NACPT has offered specialized Certificate, Graduate and Postgraduate diploma programs in the pharmaceutical and cannabis industries for over ten years. We also offer various cannabis skills training and business incubation programs in the related industries. As a college with affiliations of highly reputable organizations, NACPT provides analytical testing, consulting services and research & development in the pharmaceutical, cannabis and other sectors.

For those interested in learning more about cannabis analytical testing requirements, Cannabis Quality Control and Quality Assurance, we invite you to our 1-4 days comprehensive certification training – Online Interactive Instructor-Led Webinar:

• Sanitation Program For Cannabis Production & Testing Requirements
• Quality Assurance For Cannabis (Basic And Advanced)
• EU- Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Cannabis Production
• Good Production Practices (GPP) And GxP For Cannabis