Job Title:
Dispensary Manager
Department:
Retail Operations
Reports To:
General Manager
Job Purpose:
The Dispensary General Manager is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the store — driving sales, ensuring full compliance with California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) regulations, and building a team that delivers an exceptional, trustworthy customer experience. This role exists to be the "captain of the ship": the person the owner trusts to run the location safely, profitably, and in line with company standards when they're not physically present.
This is a hands-on leadership role in a growing retail cannabis operation. The ideal candidate is comfortable building systems, training a team, and improving processes from the ground up.
Key Responsibilities:
Operations & Compliance
- Manage daily store operations (opening/closing, cash handling, POS, scheduling) to ensure smooth, efficient functioning.
- Ensure full compliance with DCC regulations and local municipal cannabis ordinances, including seed-to-sale tracking (METRC), security protocols, and product handling.
- Partner with the compliance officer (or act as compliance lead) on inventory audits, cash reconciliation, and regulatory reporting.
- Develop and maintain SOPs for inventory, receiving, security, and customer transactions.
Team Leadership
- Recruit, hire, train, and onboard budtenders, key holders, and assistant managers.
- Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, and conflict resolution.
- Build and maintain staff schedules ensuring proper coverage at all times.
- Foster a culture of accountability, product knowledge, and high-level customer service.
Sales & Financial Performance
- Own the store's P&L: drive revenue growth while managing labor and operating costs.
- Set and track sales targets; analyze KPIs and adjust strategy accordingly.
- Manage inventory levels, ordering, and vendor relationships to avoid stockouts/overstock.
- Collaborate with marketing on promotions, loyalty programs, and local outreach to drive traffic.
Customer & Community Relations
- Ensure a welcoming, professional in-store experience; personally resolve escalated customer complaints.
- Act as the face of the dispensary with local community members, officials, and law enforcement if needed.
- Gather customer feedback and relay insights on product preferences to purchasing/marketing.
Authority & Decision-Making:
This role has authority to manage daily staffing, shift execution, store standards, customer issue resolution, and operational follow-through, while working with ownership on pricing, purchasing strategy, promotions, and major hiring decisions.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Monthly/quarterly sales vs. target
- Labor cost as % of revenue
- Inventory shrinkage/variance rate
- Compliance audit pass rate (zero major violations)
- Employee turnover rate
- Customer satisfaction / repeat customer rate
- % of scheduled tasks/SOPs completed on time
Skills and Qualifications:
Hard skills
- Working knowledge of California DCC regulations and METRC (or willingness to be certified quickly)
- POS and inventory management software proficiency
- Basic financial reporting / P&L literacy
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel / Google Workspace
Soft skills
- Strong leadership and ability to manage diverse personalities
- Conflict resolution and composure under pressure
- Clear communicator — comfortable as point of contact with regulators, vendors, and law enforcement
- Discretion and professionalism handling sensitive customer/security information
- Hospitality mindset combined with operational discipline
Experience Required:
- Minimum 2–3 years in a management role in cannabis retail, OR 3+ years in traditional retail/hospitality management with strong willingness to learn cannabis compliance
- Prior experience with inventory/cash management in a regulated or high-security retail environment is a plus
- Bachelor's degree in business or related field preferred, not required — relevant experience can substitute
- Must be 21+, pass background check, and obtain any required state cannabis worker permits/badges
Working Conditions:
- On-site, full-time
- Must have open availability including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
Occasional lifting up to 40 lbs
- Fast-paced, high-traffic retail floor environment; frequent contact with customers, staff, and occasionally regulators/law enforcement
Compensation:
- Competitive salary (base + performance bonus potential), based on experience
Pay: $50,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
