Cannabis Merchandising & Purchasing Manager

Vireo; Elk River (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

HSA/FSA

Life insurance

401k with 3% match

Paid time off

Wellness days

Volunteer hours

Job summary

Vireo Health of Minnesota is creating its first Merchandising and Purchasing department, led by you in partnership with the Head of Market. You will own assortment, vendor relationships, pricing, and open-to-buy, across all Minnesota stores, ensuring compliance with Minnesota OCM rules.

You’ll build the team, implement SOPs, manage budgets, and lead in-store and digital merchandising, with a focus on optimizing sell-through, margins, and inventory turns while traveling between locations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in retail buying, merchandising, or category management with 2+ years leading a team.
• Experience building new teams, departments, or processes.
• Cannabis or regulated-product retail experience preferred, multi-state operator ideal.
• Proven budget management, improving sell-through, margin and turns.
• Vendor relationships and pricing negotiation experience.
• Open-to-buy planning, inventory forecasting, pricing and margin knowledge.
• Strong analytical skills; advanced Excel or Google Sheets.
• Experience with POS, inventory management, and e-commerce platforms; seed-to-sale tracking experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Must be 21+, pass background check, valid driver’s license.
• Flexible schedule including evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Head of Market to set Minnesota merchandising and purchasing strategy.
• Establish department SOPs, performance measures, and grow a small team.
• Own purchasing of cannabis, hemp, and non-cannabis inventory; manage SKU lifecycles.
• Own allocation across Minnesota stores; collaborate on forecasts and production planning.
• Generate purchase orders, set par levels, coordinate transfers, and markdowns.
• Source and evaluate licensed cannabis and hemp vendors and non-cannabis suppliers.
• Lead in-store and digital merchandising; manage product data across systems.
• Oversee retail promotional calendar and timing of product launches.
• Ensure purchases meet OCM requirements; maintain records and seed-to-sale data.

Skills

Merchandising strategy

Vendor management

Open-to-buy planning

Data analysis

Negotiation

Inventory forecasting

Excel/Google Sheets

SKU rationalization

POS/e-commerce systems

Multi-state retail experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, Merchandising, or related field

Tools

Excel

Google Sheets

Pivot tables

ERP systems

Dutchie (familiarity)

Job description

Who we are:

At Vireo, we’re growing something bigger than a business. With roughly 4,500 team members, over 1 million square feet of cultivation space, and more than 170 dispensaries across 10+ states, we’re one of the fastest-growing platforms in the industry. The best part is that we’re just getting started.

What sets us apart isn’t just our footprint. It’s our people. From cultivation and manufacturing to retail, corporate operations, and our expanding agribusiness ventures, every role here plays a real part in shaping where this industry goes next. We look for people with drive, a positive attitude, and a genuine desire to make a difference and in return, we offer real opportunities to grow, contribute, and make an impact.

We’re also proud to be one of the most diverse and inclusive workplaces in cannabis. Our culture is built on collaboration, respect, and continuous improvement. This shows in how we support each other, engage with our communities, and celebrate wins together.

If you’re ready to turn your passion into a career, we’d love to have you on the team. Let’s grow the future together.

What the role is about:

This is a new role and a new department for Vireo Health of Minnesota. Partnering directly with the Head of Market on merchandising and purchasing strategy, the Merchandising and Purchasing Manager will build and lead the company's first merchandising and purchasing department, supported by a small team of one to two people, and owning the product assortment across all Minnesota retail locations, from purchasing and vendor relationships to pricing, allocation, and in-store and digital presentation. Using sell-through and SKU-level data, this person makes sure every store carries the right mix of Vireo-produced and third-party products, in the right depth, at the right time, for both medical patients and adult-use customers, while keeping every purchase compliant with Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management requirements. Regular travel between retail locations is required.

What impact you’ll make:

• Partner directly with the Head of Market to set Minnesota merchandising and purchasing strategy, including assortment direction, the balance of Vireo produced and third-party products, pricing strategy, margin targets, and the open-to-buy budget, and report regularly on sales, margin, inventory, and progress against the plan
• Establish the merchandising and purchasing department with the Head of Market, including its standard operating procedures and performance measures (gross margin, inventory turns, in-stock rate, sell-through, aged inventory, and shrink), and hire and develop a small team of one to two people as the department grows
• Own purchasing of all cannabis, hemp-derived, and non-cannabis inventory and manage SKU lifecycles, making add, keep, and discontinue decisions to meet customer demand and margin goals
• Own allocation of Vireo-produced products across Minnesota stores, and partner with production and supply chain on demand forecasts, production planning, and new product needs
• Generate and approve purchase orders, set par levels, coordinate transfers, and execute markdowns to prevent out-of-stocks and overstock and move slow-moving or aged inventory
• Source, negotiate with, and evaluate licensed cannabis and hemp vendors and non-cannabis suppliers, including vendor-funded promotions and product education for retail teams
• Lead in-store and digital merchandising (displays, planograms, online menus, and e-commerce product pages) and own accurate product data across POS, e-commerce, and inventory systems
• Own the retail promotional calendar for Vireo stores, choosing which products go on promotion, when, and at what price, and coordinate product launches and supply of Vireo-made products with the Wholesale Manager
• Ensure every purchase meets OCM requirements with the Compliance team, and keep vendor, invoice, and certificate of analysis records and seed-to-sale data accurate

What you’ve accomplished:

• 5+ years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or category management, with at least 2 years leading a team
• Experience building new teams, departments, or processes strongly preferred
• Cannabis, hemp, or other regulated-product retail experience strongly preferred, ideally with a multi-state operator; purchasing experience for multi-location retail or dispensary operations preferred
• Proven track record of managing a purchasing budget and improving sell-through, margin, and inventory turns
• Experience building vendor relationships and negotiating pricing and terms
• Working knowledge of open-to-buy planning, inventory forecasting, retail pricing and margin management, and SKU rationalization
• Strong analytical skills; advanced Excel or Google Sheets (pivot tables, lookups, forecasting)
• Experience with point-of-sale, inventory management, and e-commerce menu platforms (familiarity with Dutchie preferred); seed-to-sale tracking (such as Metrc), ERP, and cannabis analytics tools such as BDSA or Hoodie Analytics preferred
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent work experience
• Must be at least 21 years of age, pass a background check as required by Minnesota cannabis regulations, and have a valid driver's license
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends as business needs require

What we offer:

• Compensation: $90,000-105,000 annually depending on experience Competitive benefits offered: Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA Dependent Care, life that begin on the first of the month after you start
• 401k program with a 3% employer match after six months of employment
• 11 days of accrued PTO in addition to two wellness days & volunteer hours in your first year

Why Choose Vireo?

Life’s too short to work somewhere that doesn’t ignite your passion. The cannabis industry is fast-paced, innovative, and full of opportunity—where science meets creativity, and wellness meets culture.

At Vireo Health, we’re pioneering the future of cannabis with a team that’s as dynamic as the industry itself. Here, you’ll find a workplace that’s collaborative, inclusive, and driven by HEART and purpose, where your work has a real impact on people’s lives.

Whether you’re cultivating the highest-quality plants, crafting cutting-edge products, or shaping unforgettable customer experiences, you’ll be part of something bigger. If you’re looking for a career that’s exciting, meaningful, and full of growth, let’s build the future of cannabis together.

A Growing Industry: Work at the leading tech company in the cannabis industry and help shape the future

Passionate Culture: Join a team that truly cares about the plant, the people, and the purpose behind what we do

Employee Perks: Enjoy competitive pay and benefits, paid time off and employee discounts

Making an Impact: We’re committed to education, sustainability, and giving back to the communities we serve.

EEO Statement

Vireo Health, Inc. isan equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employmentwithout regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. www.vireohealth.com