Chief Operating Officer (Cannabis Industry)

Location: Kingston, New York

Industry: Cannabis

About the Opportunity

A growing, vertically integrated New York cannabis company is seeking an experienced leader to lead day-to-day operations, strengthen business performance, and build the infrastructure needed to support its next phase of growth.

With an established cultivation operation spanning approximately five acres of greenhouse and outdoor production, an existing product line, and distribution through licensed dispensaries across New York State, the company is focused on scaling its business while maintaining product quality, operational efficiency, and strong margins.

This is a hands-on executive leadership opportunity for an entrepreneurial, data-driven operator who can connect production, post-harvest, packaging, inventory, sales, and financial performance. The goal is to build a disciplined, accountable organization capable of scaling toward $1 million in monthly sales.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of regulated cannabis operations, experience building and leading high-performing teams, and the ability to turn business goals into measurable results.

Key Responsibilities

Company Operations & Executive Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day business operations and ensure effective coordination across departments.
• Develop the organizational structure, processes, and systems needed to support continued growth.
• Recruit, lead, and develop department leaders while establishing clear responsibilities, KPIs, and accountability.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement improvements that increase efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
• Manage operating expenses, staffing levels, and departmental budgets.
• Partner closely with ownership to communicate company performance, challenges, and growth opportunities.

Production & Post-Harvest Operations

• Maintain visibility into cultivation planning, production schedules, harvest timelines, yields, and labor efficiency.
• Coordinate cultivation output with post-harvest capacity, packaging requirements, inventory needs, and sales forecasts.
• Oversee post-harvest operations, including drying, curing, trimming, quality control, testing coordination, and finished flower preparation.
• Manage packaging, pre-roll production, branded finished goods, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution coordination.
• Identify production or scheduling issues before they affect product availability, quality, or revenue.

Sales & Revenue Growth

• Build and manage a high-performing cannabis wholesale sales organization.
• Recruit sales representatives and sales leadership, establish territories and sales goals, and implement effective commission structures.
• Expand existing dispensary relationships and develop new wholesale accounts across New York State.
• Monitor wholesale pricing, sell-through, collections, account performance, and market conditions.
• Align production and inventory planning with sales forecasts and revenue targets.
• Establish reporting systems that provide visibility into sales activity and performance.

Inventory, Systems & Compliance

• Establish strong inventory controls across bulk flower, work-in-process inventory, packaging materials, and finished goods.
• Maintain accurate physical and system inventory, including METRC entries, reconciliation, and inventory counts.
• Reduce inventory discrepancies, product loss, and aging inventory.
• Develop and monitor KPIs covering yield, cost per pound, labor, packaging, product margins, sales performance, and operating expenses.
• Use data and reporting to identify inefficiencies, guide decisions, and improve financial and operational performance.
• Partner with compliance personnel and department leaders to maintain adherence to applicable New York cannabis regulations.

Product & Business Development

• Evaluate product formats, SKUs, pre-rolls, multipacks, and other branded product opportunities.
• Optimize product mix based on sales performance, demand, inventory availability, and margins.
• Coordinate packaging procurement and ensure materials and finished goods are available to support sales.
• Work with ownership and sales leadership to identify opportunities for revenue growth and operational improvement.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in the regulated cannabis industry, ideally within cultivation, manufacturing, processing, or a vertically integrated operation.
• Previous experience as a COO, VP of Operations, General Manager, or comparable senior operations executive.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple departments, manage teams, and develop strong department leaders.
• Strong understanding of the cannabis supply chain, from cultivation and harvest through post-harvest, packaging, inventory, and wholesale distribution.
• Experience overseeing post-harvest operations, cannabis packaging, and finished-goods production.
• Experience building or managing cannabis wholesale sales teams and driving dispensary account growth.
• Strong knowledge of inventory management, METRC, and regulated cannabis operations.
• Experience managing budgets, controlling operating expenses, and improving margins.
• Strong analytical skills, including KPI development, performance reporting, and data-driven decision-making.
• Ability to establish accountability, improve processes, and build scalable operating systems.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to be hands-on when necessary.
• Knowledge of the New York cannabis market is highly preferred.

Measures of Success

• Scaling the business toward $1 million in monthly sales.
• Building an accountable sales organization that expands dispensary relationships and revenue.
• Improving post-harvest efficiency, packaging capacity, inventory accuracy, and product availability.
• Maintaining accurate METRC records and strong regulatory compliance.
• Improving operating margins, labor efficiency, and cost management.
• Establishing reliable company-wide reporting, KPIs, and performance management systems.
• Building a strong management team and scalable operating structure while maintaining product quality and brand reputation.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to take a pivotal executive leadership role in a growing New York cannabis company with an established cultivation operation, existing products, and a foundation for continued expansion.

Working directly with ownership, the COO will help shape the company's operating strategy, build a high-performing team, and establish the systems and processes needed to support sustainable growth.

We are looking for a leader who takes ownership, values accountability, and is motivated by the opportunity to build a more efficient, profitable, and scalable cannabis business.