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
