The Senior Inventory Coordinator is the guardian of an organization's most valuable physical asset: its cannabis inventory. This position operates at the high-stakes intersection of physical logistics, digital traceability, and stringent government regulation. The role's primary function is to maintain a perfect, real-time reconciliation between the physical stock held in vaults and distribution centers and its digital representation in the state-mandated seed-to-sale tracking system. In an industry where a single misplaced gram can trigger a full-scale regulatory audit and jeopardize a multi-million-dollar license, this position is the central nervous system of the supply chain. The coordinator ensures that every product—from bulk flower to individual vape cartridges—is meticulously tracked, documented, and accounted for from the moment it enters the facility to its final departure on a secure transport vehicle. This function is fundamental to operational continuity, financial reporting accuracy, and the company’s legal right to operate.
The day begins inside the main product vault, a limited-access, climate-controlled area under constant video surveillance. The first task is to execute a planned cycle count. Today’s focus is on high-value concentrates. Using a handheld RFID scanner, the coordinator audits a specific set of shelves containing batches of live resin, systematically scanning the Unique Identifier (UID) tag on each package. The scanner’s data is cross-referenced in real-time against the inventory quantities listed in both the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and the state’s Metrc seed-to-sale portal. A discrepancy of two grams is flagged on a specific batch. The investigation begins immediately. The coordinator reviews vault access logs, security camera footage from the previous shift, and recent outbound manifests to trace the product’s movement and identify the source of the error—a likely data entry mistake during the last fulfillment cycle.
Next, the focus shifts to outbound logistics. The Senior Inventory Coordinator meets with the Fleet Manager to review the day's transport manifests. Each manifest is a legally binding document detailing every single cannabis product loaded onto a delivery vehicle. The coordinator meticulously verifies that the product descriptions, quantities, batch numbers, and UID tags on the manifest perfectly match the physical products staged for loading. They confirm that the associated Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each batch is digitally attached to the manifest, a requirement for delivery acceptance at the dispensary. One manifest for a major client is found to have an incorrect UID for a case of THC-infused seltzers. The coordinator flags the error, initiates a correction in the seed-to-sale system, and oversees the re-printing of the compliant manifest before the vehicle can be loaded, preventing a costly rejection at the destination.
Midday involves managing specialized inventory zones. The coordinator audits the quarantine cage, where product is held pending lab testing results or is segregated due to a potential quality issue. They verify that the physical and digital segregation is absolute, ensuring no non-compliant product can be accidentally moved into sellable stock. Later, they process an inventory adjustment for product destruction. A case of edibles past its expiration date must be disposed of according to strict state protocols. The coordinator documents the process, records the exact weight and UID of the product being destroyed, and ensures a witness signs off on the documentation before the product is rendered unusable and disposed of. This entire event is logged in the seed-to-sale system as a permanent record.
The afternoon is dedicated to data analysis and procedural improvement. The coordinator runs a velocity report to identify the fastest and slowest-moving SKUs over the past quarter. This data is shared with the sales and procurement teams to optimize reordering and prevent both stockouts of popular items and overstocking of slow sellers. They also analyze inventory accuracy trends, noting a recurring pattern of minor discrepancies in a specific picking zone. A root cause analysis suggests the layout of the shelving is causing picking errors. The coordinator drafts a proposal for a small-scale reorganization of the zone and develops a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to present to the Director of Logistics. The day concludes with a final system-wide reconciliation and the generation of a daily inventory status report for senior management, detailing key metrics like inventory value on hand, accuracy rate, and the status of any open discrepancy investigations.
The Senior Inventory Coordinator executes their duties across three primary domains of responsibility:
The Senior Inventory Coordinator has a direct and measurable impact on the company's performance across multiple strategic vectors:
| Impact Area | Strategic Influence |
|---|---|
| Cash | Protects working capital by minimizing inventory loss from damage, expiration, or shrinkage, and prevents cash drains from severe regulatory fines. |
| Profits | Maximizes revenue by ensuring high order fulfillment accuracy, preventing lost sales due to perceived stockouts, and avoiding chargebacks from retailers for incorrect shipments. |
| Assets | Directly manages and secures the company's largest current asset—the finished goods inventory—ensuring its value is preserved and accurately reflected on the balance sheet. |
| Growth | Establishes a scalable and auditable inventory control framework that provides the confidence to expand product lines and enter new geographic markets. |
| People | Drives operational discipline and accountability through clear procedures and training, reducing errors and fostering a culture of precision across the logistics team. |
| Products | Guarantees end-to-end product traceability, enabling rapid and precise execution of a product recall if necessary and protecting consumer safety and brand reputation. |
| Legal Exposure | Creates an unimpeachable record of the chain of custody for all cannabis products, providing a robust legal defense against accusations of diversion or non-compliance. |
| Compliance | Serves as the frontline executor of state-mandated inventory tracking regulations, directly ensuring the company maintains its good standing with cannabis control boards. |
| Regulatory | Acts as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for inventory during regulatory audits, demonstrating operational control and transparency to inspectors. |
Reports To: This position typically reports to the Director of Logistics, Supply Chain Manager, or Director of Operations.
Similar Roles: This role shares core competencies with an Inventory Control Manager, Logistics Analyst, or Warehouse Operations Supervisor in traditional CPG or pharmaceutical industries. However, the cannabis-specific role carries a significantly heavier weight of regulatory compliance. Equivalently skilled professionals might hold titles like Supply Chain Compliance Specialist or Regulated Materials Controller in other highly-regulated sectors. The position is a senior, non-managerial expert role, pivotal for bridging the gap between frontline warehouse staff and supply chain leadership.
Works Closely With: This position requires constant collaboration with the Fleet Manager, Fulfillment Supervisor, Head of Post-Harvest Production, and the Chief Compliance Officer.
Mastery of specific technology platforms is essential for success in this role:
Professionals from other highly regulated and detail-oriented industries are exceptionally well-suited for this role:
The role demands a unique combination of technical skills and personal attributes:
The daily functions and strategic priorities of this role are shaped by these key organizations:
| Acronym/Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| S2S | Seed-to-Sale. A term for the government-mandated tracking system used to monitor the entire lifecycle of a cannabis product. |
| UID | Unique Identifier. A specific alphanumeric code or RFID tag assigned to each plant or package of cannabis product for tracking within the S2S system. |
| Manifest | The official, state-required transport document that details the contents, origin, destination, and transporter of a cannabis shipment. |
| COA | Certificate of Analysis. A document from an accredited third-party lab that confirms a cannabis product has been tested for potency and contaminants. |
| ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning. A type of software that organizations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, and supply chain operations. |
| IMS | Inventory Management System. Software used to track inventory levels, orders, sales, and deliveries. |
| FEFO | First-Expired, First-Out. An inventory management principle where products with the earliest expiration dates are shipped first. |
| Shrinkage | The loss of inventory that can be attributed to factors such as employee theft, shoplifting, administrative error, vendor fraud, damage, or cashier error. |
| Cycle Count | An inventory auditing procedure where a small subset of inventory in a specific location is counted on a specified day. |
| Reconciliation | The process of comparing physical inventory counts to the records in the inventory management system and S2S system to identify and resolve discrepancies. |
| Diversion | The illegal transfer of regulated cannabis products from the legal supply chain to the illicit market. Unexplained inventory loss is often treated as potential diversion by regulators. |
| Chain of Custody | The chronological documentation or paper trail, showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of physical or electronic evidence. In cannabis, it refers to the documented path of the product. |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure. A set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out complex routine operations. |
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