Job Profile: Technical Security Specialist

Job Overview

The Technical Security Specialist is the primary custodian of the physical security technology infrastructure within a cannabis enterprise. This role directly addresses the industry's unique security challenges: protecting high-value, federally illicit assets while adhering to exceptionally prescriptive state-level regulations. The specialist designs, implements, and manages a suite of integrated systems—including Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), access control, and intrusion detection—that form the backbone of the organization's security posture. This position requires a blend of hands-on technical expertise and strategic thinking to create a security ecosystem that prevents inventory diversion, protects proprietary genetics, and generates the immutable documentation required to pass stringent government audits. The work directly underpins the company's ability to maintain its license to operate, making this a pivotal function for business continuity and growth.

A Day in the Life

The day's activities begin with a comprehensive system health audit. The specialist logs into the Video Management System (VMS) to review the status of over 300 IP cameras across cultivation, processing, and vaulting facilities. A dashboard alert indicates a camera in Flower Room 4 has lost connectivity. Cross-referencing network monitoring tools, the specialist identifies a potential switch failure and creates a work order for the IT team to investigate, attaching a priority flag due to the compliance implications of a camera outage in a limited-access area. This proactive check ensures the organization's security posture is maintained without interruption.

Attention then shifts to a major capital project: the design of a new 75,000-square-foot processing and distribution hub. The specialist opens the architectural drawings in CAD software to overlay the security design. This task involves precise placement of cameras to ensure overlapping fields of view with no blind spots, as mandated by state regulations. Specific attention is paid to points of ingress/egress and areas where cannabis is handled, such as trim stations and the secure vault. Access control readers are mapped out, creating a tiered permission structure that restricts movement based on job function, ensuring that cultivation staff cannot access the secure transport bay, for example. This planning phase is crucial for building a compliant and effective security framework from the ground up.

Midday involves collaboration with the Compliance Manager. Together, they perform a quarterly audit of the access control logs. The specialist generates a report of all after-hours access to the finished goods vault and cross-references it with approved work schedules. An anomaly is detected: an access card assigned to a former employee was used over the weekend. The specialist immediately retrieves the corresponding CCTV footage, isolates the event, and exports the video clip as evidence. The investigation reveals a failure in the offboarding process. The specialist deactivates the credential and provides the documented evidence to HR and Compliance to refine their de-provisioning protocol, thus strengthening internal controls.

The afternoon is dedicated to system maintenance and documentation. The specialist conducts a physical inspection of camera housings in the high-humidity grow rooms, cleaning lenses and checking seals to prevent moisture ingress. Following the inspection, updates are made to the security system's standard operating procedures (SOPs). The documentation for the new expansion project is formalized, including a detailed device map, network topology, and a narrative explaining how the design meets every specific point of the state's cannabis security regulations. This meticulous documentation is essential for demonstrating compliance during an unannounced regulatory audit and forms the basis for future decision making on system upgrades.

Core Responsibilities & Operational Impact

The Technical Security Specialist directs activities across three primary domains to ensure a robust security posture:

1. Security System Architecture & Project Management

• Regulatory Design: Translating dense state cannabis regulations into actionable technical specifications for CCTV, access control, and intrusion detection systems using tools like CAD software.
• Vendor & Technology Management: Leading the selection, procurement, and oversight of third-party integrators for new system installations and upgrades, ensuring adherence to best practices and project timelines.
• System Commissioning: Performing comprehensive testing and validation of newly installed security hardware and software to confirm full operational capability and compliance before a new facility goes live.

2. System Administration & Compliance Assurance

• Proactive Maintenance: Administering the VMS and access control platforms, conducting routine health checks, applying firmware updates, and managing user permissions to ensure system integrity and uptime.
• Meticulous Documentation: Creating and maintaining a complete library of security system documentation, including floor plans, network diagrams, device inventories, and operational procedures for audit readiness.
• Emergency Response Support: Acting as the technical point of contact during security incidents, retrieving and preserving video and access log evidence to support investigations and fulfill regulatory reporting requirements.

3. Cross-Functional Influence & Process Improvement

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Working closely with cross-functional teams, including IT, Facilities, and Operations, to ensure the security infrastructure supports their workflows without compromising asset protection.
• Workforce Training: Developing and delivering training programs for employees on security protocols, proper use of access cards, and their role in maintaining the overall security posture.
• Continuous Improvement: Analyzing system data and incident reports to identify vulnerabilities or inefficiencies, recommending technology upgrades or process changes to enhance security and operational effectiveness.

Strategic Impact Analysis

The Technical Security Specialist exerts significant influence over key performance indicators across the business:

Chain of Command & Key Stakeholders

Reports To: This role typically reports to a Director of Security, Head of Facilities, or Chief Compliance Officer, depending on the organizational structure.

Similar Roles: Professionals with titles such as Physical Security Engineer, Security Systems Administrator, Access Control Specialist, or Loss Prevention Technology Manager possess highly transferable skills. This role functions at the level of a senior specialist or engineer, serving as the subject matter expert for all electronic physical security systems. It bridges the gap between high-level security policy and the technical implementation of hardware and software in the field.

Works Closely With: Constant collaboration is required with the IT Manager for network support, the Compliance Manager for regulatory interpretation, and departmental heads like the Cultivation Director and Post-Harvest Manager to ensure security measures align with operational needs.

Technology, Tools & Systems

Proficiency with specific enterprise-level technologies is essential for success:

• Video Management Systems (VMS): Deep, hands-on experience with enterprise platforms such as Genetec Security Center, Milestone XProtect, or Avigilon Control Center for managing large-scale IP camera deployments.
• Access Control Systems (ACS): Expertise in administering and programming systems like LenelS2, Brivo, AMAG Technology, or Openpath to manage credentials and create complex access levels.
• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software: Competency in using software like AutoCAD or Revit to read architectural plans and create detailed security device layouts for construction and compliance documentation.
• Network Infrastructure: A strong working knowledge of IP networking principles, including VLANs, PoE, and bandwidth management, is critical as all modern security devices reside on the network.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

Transferable Skills

Candidates from other highly regulated and high-value industries are uniquely positioned for success:

• Casino & Gaming Surveillance: Proven experience managing vast, mission-critical CCTV systems under the oversight of a gaming commission translates directly to the cannabis regulatory environment.
• Data Center Physical Security: Expertise in designing multi-layered security zones, managing biometric access control, and maintaining uptime for critical infrastructure is highly applicable.
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: A background in securing facilities that handle controlled substances, maintaining chain-of-custody documentation, and operating in a GxP environment is ideal.
• Financial & Banking Security: Experience securing high-value assets in vaults, managing complex alarm systems, and adhering to strict audit and reporting requirements aligns well with this role.

Critical Competencies

The role demands a specific set of professional capabilities:

• Regulatory Translation: The ability to deconstruct complex legal and regulatory text and convert it into concrete, defensible technical security designs and procedures.
• Systemic Thinking: The capacity to see security not as a collection of individual devices, but as an integrated ecosystem where changes in one area impact the entire security posture.
• Unwavering Attention to Detail: An aptitude for meticulous documentation and system configuration, where a single incorrect setting can create a major compliance vulnerability.

Top 3 Influential Entities for the Role

The standards and requirements governing this role are primarily shaped by these entities:

• State Cannabis Regulatory Agencies: Entities like the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) or the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED). These agencies publish the specific, legally binding regulations for facility security, including camera coverage, storage requirements, and access control protocols, which are the primary drivers of this role's work.
• ASIS International: A global community of security practitioners that sets the professional standards for the industry. Their certifications, such as the Physical Security Professional (PSP), establish the body of knowledge and best practices that inform high-quality security design and management.
• Security Industry Association (SIA): An organization that drives standards for security technology manufacturers. Their work on protocols like ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) is crucial for ensuring that cameras, recorders, and software from different vendors can work together in an integrated, non-proprietary system.

Acronyms & Terminology