Associate Project Manager, Retail

JOB SUMMARY

The Retail Development Associate Project Manager is responsible for establishing strategic partnerships within the communities we serve and will lead project management efforts to ensure the successful launch and setup of Sunnyside* Dispensaries within a designated region.  In this dynamic role you will serve as a brand ambassador to drive program awareness and increase patient referrals via physician outreach initiatives.  You will also spearhead the set-up of new retail locations to meet operational, compliance and brand standards. This role manages communication between numerous key internal and external business partners in support of the seamless, on time and on budget delivery of all store-related opening and outreach activities.  They will work cross-functionally with Retail, Human Resources, Compliance, IT, Security, Facilities Management and Marketing and liaison with HQ leadership. 

CORE JOB DUTIES 

Outreach Responsibilities: 

• Establish and maintain strong physician and partner relationships to increase referrals and new patient count for new and existing retail stores. 
• Educate physicians on Cresco Labs products and drive Company’s mission and vision of normalizing cannabis and educating non patients on the wellness benefits of medicinal cannabis. 
• Achieve outreach objectives by adhering to KPIs and aligning to the overall strategy. 
• Ensure timely completion of required outreach logs and trackers to provide key stakeholders with visibility of outreach performance.  
• Provide outreach training to retail store designated associates who will serve as the in-store outreach lead. 
• Ensure timely completion of required outreach logs and trackers to provide key stakeholders with visibility of outreach performance.  
• Partner with store leadership to ensure execution of outreach tracker and adequate stock of outreach marketing collateral.  
• Gather data and insights from individual dispensaries to contribute to strategic plans for the region that address outreach opportunities.  
• Recommend out-of-the-box, new, and exciting opportunities for Sunnyside to be engaged and present within the community. 
• Maintain strictest confidentiality in compliance with HIPAA guidelines. 
• Desire to constantly learn and seek out new information about cannabis as a medicine and understand cannabis in general. 
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, procedures, state, and local laws. 

New Store Opening Responsibilities: 

• Execute established goals and objectives for dedicated new store openings within the region, ensuring all new stores are delivered on time, within scope and within budget. 
• Manage the coordination of internal resources and third-party vendors to ensure the flawless execution of new store openings. 
• Manage the New Store Opening Planner to successfully track activity and progress of new store openings in respective territory, including updating milestone dates and coordinating changes with cross-functional teams. 
• Manage changes to project schedule and associated impact on costs and budget, including revising deadlines and prioritizing tasks. 
• Manage and prioritize resources availability and allocation while maintaining fiscal responsibility. 
• Independently make effective decisions when presented with multiple options on how to best progress with the project, including but not limited to construction completion, regulatory compliance and state mandates. 
• Ensure implementation of each state’s rules and regulations for retail sites to ensure compliance. 
• Work in partnership with the construction team and retail team to execute and communicate established deadlines for new store set-up. 
• Coordinate and execute initial store supply order and set up with new store team, including managing the timeline for product release from farm to store. 
• Partner with Facilities Management to set up vendors for store operation support.  
• Establish and nurture key business partner relationships across Retail Leadership, Human Resources/L&D, Compliance, New Store Development, Marketing, and IT. 
• Make frequent site visits before and/or during construction of store to ensure standards and design are met. 
• Partner with internal retail client, general contractor, and local department of buildings to ensure completion of all required certificates and inspections needed for store opening. 
• Coordinate the final weeks of construction to manage any changes or updates needed to ensure optimized workflow and compliance. 
• Execute the final walk-thru and punch list for store completion. 
• Summarize project status updates and provide project updates to internal retail clients on a consistent basis. 
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with all key stakeholders and external vendors. 

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND SKILLS  

• Associate’s degree in business or comparable experience. 
• Minimum 2 years of project management or related experience. 
• Experience in a retail environment required; cannabis industry preferred. 
• Highly organized, motivated, energetic and independent with strong interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing to people with various backgrounds and management levels. 
• Experience seeing projects through the full life cycle and proven ability to complete projects according to scope, budget, and timeline. 
• Highly flexible and adaptable – working in a fast-paced start-up involves daily shifting priorities; able to go with the flow and adjust to changing needs quickly. 
• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills. 
• A strategic thinker with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to provide solutions. 
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Demonstrate high level of professionalism and confidentiality as well as being able to relate. comfortably to people in all levels of the organization. 
• Available to work all hours of operation inclusive of nights, weekends, and holidays 
• Ability to travel throughout the state 75% of the time. 
• Be flexible to be available for weekend hours as needed. 

BENEFITS

Cresco Labs is proud to offer eligible employees a robust offering of benefits including, major medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(K)-match program, FSA/HSA programs, LTD/STD options, life insurance and AD&D.  We also offer eligible employees paid holidays and paid time off.  Other rewards may include annual discretionary bonuses, stock options as well as participation in our employee discount program. Benefits eligibility for permanent positions may vary by full-time or part-time roles, location, or position.