About Inaru
Inaru is a warm ritual boutique and dispensary rooted in Taino heritage and the divine feminine. Born from a simple truth - that traditional cannabis retail rarely reflects the experience, heritage, or values of women and underserved communities - Inaru was created to fill that gap. We are a welcoming, education-first, intentional space where plant medicine is treated with reverence and every guest feels seen, supported, and empowered. We are not a transactional dispensary. We are a community.
As Dispensary Manager, you are the operational heart of that vision. You will build and lead the team that brings it to life every single day.
Role Summary
The Dispensary Manager owns the full operation of Inaru's Boulder dispensary - from opening to close, from guest experience to labor management to compliance. You are an experienced people manager who understands that a well-run store and an exceptional guest experience are not in tension: they depend on each other. You will report to the COO and work in close partnership with the brand leadership team.
People Management
- Directly manage all dispensary floor staff including budtenders, reception, and support roles
- Build and maintain a strong team culture rooted in Inaru's values: reverence, education, warmth, inclusivity, and genuine care
- Own the full employee lifecycle for your team - recruiting, onboarding, training, performance management, and offboarding - in partnership with HR
- Conduct regular 1:1s and team check-ins; provide ongoing coaching and real-time feedback
- Identify performance issues early and address them directly; document conversations and escalate to COO and HR as needed
- Recognize and celebrate team members who exemplify Inaru's brand values in their guest interactions
- Foster a psychologically safe, accountable, and mission-aligned team environment
- Partner with HR on performance improvement plans, disciplinary actions, and any employee relations issues
Scheduling & Labor Management
- Own the weekly schedule for all dispensary floor staff, published no later than 14 days days in advance
- Build schedules that balance guest experience quality with labor cost targets - this is a lean, high-touch operation, not a high-volume one
- Monitor and manage labor-to-sales ratio weekly; flag variances to the COO and adjust staffing accordingly
- Track hours, manage PTO requests, and ensure compliance with Colorado labor laws including meal and rest break requirements
- Manage callouts in real time; maintain an on-call or coverage protocol that protects floor quality without overburdening the team
- Use scheduling and labor data to make proactive staffing recommendations as the business grows
Guest Experience Ownership
- Own the end-to-end guest journey from the moment someone approaches the door through checkout and departure
- Ensure every interaction reflects Inaru's core values: plant medicine reverence, education over sales, warmth without pressure, and genuine non-judgment
- Monitor and maintain the sensory environment throughout operating hours - soundscape, scent, lighting, spatial flow, and overall energy - so the space consistently feels like the warm ritual boutique it is
- Train all customer-facing staff on Inaru's brand voice, values, and the distinction between an educated guide and a salesperson
- Develop systems that allow budtenders to spend meaningful, unhurried time with each guest
- Gather and synthesize guest feedback - verbal, survey, and review - and bring insights to leadership for experience improvements
- Identify when language, energy, or approach drifts from Inaru standards and provide real-time coaching to correct it
- Oversee the operational execution of community events and workshops, ensuring a seamless and brand-aligned experience
Compliance & Operations
- Ensure full compliance with Colorado MED regulations at all times - this is non-negotiable
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory in METRC; resolve variances promptly and document discrepancies per SOP
- Own daily, weekly, and monthly cash reconciliation; ensure cash handling procedures are followed consistently and accurately by all staff
- Execute opening and closing procedures; maintain SOPs for all operational functions and update them as the business evolves
- Conduct regular inventory audits and coordinate with the compliance team on inspection readiness
- Ensure all staff maintain current required state certifications (MED badge) and that renewals are tracked proactively
- Manage vendor relationships for operational supplies; escalate procurement needs to the COO
- Maintain a clean, organized, and inspection-ready facility at all times across all rooms
Financial Accountability
- Monitor labor-to-sales ratio weekly and adjust staffing proactively to hit targets
- Track daily sales performance and flag trends - positive or negative - to the COO
- Review shrink, waste, and inventory loss regularly; investigate and address root causes
- Understand the unit economics of the dispensary and make operational decisions with margin and sustainability in mind
- Provide weekly operational reporting to the COO covering sales performance, labor cost, compliance status, guest feedback highlights, and staffing updates
What You Bring
- 2+ years of dispensary management experience required; Colorado MED experience strongly preferred
- Proven track record as a people manager - you have hired, developed, and if necessary parted ways with team members, and you have done it with care and accountability
- Experience building and managing schedules and monitoring labor-to-sales ratios
- Solid working knowledge of METRC and Colorado cannabis compliance requirements
- Experience with cash management and daily reconciliation in a retail environment
- Strong communication skills - you can give direct feedback, navigate conflict, and build genuine relationships with your team and with guests
- High emotional intelligence; you can read a room, de-escalate tension, and model calm under pressure
- Genuine alignment with Inaru's mission - you understand that this is not just another dispensary and you are energized by that, not put off by it
- Comfort working in a values-driven, female-led organization with a collaborative leadership structure
- Must be 21+ and able to obtain or currently hold a valid Colorado MED badge
This Role is Not Right For You If
- You manage by metrics alone and don't invest in your team's development or wellbeing
- You see compliance as someone else's job
- You view atmosphere, energy, and guest experience quality as secondary to transaction volume
- You need complete autonomy and don't thrive in a collaborative decision-making environment
- You're looking for a high-volume, fast-paced operation where speed is the primary value
This Role Is Right For You If
- You believe a well-run store and an exceptional guest experience are the same thing
- You lead with empathy and accountability in equal measure
- You have created genuinely welcoming environments for diverse communities and you're proud of it
- You understand that slowing down to serve each guest well is the strategy, not a compromise
- You are energized by building something from the ground up and making it excellent
- You see cannabis as plant medicine deserving of education and intention - not just a product to move
Compensation & Benefits
[Salary range: $55,000 – $65,000 annually, depending on experience]
Inaru is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates