AI Systems Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Social Cannabis is a multistate cannabis retailer with locations across Colorado and New Jersey. We run a lean team, and technology is how we keep operations sharp across every store. Our core stack includes Dutchie for point of sale, Alpine IQ for loyalty and CRM, Metrc for regulatory compliance and inventory tracking, and QuickBooks Online for financials, alongside a number of other tools we rely on daily.

One of our co-founders has led our AI and systems work to this point. This role takes it over and broadens it.

The core of the job is simple: look at how our business runs today and use AI to make it better. That can mean building an automation that removes manual work, using a model to check our systems for issues we would otherwise miss, reworking content across our website or menus, building better reporting and analysis, or finding opportunities we have not yet considered. The scope is intentionally broad. We want someone who thinks beyond the obvious, sees where AI can create real leverage, and builds the solution.

This is a builder’s role, not a management role. You will work directly with the founders, with a meaningful amount of independence and room to shape what the function becomes as the company grows.

WHAT YOU’LL OWN

AI-Driven Improvement (approximately 70%)

• Evaluate how work gets done across retail, finance, HR, marketing, and operations. Identify where AI can improve quality, speed, or cost, and deliver the solution end to end.
• Use AI to audit and health-check our systems — catching data issues, inventory discrepancies, and process gaps before they become problems.
• Apply AI to content work across the business: product descriptions, menu copy, internal documentation, marketing support, and reporting.
• Build automated reporting and dashboards that pull from Dutchie, Alpine IQ, Metrc, QuickBooks Online, Asana, and other sources, replacing manual analytical work.
• Design and implement workflow automations that remove repetitive tasks across the organization.
• Build integrations so data moves between our systems without human effort.
• Set a standard for AI output quality — validation steps, accuracy checks, and human review where the stakes call for it. A confident wrong answer can cause real damage, and you build with that in mind.
• Stay current on the AI landscape. When a new model or tool offers a meaningful advantage, bring it into the business thoughtfully.

Systems Management (approximately 30%)

• Administer and optimize Dutchie, Alpine IQ, Metrc, and related platforms across all locations.
• Own system configurations, user permissions, updates, and vendor relationships.
• Monitor system health across stores and resolve issues as they arise.
• Evaluate new tools with attention to how well they integrate, scale, and support AI-enabled workflows.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

A smart, curious person with a genuine interest in AI. You do not need to be an expert. You do need to already be using these tools in your own work and life, paying attention to where the space is going, and excited about what is possible.

You understand the limits of these tools as well as the upside. Models make mistakes. Automations fail quietly. Data drifts. You build with that in mind, and you know how to verify output before it reaches a decision-maker.

You are technical enough to build the work yourself. Python, SQL, and comfort with APIs are the baseline. More important than any specific stack is your ability to learn quickly and ship.

This role runs with real independence. You should be comfortable making judgment calls, prioritizing your own work, and moving without a detailed roadmap.

BACKGROUND WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• 3 to 8 years in a technology, data, engineering, operations, or systems role, or a less traditional path that has led you to similar capability.
• A track record of using AI, automations, or integrations to improve how a business runs. We will want to see examples.
• Working knowledge of today’s AI landscape — models, tools, prompt design, and output validation — and the habits of someone who keeps up as the space evolves.
• Technical skills in Python, SQL, and APIs. Comfort with no-code and low-code tools is welcome when paired with strong judgment.
• Experience with POS, CRM, or retail operations systems is a plus. Dutchie experience is a meaningful advantage.
• Cannabis industry experience is appreciated but not required.
• Based in or willing to work on-site in Denver, Colorado.