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Program Specialist 1 (Cannabis) - VID 228229

New York State Civil Service

Buffalo, NY · HybridFull-time / Temporary$33.51/hrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$33.51/hr
Location
Buffalo, NYHybrid
Schedule
Full-time / Temporary
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Valid NYS Driver's License Or Transportation Capacity

Job overview

Reporting to a Program Specialist 2, the Program Specialist 1 (Cannabis) performs compliance work for an assigned regional area. The role primarily audits licensees, develops guidance documents, prepares findings, and may research cannabis products and testing results or inspect facilities. It also reviews licensee data and procedures, responds to inquiries, and supports inspections and product recalls to help ensure compliance with regulations and public health and safety practices.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Compliance AuditingData AnalysisCannabis Product EvaluationRegulatory InspectionsPolicy AnalysisResearchRisk AssessmentQuality AssuranceCommunity OutreachContract Negotiation

Qualifications

Six Years Experience or Degree SubstitutionValid NYS Driver's License or Transportation Capacity

Full job description

NY HELPS No

55-b/c Eligible No

Agency Cannabis Management, Office of

Title Program Specialist 1 (Cannabis) - VID 228229

Occupational Category Other Professional Careers

Salary Grade NS

Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary Range From $33.51 to $33.51 Hourly

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Temporary

Internship No

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 50%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Erie

Street Address 535 Washington St.

City Buffalo

State NY

Zip Code 14203

Duties Description Reporting to a Program Specialist 2 (Cannabis), the Program Specialist 1 (Cannabis) position will be responsible for inspecting, auditing, researching, evaluating, and performing a full range of compliance duties for the regional area they are assigned to. The Program Specialist 1 (Cannabis) position will primarily perform audits to ensure adherence to program regulations, develop guidance documents, prepare statement of findings, and any other duties to ensure licensees are complying with public health and safety best practices. The Program Specialist 1 (Cannabis) may also research and evaluate cannabis products and testing results, administration methods to ensure consumer safety, and compliance with regulations for medical, adult-use, and cannabinoid hemp. Incumbent may also perform inspections of applicants and licensee physical facilities.Duties include, but may not be limited to:• Collaborate with staff in the review of licensee information and track and analyze data from licensed entities to ensure compliance with all applicable laws regulations, policies and procedures. • Review testing reports and assist in managing and tracking cannabis recalls, quarantines, and product remediations.• Respond to inquiries from applicants, licensed entities and stakeholders reporting complaints or seeking agency assistance.• Review incoming data, including adverse events, dispensing data, and inventory and sales data to assess compliance or respond to inquiries reported to the agency. • Review and research licensee information.• Assist with completion of on-site inspection reports and findings after inspection completed.• Assist with drafting responses to FAQs and knowledge-based language for shared mailbox responses.• Compile information to be shared with both internal and external stakeholders.• Serve on a team conducting inspections of licensed entities to monitor compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.• Evaluate licensee standard operating procedures, including environmental impact of cannabis cultivation methods, manufacturing and extraction methods for cannabis processing, product labeling, packaging, and advertising for cannabis products.• May perform the full range of supervisory responsibilities.• Perform other duties and special projects as required.

Minimum Qualifications Six years of experience where your major job responsibilities included one of the following: accounting and auditing; investigating or inspecting regulated entities and facilities; interpreting and explaining policies, rules, regulations, or laws to organizations, government or corporate officials, or individuals; policy analysis and research; surveillance; quality assurance that included evaluating whether projects met or are meeting requirements that included risk assessment; providing professional level economic development products or services; community outreach which included vulnerable populations; negotiating or approving contracts or agreements with suppliers, distributors, federal or state agencies, or other administrative control processes.Substitution:An associate degree may substitute for two years of experience; a bachelor’s degree may substitute for four years of experience; a master’s degree may substitute for five years of experience; and a doctorate may substitute for six years of experience.NOTE: IN ORDER TO AWARD THE PROPER CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE, RESUMES MUST INCLUDE MONTH AND YEAR FOR START AND END DATES. IF ANY OF THIS EXPERIENCE IS LESS THAN FULL TIME YOU MUST INDICATE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER WEEK.

Additional Comments • Travel may be required (approximately 50%), including during evening and weekends, depending on mission and assignment. • Possession and maintenance of a valid Driver’s License issued by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicle is required or otherwise demonstrate the capacity to meet the transportation needs of the job. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) is an equal opportunity employer, and we recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We encourage applicants from all communities to apply. For a full version of OCM’s EEO/AA statement and benefits of joining OCM, please visit: About | Office of Cannabis Management (ny.gov). NYS Office of Cannabis Management does not participate in E-Verify and does not sponsor visa applications. NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: Employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to the agency’s Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name Human Resources/JY

Telephone 518-473-5282

Fax 518-486-1631

Email Address [email protected]

Address

Street NYS Office of General Services, HRM

31st Floor Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12242

Notes on Applying Please submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected] detailing how you meet the minimum qualifications along with the month/year and, if less than full time, the average hours worked per week for each position listed. Indicate the Position Title & Vacancy ID number of each position you are applying to.

How this job compares

Set against the 2,774 open Compliance jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$33.51/hr
  • New York median$25–31/hr22 hourly ranges
  • US median$24–28/hr148 hourly ranges

This rate, $33.51/hr, is 14% above the New York median midpoint ($29/hr) — in the top quarter of Compliance hourly ranges in New York.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 328 open Compliance jobs in New York and 2,774 across the US. 8% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in New York
Experience
This posting asks for at least 6 years of experience; Compliance postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (2,352 postings).
Education
1,163 of the 2,774 open Compliance jobs (42%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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