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Texas, United States
Onsite
Texas Original operates in one of the most closely regulated environments in American business. Our industry is regulated directly by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The Director of Compliance is the company's primary point of contact with all regulators. This is a strategic leadership role, not an administrative one. The Director owns Texas Original's regulatory-compliance program end to end, serves as the company's principal internal interface with DPS (and with the DEA upon federal registration), and brings sophisticated legal and regulatory judgment in-house — anticipating and neutralizing enforcement exposure before it materializes, and ensuring that when regulators engage, they meet a disciplined, meticulously documented organization. Physical security is overseen through a Security Manager who reports to this role.
Regulatory strategy, enforcement readiness, and agency interface
Serve as the company's primary strategic interface with DPS and, upon federal registration, the DEA — managing these relationships with professionalism, credibility, and sound legal judgment.
Lead the company's response to inspections, audits, investigations, information requests, and any administrative or enforcement action — coordinating with outside regulatory counsel on contested or high-stakes matters and escalating appropriately.
Provide authoritative in-house interpretation of the Texas Compassionate Use Program (CUP), DPS Administrative Rules, and applicable state and federal law; translate legal requirements into defensible, practical operating procedures across the business.
Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, assess their impact, and position the company ahead of change.
Diversion prevention and program integrity — the paramount risk
Lead and manage a best-in-class diversion-prevention and inventory-integrity program (seed-to-sale / track-and-trace, reconciliation, and loss investigation) engineered to withstand scrutiny.
Lead internal audits to identify and close any potential gaps; maintain continuous inspection readiness across all licensed cultivation, manufacturing, laboratory, fulfillment, transportation, and retail locations.
Develop, implement, and monitor corrective and preventive action (CAPA) plans arising from audits, inspections, or investigations, and track outcomes to closure.
Maintain all required compliance documentation, records, licenses, registrations, permits, and inspection files, and coordinate all regulatory reporting, submissions, renewals, and correspondence.
Federal / DEA controlled-substance compliance (upon registration)
Own the company's DEA registration compliance: registration-file maintenance, initial inventory upon grant of registration, biennial inventories, and federal recordkeeping under 21 CFR Parts 1301 and 1304.
Implement DEA-conformant employee screening (21 CFR 1301.90) and required security controls.
Serve as the company's point of contact for DEA inspections alongside DPS.
Oversight of physical security (delegated)
Set the standards and policy for the company's physical-security program and oversee the Security Manager, who administers access control, credentialing, visitor management, CCTV surveillance, alarm and intrusion-detection systems, key/badge control, and incident response.
Ensure the security program satisfies all regulatory requirements and that surveillance, access, and product-handling controls will hold up under regulator review — setting direction and verifying results rather than personally operating systems.
Leadership and culture
Direct investigations into any inventory discrepancies, unauthorized access, and compliance concerns — ensuring reportable incidents reach regulators within required timelines.
Build and lead the compliance function; partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Cultivation, Retail, Quality, Facilities, IT, HR, and Finance to embed compliance into daily operations and support new openings, expansions, and operational changes.
Develop and deliver training on regulatory compliance, diversion prevention, incident reporting, and confidentiality; instill a company-wide culture in which compliance is understood as the company's protection, not a constraint.
Define KPIs for the compliance and security programs and report regularly to executive leadership on regulatory risk and posture.
Required
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with the State Bar of Texas — or active U.S. bar membership with the ability to become licensed in Texas.
Five (5)+ years in regulatory compliance, regulatory or administrative law, or government/agency enforcement — with meaningful experience in a heavily regulated, enforcement-intensive industry (e.g., cannabis, pharmaceuticals or controlled substances, alcohol/TABC, gaming, healthcare, or financial services).
Proven ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into practical, defensible operating procedures.
Three (3)+ years of leadership or supervisory experience, with sound judgment, discretion, and executive-level written and verbal communication.
Strongly preferred
Experience with controlled-substance regulation (DEA / 21 CFR), Texas administrative law, or prior service with a government or regulatory agency (e.g., DPS, the Office of the Attorney General, or a comparable enforcement/regulatory body).
Prior in-house regulatory/compliance leadership or regulatory practice at a law firm; experience standing up a compliance program in a newly regulated or licensing-driven business.
Experience overseeing multi-site operations and a subordinate security or investigations function.
Ability to travel between company locations throughout Texas as needed, and to walk cultivation, manufacturing, warehouse, and retail facilities; occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
Availability to respond to time-sensitive regulatory or security matters outside normal business hours when necessary.
