Pet Care Leader

The purpose of this position is to provide pet safety and care to all pets in the store’s care, including in the Pet Care department, the PetsHotel, and the Salon. This position also provides leadership in the store by championing exceptional customer service, ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for pets, Pet Parents and associates, and training, growing and developing a committed, high performing team. This position is responsible and accountable for entire store operations in the absence of the Store Leader, as assigned.

Responsibilities

Job responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Primary Responsibilities:

• Drives PetSmart’s vision, mission, values, and strategy within the store, holding associates accountable.

• Ensures the pets in our care are happy and healthy in all areas of the store including the PetsHotel, Salon and the Pet Care department; monitors the safety and well-being of every pet and associate in the store; ensures immediate action is taken when a sick pet is found in the store (cost is not a consideration); fosters an environment where pet health and care is first and foremost; and ensures a high level of cleanliness, sanitation, and humane conditions for all pets in the store.

• Champions and teaches exceptional customer service to build trust with Pet Parents by genuinely engaging with them, building strong relationships based upon the love of pets, and sharing solutions relevant to their needs.
• Ensures consistent compliance with all company policies and procedures, as well as the safety and security of company assets, customers, pets, and associates, which can be achieved through regular store walks, trains on and holds associates accountable to company and government safety standards.

PetSmart is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetics, and protected veteran status, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

The employer will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring. Applicants must be over the age of 18 (except in Montana or where otherwise required by local or state law)

For applicants in our Waterloo, San Francisco, or Los Angeles locations: Pursuant to the Waterloo and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, as well as the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, we will consider for employment, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent with the law

Competencies

The following knowledge, skills, abilities are necessary to be successful in this job:

• Knowledge of pet safety laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of pet health, care, and maintenance.
• Knowledge of customer service principles.
• Knowledge of retail industry principles and practices, including opening, closing and day to day operations, merchandising, pricing, receiving and inventory control.
• Knowledge of basic human resource principles and practices to include performance management, coaching, development, interviewing, and discipline.
• Knowledge of safety policies, laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of cash handling.
• Ability to recognize health issues or abnormal behaviors in pets.
• Ability to effectively lead and provide direction to others.
• Ability to collect and analyze information, evaluate and interpret data and reports, draw conclusions based on the data and make decisions based those conclusions.
• Ability to provide effective guidance, instruction, mentorship, and planning, to store associates, while keeping a positive attitude.
• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with superiors, colleagues, subordinates and leaders outside the organization.
• Ability to use registers, phones, computers, and scheduling software to assist Pet Parents and associates.
• Ability to read, write, speak and understand English.

Education and Experience

Demonstrated competencies required for this job are most often acquired through the following practical experience and level of academic education and/or training as suggested below.

Education/Training: Minimum of High school diploma or GED.

Experience: Minimum of 1 year of leading teams and 2 years of pet health care.

Certifications and Licenses

Must possess or be able to acquire the following certification(s) and/or licenses:

• None.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to stand, walk, and use hands to handle, or feel. The associate frequently is required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, talk and/or hear. The associate is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance. The associate must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally team lift and/or move in excess of 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include depth perception.

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is occasionally exposed to a wet environment with an abundance of pet hair, and to moving mechanical parts. The noise level is moderate in the work environment; however, associates may be exposed to high levels of noise at times. Exposure to live animals and their handling is common.