Head Stylist - Dog Groomer - Middlesbrough

Pets at Home Limited; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pet care company in Tees Valley is seeking a Head Stylist to lead its grooming salon. In this role, you'll ensure high grooming standards while mentoring a talented team. The ideal candidate will have extensive dog grooming experience and a passion for customer service. You'll work closely with the Store Manager to enhance salon performance. We offer attractive pay rates, commission, and great benefits including paid leave and discounts. Join us to inspire and create a positive environment for pets and their owners.

Benefits

Attractive pay plus commission

28 days paid leave, increasing to 33 days

Extra day off for birthday

Life Assurance

Pension contribution of 4%

20% colleague discount across the Group

Qualifications

• Experienced in all aspects of dog grooming including breed-specific styling.
• Customer-focused with a professional approach.
• Flexible with variable scheduling.
• Team-oriented with a positive attitude.
• Experience in target-led environments is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality grooms for various breeds.
• Set grooming standards through leadership.
• Support and guide the team in grooming techniques.
• Create a welcoming environment for customers.
• Drive salon performance with the Store Manager.

Skills

Dog grooming expertise

Customer service

Teamwork

Flexibility

Goal driven

Job description

As a Head Stylist, you'll play a pivotal role in the success of our Pets Grooming salon, combining hands‑on grooming expertise with inspiring leadership. This is more than just a grooming role – it's your opportunity to shape salon standards, mentor a talented team, and ensure every pet leaves looking and feeling their best.

Responsibilities

• Deliver full, high‑quality grooms with confidence and precision across a variety of breeds
• Set the benchmark for grooming standards within the salon through a hands‑on leadership approach
• Support and guide your team, sharing advanced grooming techniques and developing their skills
• Create a welcoming, customer‑focused environment that delights pet owners
• Work closely with the Store Manager to drive salon performance, efficiency, and customer satisfaction

Qualifications

• Experienced and confident in all aspects of dog grooming, from bathing and drying to breed‑specific styling and finishing
• Customer‑focused, with a friendly and professional approach
• Flexible and reliable, able to work a variable schedule across the week (minimum hours per week with potential for more during busy periods)
• Team oriented, with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and grow in a fast‑paced retail environment
• Goal driven, with experience in target‑led environments (preferred, but not essential)

We believe in creating welcoming, supportive environments where team members can thrive. If you share our love for pets and our commitment to excellence, we'd love to meet you.

Benefits

• Attractive rates of pay plus commission, subject to targets
• 28 days paid annual leave, rising to 33 days after 2 years (includes 8 bank holidays and pro‑rated to your contracted hours)
• Extra day off for your birthday
• Life Assurance - 4 times your annual salary
• Company pension contribution of 4%
• Colleague discount of 20% across the Group (Pets at Home, Pets Grooming, Vets for Pets), including 30% off on own bran

We take our inspiration from pets in embracing people from all walks of life, and we value, respect and celebrate difference. We encourage our people to be their best selves so that we can create a better world for Pets, our Planet and People. Our ambition is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and we are intentional in addressing and removing barriers to create opportunities for the exceptional talent and potential in our communities. Even if your skills and experience don't perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you!