Assistant Store Manager - Rotorua

Animates Holdings NZ Ltd; Rotorua; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development pathway

Staff discounts

Parental leave benefits

Paws for Good volunteer leave

Bereavement leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Animates Rotorua is seeking an Assistant Store Manager for a maternity leave cover, overseeing customer service, sales, and operations. You will support the Store Manager to maintain high standards, coach staff, and ensure financial targets are met.

You’ll gain specialist product knowledge, including nutrition advice, educational toys, and aquarium guidance, while leading a passionate team in a busy retail environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience coaching and developing others.
• Supervisory or store management experience preferred but not essential.
• Strong customer service and sales orientation.

Responsibilities

• Support the Store Manager to deliver customer service excellence.
• Drive sales, coach the team and meet high operational standards and financial targets.
• Provide specialist product knowledge and training to staff.

Skills

Coaching

Team leadership

Customer service

Retail operations

Deadlines & delegation

Tools

Stock management

Job description

At Animates, we’re passionate about helping pet parents give their pets the happiest, healthiest lives possible.

Animates is New Zealand’s largest pet care specialist, with 48 retail stores, 34 grooming salons and 14 vet clinics working together across communities to support the wellbeing of pets. Every day our teams empower pet parents with trusted advice, quality products and expert services so they can make informed decisions for the animals they love.

As part of our busy, Rotorua store, you’ll be part of a passionate and energetic team who are passionate about Pets, Retail and Customer Service.

This is a full-time, fixed term position, working 40 hours per week, from Sundays through to Thursdays, including store opens and closes as per the roster.

This is a maternity leave cover. Start Date: 11 January 2026 End Date: 15 July 2027.

What you'll be doing?

This isn’t your regular customer service role. Here at Animates, the advice you give and the products you sell make a real difference to the lives of pets.

As an Assistant Store Manager, you'll provide the Store Manager with the support they need to deliver customer service excellence, drive sales, coach the team whilst meeting the high operational standards and financial targets we expect.

Our values-led culture and extensive training will also develop your expertise to provide specialist nutrition advice, suggest educational toys and know what fish species make good tank-mates + much more!

What we’re looking for:

Passion for developing and supporting your team. You’ll also pride yourself on delivering customer service excellence, proactively seek solutions and be committed to ongoing learning.

To be successful you’ll also have:

• Proven experience coaching and developing others
• Supervisory or store Management experience preferred but not essential
• An exceptionally friendly and engaging manner to build a regular customer base and grow sales
• Operational experience to identify key priorities, meet deadlines and delegate
• Experience in a customer facing role (retail experience preferred)
• Physical ability to lift stock (up to 20kg)
• Flexibility to work weekdays, weekends and public holidays
• A positive attitude and dedication to being a valuable team member

What we offer:

• Tailored career development –whether you're interested in leadership, grooming roles, or becoming a puppyschool trainer, we offer a range of progression pathways and hands‑on supportto help you grow in the direction that suits you best
• Various career progression pathways
• Generous discounts at our retail stores and vet clinics
• Parental leave benefits to support your growing family
• Give back to your chosen charities through our ‘Paws for Good’ volunteer leave
• Paid bereavement leave following the loss of a pet
• Access to free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme
• Stability. Be part of a business that’s growing and thriving

Why you will love Animates:

We’re proud to offer a genuinely supportive and inclusive culture, where our leaders care deeply about the wellbeing of their teams and everyone livesvalues of passion, authenticity, care, knowledge, and togetherness. As a Rainbow Tick Certified Employer, we encourage you to bring your whole self to work.

We’re also honoured to be the first organisation in Aotearoa to achieve Gold level recognition in the Mental Health First Aid Workplace Recognition Programme. This reflects how seriously we take mental health and wellbeing—through training our people in Mental Health First Aid, creating safe and open environments to talk, and making sure everyone feels supported, connected, and able to look out for one another every day.

If you’re looking for a leadership role where you can grow and support your team, run a successful store, and make a real difference to pets and their people, we’d love to hear from you.