Animal Care Specialist

Petco; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company dedicated to improving the lives of pets and their owners! As an Operations Specialist in Animal Care, you will play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of all animals in the Pet Care Center. Your passion for animal welfare, coupled with your sales expertise, will help create an exceptional experience for guests. Collaborate with a dynamic team to drive outstanding results while nurturing a culture of teamwork and inclusion. This position offers opportunities for growth and development within a vibrant environment focused on purpose-driven work. If you love animals and want to make a difference, this is the perfect role for you!

Qualifications

• 1+ year experience caring for companion animals and aquatic life.
• Strong knowledge of animal welfare and sales techniques.

Responsibilities

• Ensure proper care for all companion animals and aquatic life.
• Support sales goals and maintain inventory strategies.
• Promote teamwork and a positive culture within the Pet Care Center.

Skills

Animal Care

Sales Techniques

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Create a healthier, brighter future for pets, pet parents and people!

If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.

Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets, people and our planet.

• We love all pets like our own
• We’re the future of the pet industry
• We’re here to improve lives
• We drive outstanding results together
• We’re welcome as we are

Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and Petco partners. We are 29,000 strong and operate 1,500+ pet care centers in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. We’re focused on purpose-driven work, and strongly believe what’s good for pets, people and our planet is good for Petco.

Position Overview

As an Operations Specialist in Animal Care, your role will be to ensure that proper animal care and husbandry is being provided for all companion animals and aquatic life in the Pet Care Center (PCC). You’ll be the primary resource regarding animal care and maintenance. This position will support the achievement of the PCC's budgeted sales and shrink goals. You’ll ensure our merchandising and inventory strategies are executed across the Pet Care Center with your primary focus in companion animals and aquatic life. You will ensure the efficient and effective operations of the Pet Care Center in close partnership with the sales team to meet the needs of the guest and their pet/s. You can excel in this role by exhibiting a passion for the welfare, health, and proper care of animals as well as being a positive partner within the whole Pet Care Center team.

Position Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• Have a strong interest in animal welfare and possess a high level of knowledge of our companion animal and aquatic care.
• Ensure that all companion animals and aquatic life in the PCC are receiving appropriate care. This includes ensuring that all companion animal and aquatic life maintenance, companion animal incident reports and hourly animal health checks are completed as required.
• Process register transactions in a way that creates a great experience for each guest.
• Be proficient within our selling model and support guest interactions as needed.
• Ensure merchandise is stocked, priced, and displayed to create a great presentation for our guests.
• Complete and apply training programs to maintain a high level of expertise of their role and educate other PCC partners in animal care and maintenance.
• Promote a positive culture of teamwork, inclusion, and collaboration.
• Adhere to established operational guidelines, policies, and procedures.
• Evaluate guest inquiries and refers to the Leader on Duty as needed.
• Act as primary resource for guests and other PCC partners regarding all animal education and care.
• Efficiently orders companion animals and aquatic life, supplies and merchandise in partnership with the sales team to maximize sales, margin, and inventory.
• Analyzes department inventory management data and recommends areas for improvement.
• Perform routine housekeeping tasks as required to maintain the professional image and appearance of the companion animal habitat and aquatic areas, to include sweeping/mopping the floors, dusting, cleaning the tanks, facing the merchandise on the shelves, etc.
• Ensures the proper handling and documentation for all relinquished and adoption animals.
• Verifies animal related maintenance tasks are being completed as outlined on the Maintenance Schedules.
• Participates in the completion of all animal and aquatic life related physical inventory counts.
• Adheres to and promotes established safety and loss prevention procedures.
• Performs additional duties and projects as required or assigned with or without regular supervision.

Other Essential Duties

• UTILIZE SELLING BEHAVIORS. You’re the key to providing an amazing guest experience within our Pet Care Center locations. Utilizing the behaviors within our Sales Model is critical to being able to identify and solve for their needs both today and in the future.
• CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. You’ll be empowered through our training programs to maintain our safety protocols. Bottom line, the safety of partners, guests and pets is our #1 priority.
• BE A PART OF A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE. Being a great teammate is key to creating a culture that is centered around solving for the health and wellness needs of pets.
• ENGAGE IN YOUR CAREER: As you develop your skills and knowledge, you will have the opportunity to participate in developmental programs to support your continued growth throughout your career.

Basic Qualifications

Minimum of one year of experience working with and/or caring for companion animals and aquatic life is required for this position. Qualified applicants will possess a high level of knowledge of companion animals and aquatic life and an aptitude for sales techniques. In addition to having a professional appearance and demeanor, applicants must also demonstrate a keen and genuine interest in animals and their care. Good interpersonal and verbal communication skills are necessary due to the nature of interaction with the public and other partners and leaders within the PCC as well as external veterinary partners.

Certification

Completing and maintaining of the Petco Animal Care Certification program is required in this role.

Education/Skills

In addition to a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED), an applicant must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the areas of mathematics and basic accounting relationships and exhibit exceptional communication skills.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Ensures that the Pet Care Center is opened and / or closed in accordance with established P&Ps as it applies to SFS operations.
• Adhere to and promote established safety procedures for partners, guests, and pets.

Work Environment

The majority of job duties are conducted indoors, although guest carryouts and veterinary visits will require that a partner leave the PCC briefly. Because this position requires bending, kneeling, moving merchandise (up to 50 pounds, as necessary) and standing for long periods of time, there may be risk of injury resulting from not following procedures. Ability and willingness to a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends to meet PCC needs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Petco Health & Wellness, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.