Lead Animal Care Technician

Animal-House-Wilmington; Fairlawn (NC); On-site; USD 19,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted daycare for your own dog

Medical/vision/dental plans and 401k

Job summary

Animal House Wilmington is seeking a Lead Animal Care Technician who thrives in a fast-paced pet care setting. You will guide a team, uphold safety standards, and ensure compassionate care for every dog in our playgroups and kennels.

Ideal candidates bring leadership, reliability, and a passion for working with animals. The role requires flexibility for evenings, weekends, and holidays, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and customer service.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience and ability to guide a team.
• Dependable and reliable with a strong safety mindset.
• Comfort with computers and kennel software.
• Collaborates well with others to ensure quality care.
• Clear, timely communication with team members and pet parents.
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Keen observation skills to keep guests safe and comfortable.
• Previous petcare/animal experience preferred, but not required.
• Comfort around dogs of all sizes and breeds.
• Ability to stand for long periods and lift at least 50 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Set a high standard for center operations and lead by example.
• Train staff and provide resources for success.
• Manage facility in absence of supervisors and relay information up the chain.
• Oversee playgroup supervision and dog behavior.
• Learn canine body language to keep dogs safe and happy in kennels and play areas.
• Maintain cleanliness of kennels, play areas, and equipment.
• Feed pets per owners’ instructions and ensure fresh water and bedding.
• Use common sense to solve issues with dogs in care.
• Take initiative to handle a variety of tasks in the center.
• Communicate effectively with the team and pet parents.
• Follow safety protocols to ensure a safe environment for all.

Skills

Leadership

Dependable

Tech savvy

Team player

Good communicator

Flexibility

Attention to detail

Animal experience

Dog friendly

Physical stamina

Job description

Description

Are you ready to join our team and make tails wag? At Animal House Wilmington we’re seeking dog lovers with a passion for providing top notch care and a desire to grow with a company of like-minded individuals. We’re all about hiring and retaining the best talent for our furry friends! As a Lead Animal Care Technician, you’ll be a kind, conscientious, detail-oriented caregiver with a flexible schedule and desire to lead people. We strive to provide a safe, fun, and rewarding work environment with a focus on pampering pets and ensuring smiles all around!

Duties include:

• Shining Example: Setting the standard for optimum operation of your center; adhering to operating policies and leading the team by example.
• Training: Teaching staff their roles and providing them with the advice and resources necessary to succeed.
• Accountability: Taking charge of the facility in the absence of the General Manager and Assistant Manager and communicating all necessary information up through the chain of leadership, including notes about dog behavior, supply needs, and potential incidents.
• Playgroup Supervision: Overseeing a playgroup of dogs and managing their behavior and playtime.
• Canine Knowledge: Learning animal behavior to provide a safe environment, including studying canine body language and learning how to make dogs comfortable in a kennel and playgroup environment.
• Cleaning: Managing the cleanliness of our kennels and play areas and maintaining the highest possible cleaning standards. Cleaning toys, washing dishes, mopping floors, vacuuming hair, and taking care of unpleasant doggy messes are critical aspects of the job!
• Daily Care: Feeding pets according to parents’ instructions; making sure all dogs have fresh water, clean bedding, and a comfortable space to stay overnight. May also include administering medication according to veterinary instructions.
• Problem Solving: Use common sense to solve problems as it relates to dogs in our care.
• Be Proactive: Work with initiative to take on an array of tasks in our center.
• Work Together: Communicating effectively with other team members—working at a doggie daycare is fun, but only if everyone is on the same page!
• Guest Service: Must have excellent customer service skills and be enthusiastic about talking with pet parents about their family members!
• Safety First: Able to follow established safety protocols to the letter to ensure a safe and fun environment for our guests—and ourselves!
• Must love dogs: We have a lot of them!

Please note that the above-listed duties and responsibilities are the basic requirements for this role and may be modified, expanded, or reduced based on the evolving needs of the company.

Benefits

• discounted daycare and boarding for your own dog
• additional benefits available for full time employees like medical/vision/dental plans and 401k!
• Pay starts at $14.00/hr.

Requirements

What we’re looking for:

• Leadership: A natural leader—will ideally have previous leadership experience, and a natural drive to take the lead.
• Dependable: Able to be counted on to be present, focused, and make sure facility is run to standards and safety protocols followed.
• Tech Savvy: Comfort with computers and technology and learning/operating kennel software.
• Team Player: Works well with others to make sure all duties are completed, and our guests are in unparalleled care.
• Good Communicator: Able to properly, promptly, and effectively communicate with other team members, management, and pet parents.
• Flexibility: A flexible schedule. Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Attention to Detail: Uses keen observation skills to make sure guests are safe and comfortable, and to report any issues as they arise.
• Animal Experience: Previous petcare/animal experience preferred, but not required. Love for animals a must.
• Dog Friendly: Comfortable with dogs of all sizes and breeds—we see it all.
• Physical Stamina: An ability to stand/work upright for multiple hours at a time, in all weather types; able to lift at least 50 lbs. and remain active throughout your shift. This can be a physically demanding job!