Operations Leader

Petco; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Petco is seeking a Key Holder to join our store leadership team in Charlottesville, VA. This role focuses on guiding hourly partners, ensuring exceptional customer service, and maintaining a safe, clean retail environment for pets and people.

You will open and close the store, support daily operations, and help execute merchandising plans while delivering a superior shopping experience. The position requires reliable leadership in a fast-paced Pet Care Center setting.

Qualifications

• Previous retail experience required; key holder or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Basic math skills and experience handling cash and transactions.
• Reliable, responsible, and detail oriented.

Responsibilities

• Uphold Petco’s animal care standards, ensuring health and safety of animals.
• Promote a safe, welcoming environment for pets, parents, and partners.
• Follow all policies related to animal welfare, safety, and store operations.
• Deliver friendly, knowledgeable, and solution-oriented service to every customer.
• Support and supervise store partners, helping maintain productivity and morale.
• Assist with training new partners and reinforcing best practices on the sales floor.
• Open and close the store while following cash handling, safety, and security protocols.
• Execute merchandising standards, including planograms and pricing accuracy.
• Assist with inventory counts, replenishment, and shrink awareness.
• Identify out-of-stocks or merchandising issues and communicate them to leadership.

Skills

Retail experience

Leadership

Communication

Multitasking

Cash handling

Detail oriented

Job description

Want to help pets live their best lives?

We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. 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 and people.

• Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.

• Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through district experiences, products, and services.

• Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.

About Petco:

We’re proud to be “where the pets go” to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years — from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood — the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

As a Key Holder , you are a trusted member of the leadership team who helps ensure smooth daily operations, exceptional customer service, and a safe, secure environment for pets, partners, and customers.

You support store leadership by supervising partners, opening and closing the store, and serving as a point of contact when management is not present. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys leading on the floor, solving problems in the moment, and delivering a great experience every day.

What You’ll Do

Pet First

• Uphold Petco’s animal care standards, ensuring the health, safety, and proper handling of all animals.
• Promote a safe, welcoming environment for pets, pet parents, and partners.
• Follow all policies and procedures related to animal welfare, safety, and store operations.

Foster the Fun

• Deliver friendly, knowledgeable, and solution-oriented service to every customer.
• Support and supervise store partners, helping maintain productivity and positive morale.
• Assist with training new partners and reinforcing best practices on the sales floor.
• Help maintain a clean, organized, and visually appealing store environment.

Let’s Go!

• Open and close the store while following all cash handling, safety, and security protocols.
• Support daily store operations including sales, task execution, and recovery.
• Execute merchandising standards, including planograms, pricing accuracy, signage, and promotional set‑ups.
• Assist with inventory activities such as restocking, cycle counts, inventory integrity, and required inventory paperwork.
• Identify out-of-stocks, low inventory, or merchandising issues and communicate them to store leadership.
• Process transactions, refunds, and exchanges accurately and efficiently.
• Act as the primary point of contact in the absence of store management.
• Support sales initiatives and promotions to help achieve store goals.

Key Responsibilities

Store Operations, Merchandising & Inventory

• Maintain merchandise presentation and in‑stock conditions to Petco standards.
• Ensure accurate pricing and signage throughout the store.
• Assist with inventory counts, product replenishment, and shrink awareness.
• Monitor merchandising and inventory conditions during shifts and elevate issues as needed.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and safety standards.

Customer Experience & Leadership

• Address customer questions and resolve concerns promptly and professionally.
• Model Petco’s selling behaviors and service expectations.
• Provide guidance and direction to partners during assigned shifts.
• Escalate concerns appropriately to store leadership.

What Success Looks Like

• The store opens and closes safely and smoothly.
• Merchandise is well‑stocked, accurately priced, and visually appealing.
• Inventory is handled accurately and with care.
• Customers receive prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable service.
• Partners feel supported and clear on expectations during each shift.

What You Bring

Experience & Skills

• Previous retail experience required; key holder or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong leadership, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast‑paced environment.
• Basic math skills and experience handling cash and transactions.
• Reliable, responsible, and detail oriented.

Essential Functions & Work Environment

This role is primarily performed in a Pet Care Center retail environment. The Key Holder is expected to be regularly present on the sales floor, leading by example and engaging with partners, customers, and pets.

• Majority of work is conducted indoors; however, occasional duties may require leaving the Pet Care Center for tasks such as bank deposits, merchandise transport, or community events.
• The role requires frequent standing and walking, as well as bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting.
• Ability to safely lift and move merchandise, supplies, or animals weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Regular engagement with customers on the sales floor, including providing customer assistance and performing cashiering and point‑of‑sale transactions.
• Must be able to work in proximity to animals, including exposure to animal dander, odors, noises, and cleaning chemicals.
• Flexible availability to support Pet Care Center operating hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• A limited amount of travel may be required for training, meetings, or community engagement.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Why You’ll Love It Here

• Purpose‑driven work that makes a difference for pets and people.
• Opportunities to build leadership skills and grow your career.
• A collaborative, inclusive team culture.
• A strong stepping stone for future leadership opportunities.

Petco Animal Supplies, 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.

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