Pet Care Manager Home Away From Home - Fargo, North DakotaWags Stay 'N Play - Moorhead, MinnesotaFull-Time | Salaried | $52,000 per year maximum Reports to: Area Manager About the Role Home Away From Home and Wags Stay 'N Play are seeking a hands-on Pet Care Manager to help lead pet care operations across both locations and ensure that every animal receives safe, consistent, and compassionate care. This is a true two-location leadership position with shared responsibility for the pet care teams and operations at both Home Away From Home in Fargo and Wags Stay 'N Play in Moorhead. The Pet Care Manager should expect to work regularly at both facilities. Although the position is designed to provide approximately equal support to each location over time, it will not follow a fixed 50-50 weekly schedule. Time spent at each facility will be determined by its current operational needs, including occupancy, staffing levels, employee development, training needs, scheduled projects, leadership coverage, and other business priorities. The Pet Care Manager will work closely with the Area Manager to determine where their presence will have the greatest impact. Some weeks may require more time at Home Away From Home, while others may require more time at Wags. This is a working leadership position for someone who can build strong teams, establish clear expectations, and remain actively involved in daily pet care operations. Primary Responsibilities Animal Care and Safety Maintain the highest standards of animal safety, supervision, handling, and care at both locations. Oversee playgroups, boarding routines, feeding, medications, rotations, enrichment, and individual care instructions. Ensure employees consistently follow all safety protocols, cleaning procedures, and standards of care. Monitor pet behavior and intervene appropriately when safety or behavioral concerns arise. Review and respond to incidents, injuries, illnesses, and changes in animal behavior. Ensure feeding, medication, belongings, and care documentation is completed accurately. Promote consistent pet care practices across Home Away From Home and Wags Stay 'N Play. Team Leadership Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop pet care employees across both locations. Set clear daily expectations and hold employees accountable for their performance. Conduct regular floor observations and provide timely, practical coaching. Build a culture centered on safety, teamwork, urgency, cleanliness, accountability, and compassionate care. Address attendance, conduct, and performance concerns consistently. Develop team leads and other employees who demonstrate leadership potential. Ensure appropriate staffing during weekends, holidays, peak periods, and unexpected absences. Help employees understand and consistently execute company procedures and standards. Two-Location Operational Leadership Share responsibility for pet care operations at both Home Away From Home and Wags Stay 'N Play. Work with the Area Manager to prioritize time between the two facilities based on current business and operational needs. Provide leadership coverage, employee training, operational assistance, and project support at either location. Help maintain consistent operating and pet care standards across the Fargo-Moorhead market. Identify successful practices at one location and help implement them appropriately at the other. Respond flexibly to changes in occupancy, staffing, employee performance, leadership coverage, and operational demands. Maintain reliable transportation and the ability to travel between the Fargo and Moorhead facilities. Operations and Facility Standards Direct daily pet care operations based on occupancy, workload, staffing, and animal needs. Ensure kennels, play areas, yards, food-preparation spaces, and common areas meet company cleanliness standards. Verify that opening, closing, cleaning, feeding, medication, and safety checklists are completed accurately and on time. Manage labor responsibly and adjust staffing as business volume changes. Monitor payroll percentages, scheduled labor hours, and productivity at both locations. Identify operational problems early and implement practical solutions. Maintain adequate pet care, cleaning, and safety supplies. Partner with the Area Manager and other department leaders to provide a consistent experience for pets, clients, and employees. Location and Scheduling Expectations This position supports Home Away From Home and Wags Stay 'N Play on an approximately equal basis over time. However, the Pet Care Manager will not be assigned a guaranteed number of days or hours at either facility. Scheduling and location assignments will be based on factors such as: Pet occupancy and care requirements Staffing levels and callouts Training and employee-development needs Leadership coverage Facility or operational projects Seasonal and holiday demand Performance concerns requiring direct oversight The overall needs of the two-location market The Area Manager will coordinate these priorities with the Pet Care Manager. Flexibility and the ability to shift between locations are essential requirements of the position. Performance Expectations Performance may be measured through KPIs that include: Animal safety and incident prevention Compliance with feeding, medication, and care procedures Facility cleanliness and operational audit results Consistency of standards across both locations Staffing and labor management Payroll percentage and labor-hour performance Employee attendance, retention, training, and development Completion of daily checklists and assigned responsibilities Client satisfaction and resolution of pet care concerns Enrollment in enrichment and activity programs Leadership responsiveness and dependability Overall department performance and execution of company standards Qualifications Previous leadership experience in pet care, boarding, daycare, veterinary care, animal services, hospitality, or another fast-paced service environment Experience supervising, coaching, developing, and holding employees accountable Strong understanding of dog behavior, group play, and safe animal-handling practices Ability to organize people and priorities in changing, high-volume environments Sound judgment and the ability to remain calm during emergencies Clear written and verbal communication skills Comfort using scheduling, payroll, point-of-sale, and pet-management technology Willingness and ability to work regularly at both the Fargo and Moorhead locations Reliable transportation between locations Availability based on business needs, including some early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays Relevant animal-care leadership experience is strongly preferred. We value demonstrated leadership ability, accountability, and sound judgment more than a specific degree. Physical Requirements This position requires extended periods of standing and walking, frequent bending and reaching, working indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions, handling dogs of different sizes and temperaments, and safely lifting up to 50 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.

Compensation and Benefits Annual salary:

$52,000 maximum Eligibility for performance-based bonuses tied to defined metrics and KPIs Employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance Paid time off Employee pet-care benefits Leadership development and advancement opportunities within the Embark Pet Services network Benefit eligibility, coverage, and bonus opportunities are governed by the applicable company plans and policies. What Success Looks Like A successful Pet Care Manager creates safe, clean, well-organized pet care operations at both Home Away From Home and Wags Stay 'N Play. Pets are consistently well cared for, employees understand what is expected of them, labor is managed responsibly, and daily responsibilities are completed without constant intervention from senior leadership. This individual serves as a dependable partner to the Area Manager, responds flexibly to the changing needs of both locations, and helps create one consistent standard of care across the Fargo-Moorhead market. Home Away From Home and Wags Stay 'N Play are equal-opportunity employers. Employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable law.

Pay:

Up to $52,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance On-the-job training Opportunities for advancement Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person