Pet Care Operations Manager
Lead with Heart. Solve Problems. Make a Difference Every Day.
This isn't your typical management position—and we're not looking for a typical manager.
We're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys leading people, thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves animals, and isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves and jump in wherever they're needed.
At Dog Days Pet Care, our managers don't spend their day sitting behind a desk. They lead by example. One moment you may be supporting a team member in the field, the next you're meeting a new client and their pet, coordinating schedules, solving unexpected challenges, or stepping in to provide hands-on pet care.
Every day presents a new opportunity to lead, solve problems, support your team, and make a meaningful difference for both pets and the families who love them.
If you're someone who enjoys building relationships, making decisions, taking ownership of your work, and creating exceptional experiences for both clients and employees, you may be exactly who we're looking for.
About Dog Days Pet Care
Dog Days Pet Care is a locally owned pet care company that has proudly served Central Suffolk County for more than 10 years.
What started as a small business has grown into a trusted, five-star rated company providing premium in-home pet care services to hundreds of families throughout our community. As we've continued to grow, we've expanded our service area, our client base, and our leadership team to better support both the families we serve and the employees who make it all possible.
Everything we do is centered around one goal:
Providing families with complete peace of mind while they're away from the pets they love.
Our administrative headquarters and daily operations are based from my home, which serves as the central hub for our management team, staff, and the pets currently in our care. This is a unique environment that combines leadership, hands-on pet care, and daily operations in one location.
This is not a remote position or a traditional office environment.
We're looking for someone who isn't simply searching for their next job—we're looking for someone who wants to become an important part of the future of our company.
What You'll Be Doing
This is a true working manager position.
You'll spend part of your day leading your team, part of your day supporting clients, and part of your day providing hands-on pet care. No two days are exactly alike.
On any given day, you may be:
- Leading and supporting our Pet Care Assistants throughout the day.
- Coordinating daily schedules and ensuring every pet receives the exceptional care our clients expect.
- Routing visits efficiently to maximize customer service and team productivity.
- Meeting with new clients and conducting pet care consultations.
- Responding to unexpected schedule changes and finding solutions quickly.
- Training, mentoring, and encouraging new team members.
- Communicating with clients and providing exceptional customer service.
- Monitoring the quality of care provided by our team.
- Jumping in to provide hands-on pet care whenever staffing challenges, vacations, emergencies, or unexpected situations arise.
- Working alongside the team—not above them.
Schedule & Training
Once training has been successfully completed, this position transitions into a consistent leadership schedule of:
Saturday
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Additional hours are often available—and at times expected—during vacations, holidays, peak seasons, emergency situations, staffing shortages, and the ongoing needs of the business.
Training is comprehensive and designed to prepare you to confidently lead on your own.
During onboarding, you'll work directly alongside our current Operations Manager, learning every aspect of our business—from scheduling and routing to client communication, leadership, field operations, administrative responsibilities, and our standards of care.
Because training follows the day-to-day needs of the business, your schedule during onboarding will vary and may include weekdays, weekends, mornings, evenings, and holidays. Applicants must have a highly flexible schedule during the training period.
Our goal isn't simply to train you to do the job—we're preparing you to confidently lead daily operations on your assigned days.
What You'll Need to Succeed
We're looking for someone with both the professional experience and the personal character to succeed in this role.
To qualify, you must have:
- A minimum of 2–3 years of professional management experience supervising employees in a workplace environment.
- Professional experience working with dogs and confidence handling both small and large breeds.
- Excellent communication and customer service skills.
- Strong organizational and time-management abilities.
- The ability to comfortably manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- A reliable vehicle and willingness to travel throughout our service area.
- A smartphone (iPhone or Android).
- The confidence to make sound decisions while working independently.
Most importantly...
We're looking for someone who takes pride in doing the right thing—even when no one is watching.
Leadership experience through school organizations, volunteer work, clubs, sports teams, or similar activities alone does not meet the professional management experience requirement for this position.
Who Thrives Here?
The people who are happiest at Dog Days Pet Care are those who:
✔ Take initiative instead of waiting to be told what to do.
✔ Stay calm when plans change unexpectedly.
✔ Lead with kindness while holding themselves and others accountable.
✔ Enjoy working with both people and pets.
✔ Are dependable enough that others naturally trust them.
✔ Find satisfaction in solving problems.
✔ Believe leadership means setting the example.
✔ Want to grow alongside a company—not simply work for one.
Compensation & Benefits
Starting compensation is $22.00 per hour during your Training & Evaluation Period.
Following successful completion of training and your evaluation period, compensation may increase to $24.00–$25.00 per hour based on performance, leadership, reliability, and your overall contribution to the company.
Benefits include:
- Paid Training
- Mileage Reimbursement
- Paid Time Off (after the Training & Evaluation Period)
- Overtime pay for hours worked over 40
- Continued leadership development and opportunities for growth
At this time, Dog Days Pet Care does not offer employer-sponsored medical benefits.
Is This Opportunity Right For You?
To respect both your time and ours, please apply only if all of the following are true:
✔ You're seeking a long-term career opportunity—not simply temporary or supplemental part-time employment.
✔ The compensation range listed above aligns with your expectations.
✔ You're available for the required weekend leadership schedule.
✔ You have a highly flexible schedule during the training period.
✔ You're comfortable working in a hands-on leadership role that includes field work, pet care, and our home-based operations headquarters.
✔ You're excited about becoming an important part of a growing company.
If you answered yes to all of the above, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.
A Personal Note From Laurie
As the owner of Dog Days Pet Care, I understand that accepting a new position is an important decision.
Hiring someone into a leadership role is also one of the most important decisions I'll make for our company because this person won't simply help manage a schedule—they'll help lead our team, support our clients, and play an important role in the lives of the pets entrusted to our care every single day.
I'm looking for someone who believes in leading with integrity, supports others, takes genuine pride in their work, and wants to become part of something they're truly proud of.
If you've read this posting and found yourself thinking,
"This feels different."
I sincerely hope you'll apply.
I'd truly love the opportunity to meet you and learn more about your story.
Thank you for considering Dog Days Pet Care as the next chapter in your career.
I look forward to meeting you.
— Laurie Schmeizer
Owner, Dog Days Pet Care
Pay: $22.00 - $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- Please briefly describe your professional management experience, including approximately how many employees you directly supervised, the type of business, and your primary leadership responsibilities.
- What interests you most about working for Dog Days Pet Care, and what stood out to you in our job posting?
- Describe a time when your workday didn't go according to plan. What happened, and how did you handle it?
- Our managers frequently balance pet care, employee support, client communication, scheduling, and unexpected situations—all within the same day. What type of work environment allows you to perform at your best?
- This position requires leading by example, including stepping in to provide hands-on pet care whenever needed. How do you feel about working alongside your team rather than supervising strictly from a management position?
- Before moving forward, please confirm the following:
☐ I understand this position begins at $22.00/hour.
☐ I understand Dog Days Pet Care does not currently offer employer-sponsored medical benefits.
☐ I understand this is a working management position—not an office-only role.
☐ I understand training requires a highly flexible schedule and may occur on weekdays, weekends, mornings, evenings, and holidays.
☐ I understand my regular schedule will be Saturday through Monday after training.
☐ I have carefully reviewed the entire job posting.
Type: CONFIRM
- In one or two sentences, tell us something about yourself that isn't listed anywhere on your resume.
- What does exceptional customer service mean to you?
- Is there anything about this position that gives you hesitation or that you'd like us to discuss during your interview?
Experience:
- Management: 2 years (Required)
Shift availability:
- Day Shift (Required)
- Night Shift (Required)
Work Location: In person
