Assistant Manager - Customer Growth, Manager-on-Duty & Canine Handler

Type: Full-time, including weekday, weekend, and evening coverage Join a fast-growing, fun, and pet-loving environment at The Dog Stop® Kent! We’re hiring a hands-on Assistant Manager / Customer Growth Lead who can support daily operations, help lead the team, care for dogs, and play an active role in bringing new customers into the business. This is a hybrid role. When the General Manager is on-site, you may support the team as a Canine Handler and customer service lead. When the General Manager is off-site, you will step up as the Manager-on-Duty. A major part of this role will also include marketing, customer outreach, lead follow-up, explaining current offers, and helping convert interested pet parents into paying customers. We are looking for someone who is friendly, proactive, confident talking to people, and excited to help grow a new local business.

What You’ll Do: Serve as Manager-on-Duty when the General Manager is off-site, including opening/closing, assigning tasks, and maintaining safety and cleanliness standards. Work hands-on with dogs as needed, including supervising playrooms, supporting enrichment, and keeping dogs safe and happy. Proactively follow up with customer leads by phone, text, email, or other approved channels. Explain current offers, promotions, and service benefits to potential and existing customers. Help convert leads into booked daycare, grooming, boarding, and other service appointments. Support grassroots marketing, local outreach, and community relationship building. Welcome clients, provide tours, recommend services, process bookings/POS, and deliver excellent customer service. Support daily operations across daycare, grooming hand-offs, retail, boarding, inventory, and supplies. Train and coach teammates on daily protocols and model great service for pets and people.

Key Responsibilities: Customer Growth, Marketing & Lead Follow-UpProactively contact new customer leads and interested pet parents. Explain current promotions, packages, membership options, and service benefits. Follow up with customers who toured, inquired, booked once, or have not returned recently. Encourage new customers to book daycare, grooming, boarding, and other services. Track outreach activity, customer interest, follow-ups, and outcomes. Look for opportunities to increase new customer visits, repeat visits, and service bookings. Work with the GM/Owner(s) on simple local marketing ideas that help drive business growth. Grassroots Marketing & Community Outreach Build and maintain relationships with local businesses and community partners, including veterinarians, apartments/HOAs, pet stores, parks, and local events. Distribute approved promotional materials and represent The Dog Stop® Kent professionally. Help set up small branded tables or attend local events when scheduled. Share feedback from the community and suggest ideas to improve outreach. Support adoption drives, partner events, and other local brand-building activities. Shift Leadership — Manager-on-Duty Open and close the facility as scheduled. Lead weekend, evening, or GM-off-site coverage. Assign daily tasks and check that work is completed properly. Maintain safety, cleanliness, and playroom protocols. Respond to incidents and communicate clearly with pet parents when needed. Support onboarding and on-shift coaching. Escalate performance, customer, or safety concerns to the General Manager. Canine Handling & Dog Care Set up playrooms at the start of the shift with fresh water, clean supplies, and proper equipment. Monitor dog play and watch for early warning signs. Safely interrupt conflicts and assist with first aid or incident reports when needed. Keep rooms, kennels, indoor areas, and outdoor areas clean and safe. Disinfect surfaces and equipment, change water/mop buckets as required, and maintain hourly standards. Run simple enrichment activities such as recall, sit/stay, follow-the-leader, bubbles, and other assigned activities. Document activities and dog behavior as needed. Operations & Systems Support bookings, customer records, POS transactions, and basic system updates. Help track cleaning supplies, house supplies, retail items, and inventory needs. Assist with inventory counts, pricing updates, storefront organization, and basic record keeping. Support schedule inputs, time-off notes, and payroll review preparation as assigned by the GM.Training & Team Development Model daily protocols and reinforce safety and cleanliness standards. Help train new hires on daily tasks, customer service, dog handling, and facility procedures. Provide friendly feedback during shifts. Document issues for GM follow-up when needed.

What We’re Looking For: 1+ year of supervisory, shift-lead, customer service, sales, marketing, retail, hospitality, or operations experience. Comfortable talking to customers, following up with leads, and promoting services. Sales-minded and proactive, without being pushy. Strong communication skills and a friendly, professional attitude. Comfortable handling dogs of all sizes or willing to learn canine body language and safe handling. Organized, reliable, and calm under pressure. Able to balance operations, customer service, dog care, and outreach responsibilities. Flexible schedule, including weekends, holidays, and evenings as needed. Reliable transportation for local outreach. Able to safely lift or move up to 50 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with customer outreach, lead follow-up, sales, marketing, or community engagement. Experience in pet care, dog daycare, grooming, boarding, veterinary, retail, hospitality, or service-based businesses. Experience using scheduling, POS, or customer management systems. Prior experience helping grow a local business or promoting services in the community. Why Join The Dog Stop® Kent? Hybrid role with real leadership and growth opportunity. Help grow a new local business and make a direct impact on customer growth. Work in a fun, supportive, dog-loving environment. Be part of a growing national brand with local ownership. Opportunity to build skills in operations, team leadership, customer service, marketing, and sales.

How to Apply: Submit your resume and a brief note about your experience in shift leadership, customer service, marketing, sales, lead follow-up, pet care, or community outreach. Please also include your availability.\nCompany

Description: Kiddy K9 Klub Corporation, doing business as, The Dog Stop® is a one-stop shop for all things dog—daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and retail. Our Kent location is gearing up to open soon, and we’re looking for an energetic and community-minded individual to help spread the word and build lasting local relationships.

Company Description: Kiddy K9 Klub Corporation, doing business as, The Dog Stop® is a one-stop shop for all things dog—daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and retail. Our Kent location is gearing up to open soon, and we’re looking for an energetic and community-minded individual to help spread the word and build lasting local relationships.