Retail Assistant Manager - Palo Alto

About Pet Food Express 

Founded in San Francisco, Pet Food Express is one of the country’s leading independent pet food and supply retailers, with customer loyalty built on our philosophy of providing the best for pets. Our employees are sales-driven individuals who thrive on helping pet parents find the best products for their furry family members. We don’t just sell products—we provide tailored solutions and trusted advice to create a memorable shopping experience. If you have a knack for sales, an eagerness to learn about pet products, and a commitment to gold-star customer service, we’d love to hear from you!   

Our Assistant Managers are hands-on leaders who inspire and support their teams while delivering outstanding customer service. They play a key role in developing team members through coaching, guidance, and leading by example. Assistant Managers support and lead Sales Associates in daily retail operations, fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team environment. 

Responsibilities:

On an average day, Assistant Managers: 

Engage & Sell

• Actively approach and engage with our two-legged and four-legged customers. 

• Ask questions to understand customer needs and build lasting relationships. 

• Use the Pet Food Express Whole Life Approach to provide tailored recommendations that help customers live their best possible lives with their pets. 

• Provide coaching and development to Store Associates with timely and specific feedback to create a culture of action and accountability. 

Learn & Educate  

• Participate in and lead daily training and continuous educational programs to enhance your and your team’s product knowledge and sales skills. 

• Stay up to date about new products and trends in the pet community, visual priorities and brand messaging, and share what you know with your store team.   

• Stay current on company information, business initiatives, policies, systems/technology and other tools that impact sales and performance; ensure important company information reaches all levels of the team. 

• Educate PFE Sales Associates on product benefits to help our customers find solutions for their pets' unique needs. 

Operate & Maintain  

• As a keyholder, lead Sales Associates through store opening and closing procedures  

• Ensure accurate and secure cash handling by following company procedures, including opening and closing registers, processing cash drops, balancing drawers, and maintaining transaction accuracy. 

• Maintain a customer-ready store environment: Lead the unloading of shipments, restocking, and placement of product while maintaining visual and display standards.  

• Clean and maintain the store (We lead by example – meaning all team members participate regularly in store cleaning tasks, including pet messes). 

• Maintain awareness of store’s safety standards, inventory accuracy, loss prevention, and uphold all company policy and procedures to support the overall store success. 

• Support overall store operations by performing additional duties as assigned, including tasks not necessarily covered by this listing. 

Qualifications:

• A passion for pets and a desire to help pet parents find the best solutions. 

• Minimum 2-year previous retail management and keyholder experience required. Experience in pet retail is a plus. 

• Eagerness to learn and lots of ambition. We’re growing and looking for people who are excited to grow with us! 

• Dependable and reliable with strong attendance and punctuality. 

• Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the business; will require weekends, evenings, and holidays. 

• Willingness to travel among neighboring stores. 

• Ability to lift, move, and carry up to 35 pounds using appropriate lifting techniques and following all safety rules. 

• Ability to climb and balance using a ladder and/or step stool. 

• Ability to continuously stand, walk, bend, stretch and engage in repetitive motions throughout shift. 

PFE Perks:

• Grow with us: Many potential career paths and options for advancement within the company 

• Continued Learning: A focus on your development and leadership training. Investment in your pet and product knowledge, you'll never see pets the same way!  

• Generous in-store employee discount that extends to your family. 

• Benefits: All employees are eligible to participate in a number of Company-sponsored benefits, such as life insurance, pet insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and more.  

• FT employees are eligible for PTO, Health coverage, FSA options, dental, and vision insurance. 

• Plan for the future: 401k with employer match. 

• Bring your well-behaved pet to work. 

• Opportunities to make an impact in the community through the Pet Food Express Pet Fair, in-store fundraisers and adoption events benefiting local rescue and shelter partners, and more!  

The salary range for this position is expected to be $25.00-$26.50 per hour. Pet Food Express determines starting salary based on many factors, including but not limited to, local market rate, the qualified pool of candidates, internal compensation practices, a candidate’s actual skills and experience, and budget constraints. 

This job summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work associates/leaders assigned to this job perform. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities.

Pet Food Express is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. This applies to all Pet Food Express activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, performance evaluation, discipline and discharge. Pet Food Express also provides reasonable accommodation of religion and disability in accordance with applicable law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Pet Food Express is a place where everyone can learn and grow. However you identify and whatever your background, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come to work every day.

For applicants in our San Francisco, or Los Angeles locations: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, as well as the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, we will consider for employment, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent with the law.