Kennel Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Monkeyshine Pet Resort is looking for a reliable, motivated, and experienced Kennel Manager to oversee the daily operation of our boarding facility in Big Rapids.

This is a full-time, hands-on management position. We are looking for someone who can take responsibility for the kennel when ownership is not present, manage and schedule employees, maintain our standards of animal care and cleanliness, communicate professionally with customers, and handle day-to-day problems as they arise.

This is not a position where you simply supervise from an office. Our Kennel Manager works alongside the staff and needs to be comfortable handling dogs, cleaning kennels, assisting customers, administering medications, and stepping in wherever needed.

We need someone who is dependable, organized, confident managing people, and able to make decisions without needing constant direction.

Previous management experience is strongly preferred. Experience in a kennel, boarding facility, veterinary clinic, daycare, grooming facility, or other animal-care environment is a plus.

Weekend and holiday availability is required as part of the position.

Kennel Manager

The Kennel Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operation of Monkeyshine Pet Resort and making sure our standards for animal care, cleanliness, customer service, and employee performance are consistently met.

Staff Management

• Supervise and direct kennel employees.
• Prepare employee schedules and maintain appropriate shift coverage.
• Train and onboard new employees.
• Assign daily responsibilities and follow up to ensure work is completed correctly.
• Monitor employee attendance, punctuality, performance, and productivity.
• Address employee issues and hold staff accountable when expectations are not being met.
• Communicate staffing or performance concerns with ownership.
• Lead by example and work alongside employees when needed.

Animal Care

• Oversee the daily care of all boarded animals.
• Make sure feeding, watering, exercise, medications, and special instructions are completed correctly.
• Monitor animals for changes in behavior, appetite, health, or physical condition.
• Make sure accurate information is communicated between shifts.
• Safely handle dogs of different sizes, breeds, temperaments, and energy levels.
• Respond appropriately to animal illnesses, injuries, behavioral concerns, or emergencies.
• Ensure animal safety and well-being remain the top priority.

Cleaning & Facility Standards

• Maintain a clean, sanitary, organized, and professional facility.
• Ensure kennels are properly cleaned and disinfected.
• Make sure laundry, dishes, feeding areas, floors, waste removal, and other cleaning duties are completed.
• Perform regular facility walk-throughs and correct issues before they become problems.
• Monitor the condition of kennels, equipment, doors, fencing, and other areas for maintenance or safety concerns.
• Keep cleaning and kennel supplies stocked and organized.

Customer Service

• Provide friendly and professional customer service.
• Assist with customer check-ins and check-outs.
• Review feeding, medication, and special-care instructions.
• Answer customer questions and address concerns appropriately.
• Handle routine customer complaints and communicate serious issues to ownership.
• Maintain accurate customer and boarding information.
• Help ensure customers feel confident leaving their pets in our care.

Daily Operations

• Ensure opening and closing procedures are completed properly.
• Make sure the facility is appropriately staffed based on occupancy and workload.
• Maintain organized daily records and communication between shifts.
• Monitor inventory and notify ownership when supplies need to be ordered.
• Identify and address operational problems as they occur.
• Communicate important animal, employee, customer, maintenance, or facility issues to ownership.
• Enforce company policies and procedures consistently.

Qualifications

• Previous management or supervisory experience preferred.
• Animal-care, kennel, veterinary, boarding, daycare, or grooming experience is a plus.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Dependable and punctual with a strong work ethic.
• Organized and able to manage multiple responsibilities.
• Comfortable giving employees direction and holding them accountable.
• Able to work independently and make sound decisions.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Comfortable communicating with customers in person and by phone.
• Must be comfortable working with dogs of all sizes and temperaments.
• Must be willing to perform cleaning and physical kennel duties.
• Must be able to lift approximately 50 pounds.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Must be available for a flexible schedule that includes weekends and holidays.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Kennel Manager doesn't wait for ownership to point out every problem. They know what's happening in the facility, know what their employees are doing, notice when something isn't right, and take care of it.

We're looking for someone who treats the kennel as their responsibility while they're on duty and takes pride in keeping the animals properly cared for, the facility clean, the staff productive, and our customers happy.

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