Operations Manager, Chicago & D.C.

About Puppy Sphere:

 

Welcome to Puppy Sphere, we are a high-growth startup redefining the wellness category through puppy therapy! We’re on a mission to bring people together in welcoming spaces where the gentle power of puppies helps them slow down, boost their mood, and return again and again.

 

As North America’s original puppy yoga company, we’ve built a community of over 400,000 people, making puppy therapy part of their everyday wellbeing ritual. We’ve partnered with global brands including the NBA, TikTok, and Google to bring the gentle power of puppies to even more workplaces, events, and communities!

 

If you’re excited by growth, impact and care deeply about people, animals, and raising the bar in everything you do - we’d love to hear from you!

 

Job Description:

 

The Operations Manager oversees day-to-day studio operations, team execution, and event readiness across up to five Studios. This role is a vital leadership position, responsible for ensuring operational consistency, team support, and a high-quality customer experience.

 

This position is ideal for someone who is detail-oriented, people-focused, and execution-driven, with strong visibility into studio performance, team behavior, and guest experience.

This is a full-time, hybrid role with the home city in Chicago.
Regular weekend work is required in this role.
The salary for this role is $60,000 + annual bonus opportunity.

Job Requirements: 

 

Studio Operations & Execution Support

 

• Own day-to-day studio operations across all locations, ensuring each studio is event-ready, organized, and operating efficiently.
• Ensure studios consistently meet Puppy Sphere’s operational, brand, and customer experience standards
• Oversee end-to-end logistics for public, private, and community events
• Act as a primary point of contact during events, resolving issues in real time and escalating when needed.
• Serve as the first escalation point for operational, guest, or animal welfare concerns, ensuring timely documentation and communication to the Regional Operations Manager.
• Maintain regular in-person presence across Chicago studio(s), alongside travel and visits to other studios/markets as required to support operational and business needs, ensuring leadership visibility and consistent standards across locations.
• As your markets expand, this role will evolve to support additional studios and increased team leadership responsibilities (Up to 5).
• Uphold and reinforce company values, leadership expectations, and behavioral standards across all New York studios.

Team Support, Training & Leadership

 

• Guide and support Event Facilitators, Supervisors, and Head Supervisors through ongoing feedback and coaching.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, and training of new event staff.
• Oversee training for new Event Facilitators and Supervisors to ensure consistent execution standards.
• Oversee staff scheduling and ensure adequate coverage across all studios.
• Act as Floor Manager, when onsite, leading teams and supporting execution on-site.
• Ensure staff performance reviews are scheduled and completed by Head Supervisors, escalating performance concerns when necessary.
• Ensure team culture reflects Puppy Sphere’s mission, brand standards, and animal welfare commitments.
• Address behavior or cultural misalignment early, escalating concerns to the Eastern U.S. Regional Operations Manager when necessary.

 

Studio Quality, Inventory & Readiness

 

• Oversee inventory levels, laundry services, weekly deliveries, and studio supplies.
• Ensure studios are consistently stocked, organized, and operationally ready.
• Coordinate and oversee monthly deep cleans across studios.
• Conduct regular studio walkthroughs (in-person and virtual) to proactively identify and address operational gaps.

 

In-Studio Revenue & Upselling Support

 

• Support in-studio initiatives, including retail, add-ons, class packs, memberships and on-site promotions.
• Reinforce upselling standards with event teams to ensure confident, brand-aligned execution.
• Ensure merchandise displays and point-of-sale areas are organized, visible, and well-maintained.
• Flag upselling performance opportunities, gaps and trends to the Eastern U.S. Regional Operations Manager.

 

Local Marketing & Community Support

 

• Support local marketing initiatives by assisting with studio activations, partnerships, and community events.
• Help identify local opportunities for collaboration with nearby businesses and community organizations.
• Partner with the Eastern U.S. Operations Manager and Marketing team to bring local marketing initiatives to life operationally.
• Ensure studios are operationally prepared for local campaigns, promotions, and activations.

 

Animal Welfare Execution

 

• Ensure all Animal Welfare protocols are followed during events and studio operations.
• Monitor puppy interactions and escalate any concerns appropriately.
  

 

Financial & Administrative Support

 

• Ensure accurate tracking of studio-level expenses, including inputting expenses and timely submission of receipts.
• Oversee expense tracking sheets for completeness and accuracy.
• Maintain visibility of inventory usage and operational spend.
• Flag discrepancies, risks, or operational inefficiencies to the Eastern U.S. Regional Operations Manager.

 

Cross-City & Flexible Support

 

• Support special projects, launches, and city-level initiatives as needed.
• Temporarily support or oversee operations in additional cities or studios when required.
• Assist with onboarding, scheduling, inventory, private events and team updates in additional locations as business needs evolve.

 

Required Qualifications:

 

• 2+ years of experience in operations, events, hospitality, or customer-facing environments.
• Experience supporting teams and coordinating day-to-day operations.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable working weekends and being present in-studio.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel locally as required.

 

What Success Looks Like in This Role:

 

• Studios are consistently event-ready and well-run.
• Event teams feel supported and guided on-site.
• Operational issues are addressed quickly and escalated appropriately.
• Upselling initiatives are executed consistently in-studio.
• Local activations run smoothly from an operational standpoint.
• Must be comfortable working in an active studio environment, including being on feet for extended periods and supporting floor operations when required.
• Must be comfortable working around live animals and in environments where puppies are present during classes and events.

 

Your Traits: 

 

• Proactive, reliable, and execution-focused.
• Strong communicator with a people-first mindset.
• Detail-oriented with high standards for quality and organization.
• Aligned with Puppy Sphere’s values, brand standards, and animal welfare mission.

Perks: 

Join a fast-growing startup with upward mobility.
⏱️ Flexible working hours, we trust you to manage your own time.
⛑️ Health Insurance eligibility after 90-day probation period.
️ 10 days paid vacation. 
❤️‍ 3 paid wellbeing days. 
✈️ Annual Team Retreat.
Unlimited complimentary puppy yoga classes for you, family and friends.
️ Attend networking and unique invite-only events in your city and beyond.
✨ Opportunity to work with celebrity clients and industry giants (recent clients : NBA, TikTok, and Google).

 

We’re so grateful for your interest in joining the team here at Puppy Sphere! Due to the high number of applications we receive, we may not be able to personally reach out to everyone, but please know we truly appreciate the time and effort you’ve taken to apply