Grooming Salon Manager

Petco • Lithonia, GA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Grooming Salon Leader leads and manages grooming salon operations and team members while delivering expert grooming services. The role is responsible for customer satisfaction, a positive work environment, salon performance, and coaching and developing groomers at different experience levels. It combines salon leadership with hands-on grooming, prioritizing each pet’s safety, comfort, and well-being.

The leader oversees daily workflow, schedules, staffing, inventory, and performance, and works with store management to meet sales targets and salon objectives. They provide customer service and grooming recommendations, perform grooming services to pet-parent instructions and breed standards, and maintain the salon’s cleanliness, safety, and sanitation standards.

Petco describes the role as offering competitive pay, salon-performance-based incentives and tips, medical, dental and vision coverage, a 401(k), paid time off, employee discounts, supplies and equipment, and career-development opportunities. The work is primarily indoors in a grooming salon and involves direct contact with pets, pet parents, and salon coworkers. The environment can be noisy and wet.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of professional grooming experience and/or completion of a technical grooming training program.
• Strong leadership skills and desire to lead, train, and develop people.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for interactions with pet parents and grooming team members.
• Expert knowledge of dog breeds, grooming requirements, common health issues, and behaviors.
• Expert-level proficiency in breed-specific cuts, styling techniques, and grooming standards.
• Genuine passion for animals and interest in continuing a career in pet grooming.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills, including handling moderately complex situations with guidance when necessary.
• Results-driven approach and commitment to salon productivity, performance, growth, and improvement.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to deliver grooming services accurately to high standards.
• Ability to handle pets of all sizes and temperaments with care and empathy.
• Availability to work full time, at least 35 hours per week, including weekends, evenings, and holidays as needed.
• Ability to bend, kneel, lift up to 30 pounds as necessary, and stand for long periods.
• Ability to work in a noisy and wet environment and potentially use a two-step ladder or other support tools for cleaning and maintenance.

Nice To Haves

• One to two years of previous salon management experience or experience in a related field.
• High school diploma or GED.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily salon operations, workflows, scheduling capacity, inventory, and staffing plans.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, coach, and evaluate grooming salon team members while fostering teamwork and professional development.
• Create grooming schedules that balance team availability, customer demand, peak-hour coverage, and salon productivity.
• Monitor salon performance metrics, identify improvement opportunities, and develop action plans.
• Collaborate with store management to achieve sales targets and salon objectives and drive growth and profitability.
• Provide professional customer service, answer grooming-related questions, offer recommendations, and resolve concerns.
• Keep up with grooming industry trends and best practices and develop personal and team grooming skills.
• Perform grooming services, including bathing, drying, brushing, haircuts and styling, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and gland cleaning, in accordance with customer instructions, breed standards, and company policies.
• Operate and maintain grooming instruments and equipment.
• Assess each pet’s coat, skin condition, temperament, and individual needs.
• Educate pet parents and recommend grooming maintenance, home-care practices, and products.
• Monitor animals’ safety and well-being, watch for signs of discomfort, illness, or injury, and promptly report concerns to pet owners and store management.
• Conduct quality checks and maintain a clean, safe, and sanitary grooming area, including cleaning and disinfecting tools and equipment and completing assigned daily, weekly, and maintenance cleaning.
• Apply Petco grooming policies, standards, and guidelines and hold salon team members accountable for safety and quality.

Benefits

• Competitive pay, incentive based on salon performance, and tips, according to the Grooming Salon Leader Incentive Plan.
• Medical, dental, vision, and other benefits.
• 401(k).
• Paid time off.
• Petco discounts.
• Grooming supplies and equipment provided.
• State-of-the-art grooming equipment provided.
• Career development and growth opportunities, including Grooming Mentor and Grooming Instructor opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED