Pet Care Team Leader

Job Title

Pet Care Team Leader

Company Overview

Pawsitive Dawg Walking and Pet Sitting is a force-free, fear-free pet care company serving Waltham, Massachusetts, and nearby communities. Since 2012, we have built our reputation on exceptional care for pets and strong support for the people who care for them. This role is important because it helps ensure our clients, pets, and field team all receive consistent, high-quality service.

The Opportunity

This is a strong fit for someone who wants more than a standard pet care role. You will combine hands-on dog walking and pet sitting with leadership, team support, scheduling, and project oversight. For the right person, this is a career move into broader operational responsibility, people leadership, and future professional development in the pet care industry.

What You'll Do

• Lead day-to-day field execution by supporting managers and pet care staff so visits, projects, and service standards stay on track.
• Serve as a daily point of contact for team members, helping solve problems in the field, remove roadblocks, and step in as acting manager when needed.
• Monitor schedules, coverage, and operational checklists to help the business stay organized during regular demand, weekends, holidays, and high-volume periods.
• Conduct quality checks, support onboarding, and reinforce company standards through coaching, feedback, and hands-on training.
• Build strong client relationships by responding to messages professionally, coordinating service updates, and helping ensure a reliable customer experience.
• Deliver excellent pet care through dog walks, dog sitting, cat sitting, and small animal visits, including medications, enrichment, visit notes, and photos after each service.
• Step in for urgent or last-minute coverage and maintain a calm, safety-first approach in all weather conditions and across a range of pet needs.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 6 to 12 months, success in this role will look like:

• Field staff and team leads are better supported, with stronger follow-through on visits, projects, and service expectations.
• Scheduling, coverage, and internal communication run more smoothly, especially during busy periods and unexpected staffing needs.
• New and existing team members receive useful coaching, clear feedback, and stronger accountability to company standards.
• Clients experience responsive, warm, and dependable communication that strengthens trust and long-term retention.
• Pet care visits are completed consistently, safely, and in line with the company's fear-free, force-free philosophy.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who brings both leadership maturity and genuine care for animals. Strong candidates will likely have:

• At least 3 years of leadership or supervisory experience, ideally with responsibility across multiple people or teams
• A background in pet care, veterinary, shelter, or related animal services preferred
• Strong organizational and project management ability, with good judgment and follow-through
• Clear communication skills and the ability to handle team support, client communication, and conflict professionally
• Comfort using Google Workspace, scheduling platforms, and mobile apps
• A valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the ability to travel locally
• Physical ability to walk dogs in all New England weather and handle the practical demands of pet care visits
• A genuine commitment to force-free, fear-free pet care and a willingness to step in when the team needs support

Compensation and Benefits

Starting pay is $18 per hour + mileage reimbursement + tips.

Benefits include:

• Weekly direct deposit
• Simple IRA with 2% non-elective employer contribution
• up to 40 hours of paid sick time annually
• up to 40 hours of paid time off annually
• 24 hours of holiday pay annually
• Cell phone stipend
• Wellness stipend
• Bonding, workers' compensation, and liability insurance
• Pet First Aid and CPR Certification
• Fear Free Certification
• Opportunity to pursue dog training certification after 6 months
• Training, mentorship, and professional growth opportunities

Employment type: Part Time to Full-time

Work Location / Schedule: This is a full-time role based in Waltham, Massachusetts, with local travel required to nearby service areas.

The regular schedule is either:

• Monday through Friday and one weekend per month
• Tuesday through Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off
• Sunday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday off

Typical hours fall between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. with a 45-minute lunch, one evening of being on call between 5:00-8:30pm. Flexibility is required, as start and end times may shift based on business needs. The role is generally scheduled for 20-25 hours per week, with occasional weeks reaching 40 to 45 hours depending on seasonality and team availability. Weekend, holiday, and occasional evening availability may be required.

How to Apply

If you are excited by the idea of combining hands-on pet care with team leadership and operational responsibility, we encourage you to apply for the Pet Care Team Leader role with Pawsitive Dawg Walking and Pet Sitting.