General Manager in Columbus, Ohio at Smith Pet Care Co

Lead people. Drive growth. Make an impact on dogs and families every day.

Dogtopia Downtown Columbus is looking for a highly motivated leader to help drive the growth and success of our business. This role is more than managing schedules and daily operations — we are looking for someone who builds culture, develops people, drives performance, and creates exceptional experiences for dogs, pet parents, and team members.

At Dogtopia, our mission is to enhance the joy of dog parenthood and improve the lives of dogs and their families. While dogs are at the heart of what we do, our culture is the foundation of our success. We are looking for a leader who inspires others, coaches team members to succeed, creates accountability, and helps develop future leaders.

The General Manager / Assistant General Manager serves as a key driver of operational excellence, health and safety, customer experience, employee development, and financial performance.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay: $20–$30 per hour
Compensation based on leadership experience and overall fit.

Additional compensation opportunities include:

- Performance bonuses tied to business KPI achievement
- Potential profit-sharing opportunities
- Bring your dog to work after successful completion of training
- Employee discounts on daycare, boarding, and spa services
- Free covered onsite parking
- Leadership development and growth opportunities
- Fun, energetic culture with a purpose-driven team

What You'll Do:

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Front of House and Back of House teams
• Create a positive, high-performance culture built around accountability and teamwork
• Serve as a mentor and role model, helping team members grow personally and professionally
• Recruit, onboard, train, and develop employees
• Conduct regular performance conversations and provide coaching for success
• Build a team culture centered around service, growth, and support

Business Growth & Performance

• Help establish business goals and KPI targets
• Monitor and improve key business metrics
• Utilize data and reporting tools to identify opportunities for business growth
• Develop action plans to improve business performance and remove barriers to success
• Drive daycare enrollment growth, customer retention, and overall business performance
• Maintain labor efficiency and controllable expenses

Customer Experience

• Ensure exceptional experiences for pet parents at every interaction
• Resolve customer concerns professionally and proactively
• Create systems and processes that strengthen long-term customer relationships
• Support Meet & Greets, tours, and customer conversion efforts

Operations & Safety

• Maintain Dogtopia operational standards and procedures
• Ensure the highest health, safety, and cleanliness standards
• Oversee day-to-day operations and staffing needs
• Promote strong communication and collaboration between Front and Back of House teams

Qualifications

• Previous management or leadership experience preferred (2+ years preferred)
• Experience leading teams in customer service, hospitality, retail, operations, fitness, dog daycare, or similar industries preferred
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Experience coaching and developing team members
• Comfortable reviewing performance metrics and using data to drive decisions
• Strong organization and multitasking abilities
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to take ownership and solve problems proactively
• Must love dogs and be comfortable around dogs of all sizes and breeds

Ideal Candidate Traits

• Strong leader with a servant leadership mindset
• Positive, energetic, and highly accountable
• Results-oriented while maintaining a people-first approach
• Emotionally intelligent and adaptable
• Excellent communicator
• Confident decision-maker
• Self-starter with strong initiative
• Growth-minded and committed to continuous improvement

This position requires flexibility, including some weekends and holidays as needed.

If you are passionate about building teams, creating exceptional experiences, and leading a business where you can make a meaningful impact every day, we'd love to hear from you.

Learn more about Dogtopia Downtown Columbus: https://www.dogtopia.com/columbus-downtown/

Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $20–$30/hour + bonuses / profit sharing
Work Location: In person – Downtown Columbus, Ohio

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Paid training

Application Question(s):

• Have you managed employee performance and coached team members?
• Have you been responsible for business key performance indicators (KPIs) and sales performance?
• Describe your leadership style in a few sentences.

Experience:

• Management / Leadership: 2 years (Required)

Work Location: In person