Position Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Grooming Academy and Services, the Senior Grooming Instructor is the “lead” dog grooming subject matter expert and teaches academy students skills necessary to perform Bather/Brusher and full-service grooming. Bather/Brusher and Groomer sessions are four weeks in length, may consist of eight to ten students per session, and are given at Joybound’s Grooming Academy in Walnut Creek, California. A “second” Grooming Instructor participates with the instruction; however, the Senior Grooming Instructor is responsible for teaching the sessions that are intended to prepare students to successfully enter the job market upon graduation.

The Senior Grooming Instructor prepares lesson plans, conducts verbal and hands-on instruction, evaluates student performance, identifies areas of development, and conducts individual remedial training as necessary to ensure student success.  

Principle Duties:

Grooming Academy

• Interact and communicate with colleagues, volunteers, donors, vendors, and the public in a manner that advances a culture of positivity, professionalism, trust, transparency, empathy, and excellence at Joybound.
• Instruct students in the classroom and hands-on in the skills of full-service dog grooming; bath, touchup, and breed-specific haircut.  
• Prepare lesson plans; establish key objectives for lessons and enhance curriculum to accomplish the set objectives.
• Respond to student questions and provide support to help students succeed.
• Write, administer, and grade examinations that test student’s knowledge.
• Coache students that may have difficulty grasping the lessons and material and conduct individualized training to ensure student success.
• “Reads” dogs’ body language; safely handle all aged dogs and teach the same to students.   
• Cut and style hair, using specific techniques to accommodate the needs of breed standards and client preference. 
• Bathe dogs using safe handling skills, and ensure proper cleanliness is achieved. 
• Assigns dog grooms to students and ensures they are performed safely for them, dogs, and staff.  
• Ensure the academy is clean, presentable, and adequately stocked with grooming supplies. 
• Ensure grooming equipment is maintained and serviced properly. 
• Ensure the academy’s website is performing as it should.  
• Handle student and client concerns and complaints.   
• Reports to the grooming academy director safety issues, injuries, and serious concerns promptly.  

Grooming Salon

• Prioritize grooming requests received from the organization’s Veterinarian Department.
• Communicate the function of the academy and obtain approval from grooming salon clients for students to participate in grooming clients’ dogs.   
• Perform full-service grooming for Salon clients.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as may be assigned, including occasional assistance with animal care duties or with adoptions.

Experience, Abilities, and Qualities Required:

• A minimum of 12 months instructing/teaching experience, preferably involving animals, is preferred. 
• Minimum of 36 months (about 3 years) experience grooming a range of dogs and/or cats in a grooming salon, veterinary, shelter, boarding facility, or other formal setting, required.  
• Knowledge of various breeds and their characteristics, and familiarity with symptoms of diseases common to dogs, required.  
• Ability to multitask and manage class participants while maintaining a safe environment.  
• Work well under pressure. 
• Proven ability to supervise, mentor and lead. 
• Communicate information skillfully and effectively.
• Ability to comprehend and follow written and/or verbal instructions. 
• Affection for animals, concern for their welfare and a willingness to accommodate animals in the workplace. 
• Communicate with the public, volunteers, and co-workers in a professional, courteous, and tactful manner. 
• Demonstrate maturity, good judgment and professional manner and personal appearance.  
• Ability to provide first aid to dogs. 
• Computer skills to craft and use PowerPoint presentations to instruct students.
• Word-processing. 
• Comfortable and skilled in working with a diverse staff, volunteers, and community. 
• Pre-employment background check screening required. 
• “Read” dogs’ body language; safely handle dogs of all ages.

Physical/Environmental Requirements:

• Work environment includes constant exposure to dogs and cats and their allergens.
• Push/pull moderately heavy objects up to 25 pounds. 
• Lift and move animals weighing up to 150 pounds for short distances and to humanely restrain animals when necessary. 
• Walk dogs weighing up to 150 pounds in a variety of weather conditions.  
• Kneel, bend, stoop, squat, reach above and below shoulder level, grasp and turn objects, stand, and/or walk frequently and repetitively throughout each shift. 
• Flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist. 
• Dexterity to handle animals and small objects. 
• Assess medical and behavior changes in animals using a variety of techniques including, but not limited to, visually and audibly. 
• Sit for long and short periods of time using a computer. 
• Stand for extended periods of time grooming dogs. 
• Tetanus and rabies inoculations are required or must be waived. 

Hours:

Full-time exempt, with at least 40 hours per week, additional hours for events or other activities as appropriate. Daily reporting hours and days of the week may vary according to the department's needs. Weekend work may be required. 

Joybound is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to the diversity of its staff and strongly encourages all qualified candidates to apply.