Assistant Starter

We’re always looking for talent that believes in having fun. At PENN Entertainment, you’ll get to be a part of an exciting industry, where the days and nights are fast paced. You’ll work with an incredibly diverse set of coworkers driven by their enthusiasm for helping people find and have more fun. You’ll also get to work at a company that cares about your career growth and will help you get the support you need to expand your possibilities.

About the role

Initial placement within the salary range is based on an individual's relevant knowledge, skills, and experience. Base salary is just one component of our competitive Total Rewards package, which includes wellness programs designed to support our team members' financial, physical, and mental well-being. Specific benefits—such as day-one medical coverage, 401(k) matching, and annual performance bonus—may vary by position. Paid time off is earned according to the local policy and increases with the length of employment.

Responsibilities

• Load race horses in the starting gate before post time.
• School horses in the morning.
• Set the gate for each race, ensuring numbers on gate.
• Follow proper procedures for getting gate on and off track each race.
• Make equipment changes if needed.
• Assist jockeys while handling individual horses in gate.
• Report any maintenance or safety issue with the starting gate to the head starter.
• Perform head starter functions, if necessary.
• Perform other reasonable related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be knowledgeable of the Rules of Racing.
• Must have a thorough knowledge of horse racing.
• Must be able to work in various weather conditions.
• Must meet professional appearance standards as prescribed by company policy.
• High School diploma; 1 year Starting Gate experience or horse handling experience preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to read and interpret documents in English, such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to read and communicate verbally in English. Written communication skills in English may also be required. Multilingual preferred.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to perform mathematical operations using units of American money, weight measurement, volume, and distance.
• Possess ability to operate an adding machine and have basic computer skills.
• Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Must be able to qualify for licenses and permits required by federal, state, and local regulations, including the Ohio State Racing Commission.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and have acceptable driving history as determined by PENN Entertainment, Inc.’s auto insurance carrier.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to stand and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Frequently required to reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, and peripheral vision.
• Physically mobile with reasonable accommodations including ability to push, pull, carry, and lift up to 75 lbs.
• Ability to push, pull, reach, bend, twist, stoop, stack, crouch, kneel, and balance when performing job duties in varying work areas such as confined spaces.
• Must be drug-free.

Work Environment

• Must be able to work in various weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• All Team Members at Hollywood are under surveillance (and audio surveillance in limited areas). Performance may be observed and recorded.
• Employee could be exposed to an environment containing unrestricted second-hand tobacco smoke.

Benefits

• Day-one medical coverage.
• 401(k) matching.
• Annual performance bonus.
• Wellness programs supporting financial, physical, and mental well-being.
• Paid time off earned according to local policy, increasing with length of employment.