Lead Kennel Technician

Location: Cowboy Kennels

About the role

The Lead Kennel Technician serves as a hands-on leader within Cowboy Kennels and is responsible for helping ensure the safety, cleanliness, organization, and overall quality of care provided to every pet in our facility. This position is designed for someone who demonstrates strong leadership, reliability, accountability, and initiative. The Lead Kennel Technician works alongside the kennel team while also helping provide daily direction, coaching, training, and operational support. The ideal candidate does not wait to be told what needs to be done. They recognize the needs of the pets, team, and facility and take ownership in ensuring those needs are addressed.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Support: Serve as a positive example for kennel technicians and other team members; provide daily direction and help organize kennel responsibilities and priorities; help ensure opening, closing, cleaning, feeding, medication, and care responsibilities are completed appropriately; support the training and onboarding of new kennel employees; coach team members when expectations or procedures are not being followed; communicate concerns involving performance, attendance, safety, or animal care to management; help maintain accountability while treating team members professionally and respectfully; step into difficult situations and provide direction when leadership is needed; promote teamwork, communication, and a solution-oriented environment.
• Animal Care & Safety: Ensure all boarding and daycare pets receive appropriate feeding, water, exercise, enrichment, and attention; monitor pets closely for changes in behavior, appetite, elimination, mobility, or overall health; immediately escalate medical or behavioral concerns according to established procedures; ensure medications and special care instructions are followed accurately; maintain safe handling and restraint practices; help prevent pet escapes, injuries, altercations, and other safety incidents; ensure accurate identification and documentation for pets and their belongings.
• Facility Standards: Maintain a clean, sanitary, organized, and safe kennel environment; ensure kennels, runs, play areas, food preparation areas, laundry areas, and common spaces meet cleanliness expectations; complete and verify assigned cleaning and sanitation protocols; identify maintenance, safety, supply, or facility concerns and communicate them promptly; help ensure appropriate inventory levels of kennel supplies, food, cleaning products, and other necessary materials.
• Client Experience: Provide compassionate and professional service to pet owners; help ensure pets are prepared appropriately for arrival and departure; communicate relevant pet-care information accurately to the appropriate team members; support the resolution of client concerns and escalate concerns to management when appropriate; represent Cowboy Kennels professionally during every client and pet interaction.

Leadership Expectations

• Ownership: Takes responsibility for the success of the shift and does not ignore problems.
• Reliability: Arrives on time, maintains dependable attendance, and follows through on commitments.
• Accountability: Holds themselves and others to established standards.
• Communication: Communicates clearly, respectfully, and proactively.
• Initiative: Identifies what needs to be done and acts without requiring constant direction.
• Coaching: Is comfortable giving respectful feedback and helping others improve.
• Teamwork: Works alongside the team rather than simply delegating responsibilities.
• Animal Advocacy: Makes the safety, comfort, and well-being of every pet a priority.
• Professionalism: Remains calm and solutions-focused during stressful or difficult situations.

Qualifications

• Previous kennel, boarding, daycare, veterinary, or animal-care experience preferred.
• Previous leadership or supervisory experience preferred but not required for the