Grooming Instructor

Description

Full job description

Job Title: Grooming Instructor
Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports To: Field Leadership; VP of Services; Director of Grooming
Pay:  per hour + up to $60 commission
Revised: July 2026

Job Summary

We are seeking an accomplished and motivated Grooming Instructor to supervise and instruct a team of grooming apprentices. This role combines advanced technical instruction with direct supervision, quality standards ownership, and hands-on grooming in a salon environment.

The ideal candidate is a master-level groomer who can teach, an experienced supervisor who can hold a standard, and a leader who is invested in building the next generation of Groombar talent.

Key Responsibilities

Apprentice Instruction and Technical Training

• Provide technical skills training for a group of grooming apprentices
• Ensure apprentices are able to groom at Groombar standards and achieve key performance indicator (KPI) goals upon graduation from the program
• Conduct student grooming and written examinations
• Partner with Field Leadership and the Director of Grooming to train new Lead Groomers in the job

Apprentice Supervision

• Act as immediate supervisor for students while in the apprentice program
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws, in consultation with Field Leadership and Human Resources
• Recruit and select candidates for the apprentice program
• Manage performance; plan, assign, and direct work; appraise performance; reward and discipline employees; address complaints and resolve problems
• Ensure student responsibilities, authorities, and accountabilities are defined and understood

Interim Salon Supervision

• Act as interim supervisor for bathers and groomers in the absence of a Lead Groomer or Salon Manager
• Provide coaching, lead work direction, technical skills building, and quality supervision
• Train and support skill development for bathers, and maintain grooming and bathing quality standards across the team
• Model safe dog handling techniques and customer experience excellence
• Perform regular quality checks on groomers and bathers
• Participate in performance meetings and support team performance improvement
• As needed, manage performance, including rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints, and resolving problems
• Ensure employee responsibilities, authorities, and accountabilities are defined and understood
• Address and resolve customer concerns, including making service corrections when needed

Grooming Services and Client Experience

• Provide comprehensive grooming services in a salon environment
• Greet customers and their dogs by name and communicate a best-estimate pick-up time
• Perform a needs assessment for each assigned dog, evaluating the condition of eyes, ears, nails, teeth, coat, and skin
• Suggest de-matting services, a short haircut, additional services, and products to customers based on that assessment, as appropriate
• Describe benefits and options for all suggested add-ons, and communicate knowledgeably about all of Groombar's products and services, including nutrition, training, and dental cleaning
• Obtain detailed instructions from customers regarding the haircut desired, take comprehensive notes, and record them in each customer's account for future reference
• Clearly communicate fees associated with all services
• Notify owners when service has been completed and ensure hourly contact occurs thereafter until the pet is picked up
• Execute the GOTHEART strategy during every customer check-in, deliver exceptional customer service, and ensure a positive salon experience

Talent Selection

• Partner with Human Resources to participate in the selection process for bather and groomer applicants

Operations and Performance

• Maintain strong customer service standards and meet or exceed established goals
• Adapt to changing priorities, including assisting and assigning walk-in grooming services
• Communicate effectively and professionally with customers and team members

Salon Safety and Additional Duties

• Ensure accuracy of release forms, kennel cards, and service documentation
• Monitor pets for stress, health concerns, or behavioral changes and report as needed
• Ensure kenneled pets are comfortable, safe, and have access to water
• Check dogs hourly for any signs of stress
• Communicate any health or safety concerns to management and pet owners
• Ensure the salon environment is safe, clean, and free of hazards, and that equipment and tools are operating as intended
• Respond appropriately to personnel or dog injuries, ensuring both employees and dogs receive prompt and appropriate medical care, and injuries are reported
• Perform other salon-related duties as assigned by Field Leadership, as needed

Salon Maintenance and Compliance

• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized grooming environment
• Ensure completion of daily and weekly cleaning and sanitation lists
• Respond appropriately to any pet or employee incidents, ensuring proper care and reporting

Compensation and Benefits

• Bonus structure surrounding program performance and apprentice graduation outcomes
• Ownership of a signature program with direct visibility to the VP of Services and Director of Grooming
• Exclusive Professional Development Opportunity:

Work alongside a team of multi-award-winning international competition groomers with over 20 years of experience in advanced grooming techniques, salon leadership, and professional instruction, and help shape the standard every Groombar groomer is trained to.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Fast-paced grooming salon environment
• Frequent interaction with dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments
• Approximate percent per 8-hour workday:
• Constant visual stimulation, including close vision (up to 100%)
• Constant standing (up to 100%)
• Constant contact with water, shampoos and other bathing products, and hair (up to 100%)
• Frequent squatting, bending, reaching, pulling, and twisting
• Frequent lifting of dogs up to 30 pounds without assistance
• Occasional walking around building 

This is more than a grooming role; it is the opportunity to build the bench, set the standard, and leave a mark on the entire organization.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Vision insurance

Requirements

Qualifications

• Positions supervised (direct reports): Grooming Apprentices; may provide lead work direction to bathers and groomers
• Certified Master Groomer or equivalent preferred
• Three years of previous experience as a dog groomer in a professional dog grooming salon setting desired
• One year of previous experience providing staff supervision in a grooming salon strongly preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Strong teaching, supervisory, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated skill with a variety of traditional and creative grooming techniques, including trimming, clipping, cutting, stripping, hand-stripping, brushing, and coloring or dyeing
• Able to successfully complete Groombar's skills assessment test, as administered by the VP of Services or Director of Grooming
• Knowledgeable of a wide variety of grooming tools, including brushes, combs, scissors, grooming clippers, rakes, mat knives, and grooming stripping knives
• Knowledgeable of a wide variety of dog breeds and dog breed standards
• Friendly, approachable, cooperative, flexible, and able to shift focus as needed
• Able to professionally and effectively interact and communicate, verbally and in writing, with staff, customers, vendors, and the public from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Able to work independently and as part of a team, take initiative, prioritize and accurately perform multiple tasks, and efficiently meet deadlines and changing priorities
• Able to consistently demonstrate good judgment and decision-making skills