Resort Operations Manager Jobs in Fairfield, CT (NOW HIRING)

Company: Always There Pet Care

Location: Near MacArthur Airport, Suffolk County / Long Island, NY

Employment Type: Part-time consulting during pre-opening; anticipated transition to full-time leadership role prior to opening

Compensation: $38-$42/hour during consulting phase, DOE; $80,000-$100,000 annually upon full-time conversion, DOE

Always There Pet Care is a new pet daycare and resort opening near MacArthur Airport in Suffolk County. Founded by local pet owners who struggled to find overnight-supervised boarding options on Long Island, we are building a pet care experience centered on safety, enrichment, comfort, and peace of mind for pet parents.

Our facility is being designed to offer 24/7/365 best-in-class on-site supervision, thoughtful operational standards, and a calm, engaging environment where pets feel and are supported while their families are away.

• Pets First: We prioritize the safety, well-being, and happiness of every pet in our care.
• Exceptional Experiences: We deliver professional, responsive, and high-quality service to pets and their families.
• Anxiety-Free Care: We create an environment where pets feel comfortable, engaged, and supported.
• Continuous Improvement: We build smart systems, learn quickly, and improve as the business grows.

Always There Pet Care is seeking a hands-on, systems-oriented Operations Manager to help launch and lead our pet daycare and resort from the ground up with us.

During the pre-opening phase, this role will be on a consultant basis, working to support site planning, facility workflow review, SOP development, hiring preparation, training plans, vendor coordination, and operational readiness. We anticipate requiring about 10-20 hours a week to start, with time commitment requirements building as opening approaches, where the role is expected to transition into a full-time leadership position responsible for daily resort operations, team leadership, client experience, safety standards, and operational performance. 

This is an ideal opportunity for an animal-care operations leader who enjoys building structure, developing people, solving practical problems, and creating a high-trust experience for pet parents.

• Participate in facility site evaluations, workflow planning, and operational readiness discussions.
• Review proposed building layouts and processes for safety, efficiency, sanitation, staffing flow, and client experience.
• Help develop SOPs, policies, checklists, opening procedures, emergency protocols, and service standards in partnership with ownership.
• Support hiring plans, interview processes, onboarding materials, and training programs for the opening and subsequently hired team.
• Assist with vendor, inventory, equipment, software, and service-readiness decisions as needed.

• Lead day-to-day resort operations, ensuring safe, consistent, and high-quality care for pets.
• Supervise scheduling, staffing coverage, inventory, equipment needs, maintenance coordination, and client service workflows.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop team members while fostering a positive, accountable, pet-focused culture.
• Maintain compliance with internal policies, legal codes, sanitation protocols, safety standards, and applicable operational requirements.
• Resolve client concerns professionally and support a responsive, high-trust customer experience.
• Monitor operational metrics alongside ownership including, but not limited to labor usage, service capacity, client satisfaction, supplies, and budget performance.
• Partner with ownership on business improvements, service expansion, process changes, and long-term growth planning and other such improvements.
• Support front desk, pet care, and facility operations directly when business needs require a hands-on leader.
• Other leadership needs as they arise.

• 3-5+ years of experience in veterinary, pet care, animal boarding/daycare, grooming, shelter, kennel, or related animal-care operations.
• At least 2 years of leadership, supervisory, or team lead experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build or improve operating procedures, team workflows, and service standards.
• Strong communication skills, including professional client communication and clear team direction.
• Sound judgment, calm decision-making, and the ability to respond effectively under pressure.
• Comfort working in a startup or growth environment where priorities may evolve.
• Basic computer proficiency and ability to learn scheduling, POS, CRM, or pet-care management and/or other related software.
• Professional, compassionate, and safety-focused approach to animals, clients, and team members.

• Licensed Veterinary Technician, Certified Veterinary Assistant, veterinary assistant experience, or related animal-care credentials.
• Experience managing budgets, labor cost, inventory, revenue goals, or P&L performance.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years of management experience in a customer-facing service environment.
• Experience opening a new location, launching a new service line, or leading teams through growth and change.
• Familiarity with pet daycare, boarding, kennel, grooming, veterinary, and/or hospitality operations.

• During the pre-opening phase, work is expected to be primarily part-time and remote, with occasional in-person meetings in the MacArthur Airport area
• As construction, staffing, and launch activities accelerate, the role is expected to transition toward a full-time, on-site leadership schedule.
• Once operational, the position will be primarily on-site and may include weekends, holidays, occasional evenings, and emergency escalation needs in a 24/7/365 pet care environment. On-Call hours are also likely. 
• Must be able to stand for extended periods, bend, kneel, lift up to 50 pounds, and interact safely with dogs, cats and other client pets as needed.
• Work will include exposure to animal noise, odors, cleaning products, pet hair/dander, and animals of varying sizes, breeds, temperaments, and medical or behavioral needs.

As we are a start up, we anticipate the benefit structure to be as follows, but is subject to change once more established.

• Part-time consulting phase: $38-$42/hour, depending on experience.
• Full-time Operations Manager: $80,000-$100,000 annually, depending on experience.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance upon full-time benefits eligibility.
• Paid time off (PTO) upon full-time benefits eligibility.
• Profit-sharing incentive program, subject to plan terms and business performance.
• Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate.

Always There Pet Care is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Reasonable accommodations may be available for qualified individuals with disabilities during the application process and employment, as required by applicable law.