Senior Director of Operations, Veterinary Services

PetSmart Veterinary Services (PVS) is an independent veterinary ownership model that is rapidly growing inside PetSmart locations in the US and Puerto Rico. PVS provides a complete solution for veterinarians to open their own franchised veterinary practice. Launched in 2022, PVS hospitals connect pet parents with local, trusted veterinarians with convenient veterinarian hospital locations within PetSmart stores. It's a simple but powerful solution that gives veterinarians ownership and control of their practice while providing high-quality veterinary care.

Collaborative & Flexible Work Environment: We believe in fostering growth, teamwork and creativity in a dynamic workplace. This role is based at PetSmart's Phoenix Home Office, where associates currently enjoy the benefits of in-person collaboration while having the flexibility to work remotely one day per week (a "flex workday" with leader approval), and an expected four days in the office. At PetSmart, you'll be part of an engaging and supportive environment designed to help you and our teams thrive.

The Senior Director of Operations, Veterinary Services, will lead the operational strategy and execution for veterinary services across locations nationwide. This role is responsible for ensuring clinical and operational excellence, fostering effective relationships with franchise partners, and delivering a consistent, high-quality client and pet experience. The ideal candidate possesses in-depth expertise in multi-site healthcare or veterinary operations, experience supporting franchised and/or joint-venture businesses, and a passion for delivering exceptional service in a mission-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Leadership:
  Oversee the day-to-day operations of veterinary hospitals within locations, ensuring alignment with service, safety, compliance, and customer care standards.
• Franchise Consulting & Enablement:
  Serve as a strategic advisor to hospital operators, offering operational guidance and support related to hospital performance, staffing models, customer service, and adherence to brand and regulatory standards.
• Client & Customer Experience:
  Champion a pet- and client-first culture by ensuring that all veterinary services deliver compassionate, consistent, and professional care—partner with internal teams to implement customer experience standards, client feedback loops, and service recovery models.
• Field Team Management:
  Lead a geographically dispersed team of field leaders, ensuring they are equipped to support both operational performance and customer satisfaction initiatives at the hospital level.
• Strategic Implementation:
  Partner with executive leadership on the rollout of strategic initiatives, including new hospital openings, service expansions, and brand-aligned experience improvements.
• Financial Stewardship:
  Manage P&L performance for hospitals. Support hospital operators with operational benchmarking and business planning to drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• Regulatory & Clinical Compliance:
  Ensure all veterinary operations meet or exceed state, federal, and company standards for veterinary care, safety, and documentation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  Collaborate with Store Operations, Real Estate, Marketing, HR, Legal, and Customer Experience teams to support the seamless integration of veterinary services into the broader retail environment.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, preferably within veterinary and/or healthcare services, multi-site operations, or franchised consumer services
• Demonstrated experience advising or supporting franchisees, joint-venture operations and/or independent operators
• Proven track record of driving customer experience initiatives in a clinical or retail environment
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, or related field; MBA or similar advanced degree preferred
• Deep financial acumen, including P&L management and budget forecasting
• Ability to lead and inspire cross-functional and geographically distributed teams
• In-depth understanding of veterinary industry operations, clinical workflows, and regulatory standards
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build credibility and trust with both internal teams and external partners
• Passion for pets and a shared commitment to advancing accessible, high-quality veterinary care

At PetSmart, we work hard to create a culture where every associate feels like they truly belong and we celebrate the unique stories, backgrounds, and experiences our associates share.  These experiences not only bring new perspectives in shaping our Belonging culture but they're core to PetSmart's success.

Not sure if you meet 100% of the position requirements and whether you should apply? We'd still like to hear from you and encourage you to apply with us You just may be the ideal candidate for this role, and if not this one, perhaps another position.

Our home office offers outstanding amenities in a fun and rewarding workplace including:

• Pet friendly environment, bring your pets to work
• On-site Dog Park
• "Top Dog" gym with equipment, fitness classes, massage therapists and personal trainers
• "Sit & Stay" Café serving fresh breakfast and lunch options
• On-site coffee bar
• "Lil' Paws" learning center and onsite daycare facility (associate paid)
• Volunteer events with PetSmart Charities
• Learn more about #LifeAtPetSmart here: 
• Check out Associate stories and share in some celebrations at PetSmart: 
• Explore PetSmart Benefits here: 
• If you don't already live in the Phoenix area here's a guide to the area:  Welcome to Phoenix Guide

PetSmart provides an equal opportunity for all associates and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics.