Description

Kennel Technician - Lead

Full-time

Austin, TX

Westlake Animal Hospital is looking for a Lead Kennel Technician to join our team as part of the Thrive Pet Healthcare community.

At Westlake Animal Hospital, a Thrive Pet Healthcare partner, you will have the support, tools, and resources to elevate your skills. As a hospital deeply rooted in the local community, you will experience the best of both worlds: a genuine local feel with the benefits of Thrive's national resources.

Position Summary:
The Lead Kennel Technician is responsible for overseeing daily kennel operations while supporting and guiding kennel staff to ensure exceptional care for all boarding pets. This role combines hands-on animal care with administrative and leadership responsibilities, including scheduling, client communication, staff training, and operational coordination. The Kennel Technician Lead works closely with the management team to maintain high standards of safety, cleanliness, client service, and team collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Include but are not limited to:

Daily Operations

• Assist kennel technicians with feeding, walking, bathing, and general care of boarding pets as needed
• Receive, schedule, and coordinate all boarding reservations
• Acquire and verify immunization records for pending boarding reservations
• Review medical records to determine boarding eligibility
• Send and receive all required paperwork related to boarding reservations
• Manage all client communication related to boarding pets
• Provide daily updates to pet owners during their pet’s stay
• Admit and discharge boarding pets, ensuring accurate documentation
• Manage all kennel billing, invoicing, and payment processing
• Step into kennel technician roles as needed to support staff and maintain operations
• Monitor and maintain kennel inventory, including ordering supplies as needed

Team Leadership & Administrative Duties

• Meet weekly with the management team for updates, planning, and operational support
• Train and onboard all kennel staff to ensure consistent procedures and care standards
• Support and maintain clear communication with kennel staff
• Oversee weekly scheduling for kennel staff, including PTO requests and call-outs, while monitoring timecards and addressing attendance concerns
• Address and resolve client concerns or issues related to boarding services
• Conduct annual performance reviews for boarding staff
• Lead corrective action discussions and support staff development when necessary

Qualifications & Requirements

• 1-3 years of experience in a kennel technician role or Veterinary Assistant position required
• 1 year of leadership or management experience preferred
• Strong understanding of animal behavior, handling, and basic health monitoring
• Ability to read and interpret veterinary medical records and vaccination requirements
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for client and team interactions
• Comfortable handling multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to lead, train, and support a team while maintaining a positive work environment
• Basic computer skills and comfort using scheduling and medical record systems

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, and lift up to 40-50 lbs, with our without reasonable accommodation
• Ability to safely handle dogs and cats of various sizes, temperaments, and energy levels
• Comfortable working in a kennel environment with noise, odors, and cleaning chemicals

About the Hospital

We are a busy 7-doctor practice located in the lovely city of Austin, Texas! We nurture not only our clients and their pets, but also our staff. We offer professional and personal growth as well as promote a healthy work/life balance. We strive to make work fun, engaging, and rewarding and offer an excellent benefits package!

Benefits - our care in action

Thrive offers a suite of benefits to support team members’ emotional, physical, professional, and financial wellbeing. In addition to our health and life insurance, and short- and long- term disability plans, we offer eligible team members:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) with employer match
• Mental health resources, including 24/7 access to Lyra Health
• Paid parental leave
• Purr-ental leave for when you adopt a pet
• Employer-sponsored childcare and elder care
• Personalized care for every family-forming journey
• FREE CE courses
• Pet perks and veterinary service discounts
• Student loan management tools and assistance

Provide your best care with more bridges and less barriers.

We listen to your needs and then meet them. Through training and free CE experiences, your career development can flourish. And in our locally rooted, nationally connected community, you’ll be able to make connections, access opportunities and find support with ease.

Support for you is as vital as the support you provide.

You’ll Thrive With Us

At Thrive, you have the opportunity to develop your career in a way that best suits your goals. Take advantage of our comprehensive learning and skill-building programs to enhance your expertise. You can build your skills and earn credentials through:

• Our vast, diverse, and free library of continuing education courses - ThriveU
• Live, virtual interactive workshops to develop valuable leadership skills
• A program designed to teach you the fundamentals of running a pet hospital
• Move into any specialty, hospital type, or environment - across the nation.
• Leadership training for a thriving and long career in the veterinary profession.

About Thrive

Thrive Pet Healthcare is one of the first veterinary services offering a comprehensive continuum of care for pets’ primary, specialty, and acute needs. Through a nationwide community of over 360 veterinary providers, and an industry-leading membership program, Thrive Pet Healthcare provides personalized, accessible care through every stage of a pet’s life and health. Founded by veterinarians, the organization provides industry-first benefits for practice staff while elevating privately held veterinary hospitals with innovative service and technology solutions. By focusing on the needs of care providers and professional collaboration, Thrive Pet Healthcare is supporting the well-being of the industry and raising the national bar for veterinary excellence.

Thrive Pet Healthcare is united by our mission to create the future of pet well-being through medical excellence, innovative technology, and a connected community of teams and partners. We exist to nurture both pets and people through meaningful relationships and exceptional veterinary care.

Our Support Office teams power that mission by supporting our hospitals through operational excellence, innovative programs, people-centered culture, and forward-thinking business solutions - all while having plenty of fun along the way.

We nurture pets & people through meaningful relationships and exceptional pet care-and we are united by a shared set of values.

• Service - delivering exceptional service
• Empathy - leading with care
• Accountability - achieve meaningful outcomes
• Joy - be a source of light
• Exploration - learn to fuel growth
• Team - connect for success

At Thrive Pet Healthcare, we are committed to creating a culture where everyone from any background can be heard, respected, and valued. We pledge to build an inclusive environment nurtured by respectful curiosity to support, encourage, and celebrate the diverse voices of our teams and the communities we serve.