VACANCY
Trainee Dog Groomer The Fairy Tails K9 Centre — Hastings, East Sussex
Full-time 40 hours per week
Monday to Friday No weekend work
We’re looking for a Trainee Dog Groomer to join our salon and our wider dog care team. This is a fulltime role for someone who wants to learn grooming properly, from the ground up, in a busy professional environment.
No previous grooming experience is needed — full training is provided.
At The Fairy Tails, we’re dog carers first and specialists second. Whatever your main role, everyone here looks after the dogs in their charge to the same high standard. That’s the heart of how we work, and it’s the first thing you’ll learn: before you become a groomer with us, you’ll become a confident, capable dog carer who knows our dogs, our routines and our standards.
We’ll also happily hear from qualified dog trainers, experienced handlers or anyone with a strong dog care background who wants to join the team — as long as you’re ready to follow our standards, complete our inhouse training and muck in wherever you’re needed.
Where you’ll work This role is based across both our sites — the 15 Mount Pleasant Road Salon and the Fairlight Place Care Centre — so you’ll spend time working at both.
What you’ll be doing
Learning and carrying out grooming duties in the salon — bathing, drying, brushing, prepping and handling dogs, and building towards the standard of finish we expect
Supporting the groomers with daily salon tasks, and keeping the salon clean, hygienic and well organised
Helping across the business when needed — supporting the daycare team with feeding, walking, transport, cleaning and daily routines
Following our dog handling, welfare, safety and care standards at all times, and helping keep every dog safe, happy and well looked after
Who we’re looking for More than anything, we want a genuine team player — someone with a helpful attitude who’s happy to get stuck in wherever the team needs a hand. If you love the idea of learning a real skill while being part of a close, hard-working dog care team, you’ll fit right in. The ideal candidate will:
-Have a genuine love for dogs, and be calm, patient and confident around them
-Be keen to learn grooming from the ground up
-Work well as part of a team, and be happy to help with daycare and general dog care when needed
-Be reliable, punctual, hard-working and proud of high standards in cleanliness, presentation and animal care
-Communicate well.
Understand that dog welfare and safety come first, always
Be willing to follow our training, handling and welfare standards
Training and probation
Your trainee grooming programme runs alongside a three-month probationary period. During this time we’ll want to see that you can follow our standards, work well in the team, care for dogs safely and responsibly, and make real progress with your grooming.
You don’t need to be trained before applying — but you do need to be committed, reliable and genuinely willing to learn. Passing probation depends on your attitude, teamwork, dog care and grooming progress.
Pay During probation: the National Minimum / National Living Wage for your age
On passing probation: £13.50 per hour
Once experienced and efficient at grooming: up to £30,000 per year
For those who can also drive for us and help the managers run the centre: up to £33,000 per year
Benefits
-Full training provided
-Uniform provided
-Company pension
-Free grooming, daycare and boarding for your own dog (subject to suitability and availability)
-The chance to learn in a busy professional salon and dog care centre
-For the right candidate who’s committed to The Fairy Tails, the opportunity to sit your City & Guilds Level 2 in Dog Grooming once you’ve reached the appropriate level of skill Room to progress into a higher-paid grooming, driving or management-support role
-A couple of notes A driving licence isn’t required — we’re looking for the right person first and foremost.
-You must have the right to work in the UK.
-How to apply Apply through Indeed with your CV and a short note telling us why you’d like to train as a groomer with The Fairy Tails.
-Please note we only accept applications through Indeed — applications sent by email won’t be considered.
Pay: From £10.85 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
