Project Manager - New Store Openings

Description

Dogtopia is the leading dog daycare brand in North America. Our purpose is simple and meaningful: To help dogs and their families live long, healthy, happy lives. We do that by providing safe, structured, and enriching daycare environments where dogs can socialize, exercise, and thrive. As we grow, opening new Dogtopia locations allows us to serve more dogs, support more families, and positively impact more communities. New store openings are not just construction projects; they are how our purpose comes to life.

Role Overview

The Project Manager, New Store Openings plays a critical role in bringing new Dogtopia locations to life. This position is responsible for coordinating and driving execution of all activities required to open new stores, from lease execution through grand opening. This role serves as the central point of coordination across internal Dogtopia teams, franchisees, and external partners. The Project Manager ensures timelines are met, tasks are completed, risks are identified early, and nothing falls through the cracks. This is a hands-on execution role focused on clarity, accountability, and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• New Store Opening Execution
  • Manage multiple Dogtopia New Store Opening projects simultaneously
  • Own the end-to-end opening timeline from final site selection through grand opening
  • Build, maintain, and actively manage detailed project plans and milestones
• Cross-Functional Coordination
  • Serve as the central point of coordination across Dogtopia Real Estate, Design & Construction, Supply Chain,       Operations, Training, Marketing, and external vendors, driving accountability and ensuring deadlines are met
  • Coordinate closely with franchisees to ensure responsibilities, timelines, and requirements are clearly understood
  • Drive clean handoffs between each phase of the opening lifecycle
• Tracking, Follow-Up & Accountability
  • Track every task, owner, and due date with precision
  • Follow up consistently to ensure commitments are met
  • Identify risks, bottlenecks, and delays early and escalate when needed
  • Push teams and partners to deliver while maintaining productive working relationships
• Opening Readiness & Launch
  • Manage opening readiness checklists and pre-opening requirements
  • Coordinate system setup, supply readiness, training completion, and operational sign-offs
  • Support grand opening execution and transition to ongoing operations
• Communication & Reporting
  • Provide clear, concise status updates to Dogtopia leadership and stakeholders
  • Maintain accurate documentation of progress, risks, and decisions
  • Ensure leadership has visibility into timeline health and opening readiness at all times

 What Success Looks Like

• Dogtopia locations open on time, or earlier
• Franchisees know exactly what is expected of them and by when
• Risks and issues are surfaced early, not discovered at the last minute
• Leadership has confidence and clarity around NSO progress

Requirements

• Required
  • 3–5 years of project management or project coordination experience
  • Experience managing timelines across multiple internal teams and external partners
  • Strong organizational, tracking, and follow-through skills
  • Comfortable holding others accountable to deadlines
  • Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills
• Preferred
  • Experience supporting retail, hospitality, or franchise new store openings
  • Familiarity with construction, permitting, or vendor coordination
  • Experience working in a multi-location or franchise environment

Benefits

• 10 paid holidays
• Medical, Dental & Vision
• 401K employer contribution after one year of employment
• 2 weeks’ paid vacation
• Bonus Potential
• $1,000 annual health and wellness cash benefit for gym membership or healthcare