Talent Acquisition – Retail & Support Office

Animates is New Zealand’s largest pet care specialist, with 48 retail stores, 27 grooming salons and 15 vet clinics working together to support the wellbeing of pets and the people who love them. Every day, our teams help pet parents make informed decisions through trusted advice, quality products and expert services.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our growing Talent Acquisition team at a time of continued momentum across the business. Working closely with the Talent Acquisition Partner – Clinics, you’ll partner with our Support Office Senior Leadership Team to attract top talent across support functions, while also building strong relationships with Retail Area Managers to identify and secure high-performing Store Managers across our network.

About the role:

You’ll be part of our highly engaged People and Capability team - a collaborative group that is passionate about creating great people experiences, growing capability, and helping our teams thrive. Our values, known as our PACKT — passion, authenticity, care, knowledge and togetherness — are at the heart of everything we do.

As a trusted business partner, our retail and support office leaders will rely on your expertise to:

• Lead the end-to-end recruitment process for all Support Office and Store Manager positions
• Support Store Managers with the recruitment lifecycle, by managing SEEK postings, creating offer letters, and onboarding new team members, while monitoring and troubleshooting the Recruitment inbox
• Champion best-practice recruitment and serve as the go-to advisor for all recruitment matters
• Develop employer brand initiatives that promote our EVP
• Proactively and creatively source talent
• Develop assessment and selection tools
• Provide strategic direction and industry insights
• Partner with the L&D Manager to build resources that support best-practice recruitment and onboarding

About you:

You’re an experienced recruiter who loves finding great people and creating an outstanding candidate experience. You’ll ideally bring experience from a high-volume, multi-site or retail environment, and you’ll be confident building capability, influencing leaders, and identifying opportunities to continuously improve how we hire.

You build rapport quickly, communicate with confidence, and enjoy working in partnership with others. You’re organised, proactive, and bring strong attention to detail.

Experience with Cornerstone would be a real advantage, but we’d also welcome experience with other ATS or HRIS platforms.

Why join us:

• Generous discounts across our products and services
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements, including remote working options
• A paid volunteer day to support a cause that matters to you
• Paid parental leave benefits to support your growing family
• Access to EAP and a network of accredited Mental Health First Aiders
• Pets in the office regularly — and yes, your well-behaved pet can come too
• A convenient Ellerslie Support Office location with easy access to transport, motorways, free parking, cafes and local amenities
• A connected P&C team rhythm, with Thursdays as our shared in-office day

Why you’ll love Animates:

We’re proud to offer a genuinely supportive and inclusive culture where leaders care about wellbeing, collaboration is valued, and our PACKT values are lived every day.

We’re proud to be a Rainbow Tick Certified Employer, and we encourage you to bring your whole self to work. We’re also honoured to be the first organisation in Aotearoa to achieve Gold-level recognition in the Mental Health First Aid Workplace Recognition Programme, reflecting our genuine commitment to mental health, wellbeing and creating a workplace where people feel supported, connected and safe.

If you’re looking for a role where you can make an impact, grow your career, and help build great teams in a business that truly cares, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now