Minimum Qualifications:
High school or equivalent; no experience required.
Preferred:
Animal care experience Job Description: To assist in providing care of laboratory animals in a humane, safe and sanitary manner including duties associated with cage washing, sanitation and preparation of animal research facilities.
Job Duties: Cage Washing:
- Prepares soiled caging for washing.
- Operates washing equipment and ensures proper working order during daily operating procedures, routine cleaning, and preventive maintenance.
- Operates autoclave to sterilize or decontaminate caging equipment.
- Performs daily quality control checks and documents effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing.
- Assembles clean and sanitized caging for distribution according to supply orders.
- Maintains sanitary conditions of cage washing rooms and other ancillary areas, such as hallways and storage areas.
- Disposes of soiled waste and trash.
- Transports caging and supplies between animal rooms and cage washing rooms.
Husbandry:
- Provides daily husbandry care, including feeding and watering, for all species.
- Changes and sanitizes animal caging as scheduled.
- Maintains enrichment program as specified for each species.
- Sanitizes rooms, equipment and hallways as scheduled.
- Documents daily, weekly and monthly duties accurately.
- Observes animals for behavior change and/or evidence of disease and notifies veterinary staff as appropriate.
- Receives transports and distributes incoming animals as specified.
- Ensures accurate cage cards and census.
- Provides specialized animal care, including quarantine, biohazard and sterile housing.
- Ensures equipment in animal rooms are functioning properly
Cage Washing and Husbandry:
- Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
- Attends in-house training programs to become more knowledgeable in the field of laboratory animal science.
- Provides superior customer service. Follows safety precautions and wears correct protective equipment.
- Follows rules and regulations related to laboratory animal care. May assist ARC logistics team with transport of caging or materials and with the receipt and storage of supplies.
- Performs related duties as required
Equipment:
- Industrial type cage and rack washers, autoclaves, pallet jacks, animal caging and racks.
- Support equipment used in a laboratory animal science multi-species facility and standard office equipment.
Salary Range: Commensurate with Experience
Working Environment/Location of Position:
- Standard research facility environment.
- Able to lift 50 pounds.
- Work weekends, holidays, and some overtime when needed.
- Frequent contact with animal allergens, such as hair and dander.
- Frequent exposure to animal odors, heat and humidity from cage washing rooms, and chemicals used in the cleaning process.
- Possible contact with zoonotic diseases and or research materials could be hazardous to a fetus.
- Potential exposure to radiation and biohazards