Location: Galveston,TX, USA
Animal Attendant, Animal Resources Center, Service Department
**Galveston, Texas, United States**
Research Academic & Clinical
UTMB Health
Requisition # 2404843
**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
**Equal Employment Opportunity**
UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Compensation