Animal Attendant III, Animal Resources Center

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Resources Center (ARC) at The University of Texas at Austin is responsible for managing three centralized animal facilities and some smaller satellite locations, covering approximately 150,000 sq. ft. of research animal space. The ARC oversees the care and use of vertebrate animals in research and teaching activities, dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and improving human and animal health through the highest standards of care and ethical treatment of laboratory animals. They support the academic community by providing exceptional animal husbandry, veterinary care, and compliance with regulatory standards, ensuring humane, responsible, and high-quality research. The ARC fosters an environment of respect and compassion for animals while promoting innovative research.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED and at least 3 years of experience in animal care
Demonstrated commitment to understanding policy, procedure, and regulations regarding care for lab animals.
Ability to safely lift, carry, push, and/or pull items weighing up to 50 pounds on a regular basis.
Applicant must complete and pass a physical abilities WorkSteps test.
Must possess and maintain a valid Texas Driver’s License.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with primates
AALAS Certification
Previous experience working in a research vivarium
Relevant degree in a related field

Responsibilities

Provides animal husbandry and care to all ARC-managed species.
Observes animals for signs of disease and/or illness and reports conditions to the veterinary group.
Completes all required documentation, including per diem sheets, checklists, animal records, and files.
Provides cross-campus support by fulfilling assigned job responsibilities in all ARC vivaria, as needed, to ensure consistent coverage during staff absences or fluctuations in animal census.
Cleans cages, pens, and animal quarters.
Sanitizes animal rooms, equipment, and facilities to prevent infections and disease.
Maintains accurate records of room/equipment sanitation.
Coordinates with research staff the transport of husbandry equipment and caging supplies to satellite facilities and PI care animal housing rooms.
Prepares or mixes feed according to specific instructions.
Tracks inventory of feed supplies and notifies supervisor when supplies need re-stocking.
Ability to execute facility-level tasks in UT-RMS AOPs software (cage card scanning and printing).
Drives UT owned carts and vehicles to transport equipment and/or animals between facilities and pick up equipment and/or animals.
Participates in training and continued education activities as provided by the ARC and required by federal guidelines and accreditation standards.
Interacts and communicated effectively with ARC staff and University of Texas at Austin research staff.
Attends meetings as needed to improve skills and knowledge or as required by management.
Serves as a backup for all Animal Attendant positions during outages or emergency coverage as needed.
Sets up incoming animal deliveries.
Receives, identifies, and cages newly arrived animals.
Verifies animal deliveries against order documentation and submits delivery documentation to supervisor.
Works without onsite supervision on weekends and holidays.
Completes all required documentation for weekend work.
May train other Animal Attendants.
Other duties as assigned.