Animal Attendant
About The Position
The Animal Attendant is responsible for assisting in the proper care and maintenance of animals, ensuring their housing conditions are met, providing enrichment, and monitoring their health. This role also involves receiving and shipping animals, maintaining facility cleanliness, processing equipment, and acting as a resource person for research staff. The position requires adherence to Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) standards and CMARC standards for veterinary care. The schedule is based on a 5-day shift, including weekends, and may require supporting different areas of CMARC. Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory, including the N95 mask, and participation in the Occupational Health Program (OHP) is required for personnel in contact with non-human primates.
Requirements
- High School Diploma
- 6 Months Related Experience
- Authorized to work in Canada
- Willing to work in the province of Quebec
- Knowledge of English (Level # on a scale of 0-4)
Responsibilities
- Assists in the proper care and maintenance of animals.
- Feeds animals according to standards and schedules.
- Ensures animals have access to an adequate source of potable water.
- Inspects animal housing conditions.
- Cleans and changes cages, pens, enclosures, and ancillary items.
- Provides appropriate enrichment for different animal species.
- Ensures the macro environment follows the Canadian Council on Animal Care standards (CCAC).
- Verifies macroenvironment for anything abnormal (visual, auditory, olfactory).
- Verifies that equipment is functioning normally for the individually ventilated caging system.
- Completes standard reports and logs for all tasks mandated by CCAC.
- Monitors the general health of the animals and informs the Animal Health Technician of any changes.
- Reports in person or via email/phone if urgent matters arise concerning any physical and/or behavioural abnormalities.
- Reports any deviations to the approved housing standards.
- Applies various treatments to animals after instructions from the Veterinary Care group.
- Verifies that received animals' paperwork matches the order's paperwork.
- Verifies the sex, the number of animals, and the health condition of each animal and reports any discrepancies.
- Prepares and verifies animals for shipment following standards.
- Packs animals in transport boxes with appropriate supplies for shipping.
- Sanitizes all animal-related areas according to standards.
- Reports any malfunctioning equipment or facility-related issues.
- Performs minor work relating to the construction or repair of cages, enclosures, pens, etc.
- Takes inventory of animals.
- Assists in the inventory and restocking of animal-related supplies and equipment.
- Disposes of carcasses and waste according to standards.
- Sanitizes, prepares, and sterilizes animal-related equipment according to standards.
- Performs scheduled maintenance of processing equipment (cage washers, tunnel washers, autoclaves, etc.).
- Liaises with research staff regarding access to equipment.
- Answers or redirects vet care questions.
- Demonstrates how to properly use various equipment.
- Assists in demonstrating all duties of an animal care attendant to new employees.
- Ensures that all tasks are accomplished on a daily and weekly basis in collaboration with team members.
- Attends required meetings and training sessions.
- Identifies and suggests any potential improvements to the supervisor regarding processes and/or equipment.
Benefits
- Competitive benefits package (Health, Dental, Life Insurance) (if eligible)
- Defined contribution pension plan (with employer contribution up to 10%) (if eligible)
- Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA)
- Competitive vacation policy
- Two (2) personal days
- Two (2) floating holidays
- Nine (9) "Summer Fridays" - paid days off between the St-Jean Baptiste holiday and Labour Day
- Paid time off over the December holiday period
- Tuition waiver for regular employees and their dependents
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
