Animal Care Facility Manager

Washington State University • Pullman, WA

15d • $4,942 - $7,567 • Onsite

About The Position

As the Animal Care Facility Manager for the Office of the Campus Veterinarian’s Integrated Vivarium Services, you will play a central role in ensuring the smooth, safe, and compliant operation of the Integrated Vivarium Services (IVS) animal care facilities. In this role, you will oversee daily unit operations by supervising staff (10-15 employees), managing budgets, implementing policies and procedures, allocating resources, and ensuring meaningful results. You will take the lead in providing, or coordinating, professional instruction for personnel in animal handling, restraint, euthanasia, equipment use, and other essential techniques. Your expertise in husbandry, behavior, and facility management will guide researchers in maintaining high-quality animal care that protects both research integrity and animal well‑being. You will be responsible for monitoring the physical condition of facilities and equipment, arranging repairs or maintenance as needed, and developing or updating standard operating procedures to support evolving facility needs. In this role, you will also offer in‑depth training and oversight to faculty PIs and research staff to maintain safety standards and animal health status, while coordinating and supervising the proper handling of biohazardous waste within your managed facilities. As part of IVS’s centralized, service‑center operations, you will help ensure that animal care services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with institutional and regulatory expectations. You may perform all responsibilities listed or a combination based on operational needs—either way, you will be essential to fostering safe, high‑quality research environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in zoology, animal science, or closely related field and three (3) years of experience in a laboratory animal care facility which has included at least one (1) year of supervisory experience.
• Certification as a Laboratory Animal Technologist may be required within one (1) year of employment.
• Must have, or be able to obtain by time of hire, a valid driver’s license and meet requirements in accordance with SPPM 7.10 and departmental driving standards.
• Must be able to wear respiratory protective equipment if necessary, based on research needs, occupational health and safety requirements, and requirements set by WSU biosafety officer.
• Must abstain from wearing scented products or using scented products at work due to the sensitivity of the animals and research.
• Must be able to work weekends, after hours, and holidays as needed and directed by supervisor.
• This is an essential position, and the employee will be expected to report to work under conditions that other employees are not required to report to work, such as inclement weather and WSU suspended operations.

Nice To Haves

• A Master’s degree in a related field may substitute for one (1) year of professional work experience.
• Any combination of relevant education and progressively responsible animal care experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year‐for‐year basis.
• Experience in an animal research or laboratory setting.
• AALAS Laboratory Animal Technologist, ILAM or CMAR Certification.
• Previous experience managing rats, mice and livestock
• Ability to drive or willingness to learn to drive 3/4 ton lift gate truck with manual transmission

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily unit operations by supervising staff (10-15 employees), managing budgets, implementing policies and procedures, allocating resources, and ensuring meaningful results.
• Provide, or coordinate, professional instruction for personnel in animal handling, restraint, euthanasia, equipment use, and other essential techniques.
• Guide researchers in maintaining high-quality animal care that protects both research integrity and animal well‑being.
• Monitor the physical condition of facilities and equipment, arranging repairs or maintenance as needed.
• Develop or update standard operating procedures to support evolving facility needs.
• Offer in‑depth training and oversight to faculty PIs and research staff to maintain safety standards and animal health status.
• Coordinate and supervise the proper handling of biohazardous waste within managed facilities.
• Ensure that animal care services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with institutional and regulatory expectations.
• Manage unit operations including staff supervision (10-15 employees), budget, policies, procedures, allocating program resources, and responsibility for results.
• Provide or arrange instruction to unit personnel in the handling, restraint, euthanasia, and related animal techniques and equipment usage.
• Provide advice on husbandry, management, behavior and related factors potentially affecting research data or experimental procedures.
• Oversee the physical integrity of facilities and equipment and scheduling maintenance when needed.
• Provide in-depth training and monitoring of faculty PIs and their research staff in proper procedures for maintaining safety and animal health status.
• Routine evaluation and development of new standard operating procedures as applicable to new facility.
• Coordinate and oversee the handling of biohazards waste for the IVS Facilities under this position’s management.

Benefits

• paid sick and vacation leave
• paid holidays
• medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents
• retirement
• deferred compensation
• optional supplemental retirement accounts
• training and development
• employee tuition waiver

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager