Animal Care Facility Manager

Washington State University • Pullman, WA

1d • 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, 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. Expectation on hours to be worked for this position would be Monday - Friday; between the hours of 7 AM - 5 PM. Weekend and Holiday hours on a rotating bases is also required. 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.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to effectively communicate in English (both written and spoken), work collegially, and collaborate with internal and external constituencies.
• 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 abide by the WSU Policy SPPM 6.10 – Smoking, Tobacco, and Nicotine use.
• Must be able to work weekends, after hours, and holidays as needed and directed by supervisor.
• Must be able to travel drive distance to pick up animal shipments from regional airports. i.e. Pullman, Lewiston, or Spokane.
• Computer skills required to work with on-line training, zoom/team meetings, protocol database programs and email communications.

Nice To Haves

• 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, 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, and developing or updating 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, while coordinating and supervising the proper handling of biohazardous waste within your managed facilities.
• Ensure that animal care services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with institutional and regulatory expectations.

Benefits

• WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes 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; and employee tuition waiver.

What This Job Offers

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