Animal Care Technician - Office of Lab Animal Resources

West Virginia University • West Virginia, WV

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Lab Animal Resources at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an Animal Care Technician. This role involves performing animal care duties such as washing soiled animal cages, caging racks, and other equipment, and setting up clean cages for animal rooms. It also includes custodial duties within the animal vivarium, daily trash removal, cleaning support areas, and maintaining specialized equipment. The technician will be responsible for feeding, watering, and changing cages for various animal species used in biomedical research. A key responsibility is closely observing animals and notifying veterinary staff or supervisors of any abnormalities. This position requires work during weekends, weekdays, holidays, or after hours, and involves initial and periodic Medical Monitoring exams through the Occupational Medicine Program.

Requirements

• Associate degree
• A minimum of 0-6 months of experience in the following: Working with either laboratory animals or farm animals
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.
• Perform tasks in washroom in timely fashion by working efficiently and effectively as a team with co-workers.
• Ability to wear proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including a PAPR (personal air purification respirator).
• Good observation skills.
• Good manual dexterity for handling small laboratory animals (i.e. mice and rats).
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions in English.
• Ability to perform tasks which require exposure to animal species including mice, rat, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, pigeons, rabbits, cats, dogs, non-human primates, sheep and swine and other exotic animals.
• Must be able to accept exposure (with proper PPE and respirator protection) of animal dander, dusts and fecal matter, fumes from various cleaning solutions and chemicals. Also, exposure to hot humid environment of cage washer and autoclaves and cold extremities for working outside with farm animals.
• Ability to pick up small animals with one hand while using the other to hold cages or equipment.
• Ability to be flexible, to perform all types of tasks and comprehend changes and be able to implement changes immediately. Provide feedback when changes are implemented.
• Ability for compassion toward animal welfare in a research environment.

Responsibilities

• Performs animal care duties including washing soiled animal cages, caging racks and other equipment.
• Setting up clean cages for animal rooms.
• Performs other custodial duties within the animal vivarium, daily trash removal, cleaning support areas, maintaining certain types of specialized equipment.
• Feeding, watering and changing cages on a variety of animal species used in Biomedical Research.
• Observing animals closely and notifying veterinary staff or supervisors if any abnormalities are noticed.
• Disassemble rodent caging and separate equipment.
• Dump soiled cages in cage wash area and run soiled cages through rack and tunnel washer.
• Operate cage washers for sanitizing and sterilizing rodent cages.
• Prepare routine daily maintenance on cage washers as described in SOP’s and as directed by supervisors.
• Reassemble rodent cages, auxiliary equipment, other cages and equipment.
• Prepare cages for room setups and cage changes.
• Provide cage setups and general support to the “Core Facilities” within the perimeter of the vivariums.
• Remove trash daily, provide general custodial duties for work area and support areas.
• Observe animals in assigned animal rooms and report any abnormalities to the supervisor or veterinary staff.
• Provide food and water to animals and cage changes as described in the SOP’s and daily work schedule.
• Set up for newly arrived animals and put newly arrived animals in cages as directed by the Supervisor.
• Provide topical and other basic clinical treatments as prescribed by veterinary staff.
• Document all procedures performed in animal rooms including room logs, temperature/relative humidity and monthly room duties as described in logbook.
• Report to supervisors any abnormalities with equipment in animal rooms or abnormalities that require immediate attention.
• Maintain vacuum cleaners in animal rooms.
• Change and maintain filter for change stations and ventilated racks.
• Operate floor scrubbers and pressure washers for animal room sanitation and support area cleanliness.
• Remove animal carcasses weekly from cold rooms and refrigerators and pack them into boxes for removal by outside contractor.
• Stock PPE cabinets and other area where supplies need to be stocked.
• Assist in unloading feed truck and putting feed away.
• Assist in receiving all other supplies to the vivariums.
• Assist in transport of caging and other equipment between vivariums.
• Attend all training sessions and complete all the required on-line training.
• Attend all mandatory staff meetings.
• Responsible for laundry for staff scrubs and other items in vivarium that require laundering.

Benefits

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 15 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6%25 employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks.
• Wellness programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree