Animal Care Technician

University of Miami•Miami, FL

22h

About The Position

The Animal Care Technician assists in the development and production of research models and facilitates the design and performance of scientific research. Moreover, the incumbent maintains daily operations and performs procedures related to new and on-going core activities.

Requirements

High School diploma or equivalent
Minimum 1 year of relevant experience
Skill in completing assignments accurately and with attention to detail.
Ability to analyze, organize and prioritize work under pressure while meeting deadlines.
Ability to process and handle confidential information with discretion.
Ability to work evenings, nights, and weekends as necessary.
Commitment to the University’s core values.
Ability to work independently and/or in a collaborative environment.

Nice To Haves

American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) level is preferred.
Previous animal care and small animal colony management experience are preferred.

Responsibilities

Assists with ordering and purchasing of supplies and the maintenance of animals.
Maintains institutional biosafety and animal care protocols.
Assists with client relations, invoicing, and monitoring core utilization.
Performs routine maintenance and repair of equipment and facilities.
Completes animal surgeries, injections, irradiation, blood sampling, biopsies, and euthanasia.
Records and organizes experimental results.
Maintains current knowledge of methods and techniques related to the assigned field of research.
Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.
Ensure animal rooms are kept clean and organized.
Cleans and sanitizes cages according to prescribed standards.
Liaise with departmental veterinary resources and other lab members to maintain general animal facility organization and cleanliness.
Maintain lab, storage areas, and treatment rooms on a daily basis including sweeping and mopping floors; sanitizes equipment and instruments according to established procedures.
Provides food, water, and basic husbandry care for a small animal species.
Receive and verify shipments against purchase orders, bills, and other documents; stores animal feed and supplies in a neat and orderly manner; rotates feed as required to ensure freshness; monitors feed supplies to ensure adequate availability.
Observes animals on a daily basis to assess health, environmental conditions, and social environment; monitors animals for impact of research and advises team members/veterinary staff of the same.
Performs pre-surgical treatments under a researcher's direction, including identification of the correct animal and administration of drugs at the proper dosages; prepares animal for surgical procedures according to established sterile standards, and assists in complex surgical procedures.
Maintaining and sterilizing equipment.
Support all aspects of colony management and associated technical procedures, including preparation and administration of compounds (intravenous, oral gavage, intraperitoneal), genotyping, as well as non-invasive imaging of mice.
Collect biological samples (e.g., blood, tissues) and participate in their analysis.
Support team via various handling techniques, both for husbandry, imaging and treatment-related purposes.
Facilitate team workflows in collaboration with team members to ensure that tasks, priorities, and goals are completed and coordinated with management.
Help to develop, adapt, and implement new animal-related procedures.
Perform routine maintenance and/or basic mechanical repair to mobile caging, racks, tables, and automatic watering equipment.
Maintain cage cards, animal histories, and other records as required, including the collection and analysis of data for experimental purposes.
Maintain accurate records for quality control, quality assurance and research data.
Maintain database records.
Practice safety, environmental, and/or infection control methods.
Assist with lab management duties; ensure equipment is operated and maintained according to manufacturer's instructions; ensure supplies are adequate for the work to be performed.
Adhere to University and unit-level policies and procedures; safeguard University assets; participate in University/outside educational training as required.