Animal Care Technician II
About The Position
The Animal Care Technician (ACT) II is an experienced animal care position based in San Diego, focused primarily on animal care and vivarium operations and maintenance. Mispro fosters and ensures responsible and humane use of in vivo research models within its network of AAALAC-accredited contract vivariums, primarily supporting rodents. The role provides greater operational opportunities and independence for someone with experience and knowledge of laboratory animal care. It reports directly to a Site Operations Site Supervisor. The position provides daily husbandry for laboratory animal species in accordance with applicable guidelines, regulations, and SOPs, and supports vivarium operations, client needs, regulatory compliance, and assigned operational responsibilities. The technician may perform an associate Site Lead role, coordinate vivarium and research support activities, and provide ad interim site leadership when the Site Lead and Supervisor are absent.
Requirements
- Minimum of two years of animal care or vivarium operations experience, such as husbandry or related work.
- High school degree required.
- Prior animal care experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and/or academic in vivo research environments.
- Familiarity or exposure to operating practices for in vivo environments and models.
- Familiarity with local, industry, federal, and AAALAC regulatory standards governing the care and use of animals in research.
- Ability to identify non-compliant animal care or facility operations and report them to local leadership.
- Effective verbal and written communication, email responsiveness, appropriate use of chain of command, and escalation of emergencies.
- Interpersonal skills characterized by transparency, professionalism, integrity, and trust.
- Organizational skills, including prioritization, time management, scheduling, and attention to detail.
- Team-focused approach and ability to work reliably independently.
- Ability to lift 50 pounds, move heavy objects, stand for prolonged periods, and perform repetitive motion tasks.
- Availability to support weekend, holiday, emergency, and after-hours operational responsibilities.
- Ability to travel locally as needed.
Nice To Haves
- Two-year degree in general science, animal science, or veterinary science.
- ALAT certification; encouraged upon employment.
Responsibilities
- Perform daily husbandry, including animal checks, cage changes, and clinical follow-up, primarily for rodent species.
- Recognize and respond to standard rodent clinical conditions and perform basic veterinary care and treatment functions.
- Receive and house animal deliveries, confirming shipment conditions, animal health, genders, counts, and identification.
- Ensure animal care standards and perform euthanasia as required for animal welfare and colony management.
- Recognize and report environmental deviations involving temperature, humidity, lighting, HVAC, noise, or odor.
- Perform facility sanitation and participate in decontamination efforts.
- Support compliant waste management practices, including regulated medical, pathology/chemotherapy, laboratory, recycling, and composting waste.
- Receive and maintain common consumables, including PPE, caging, and diet.
- Submit animal orders and print cage cards.
- Support client service needs and equipment usage.
- Provide interim site leadership when the Site Lead and Supervisor are absent.
- Maintain ongoing communication with clients in assigned spaces and escalate concerns about animal care, the environment, or Mispro services.
- Provide clients with updates regarding animal conditions and basic support requests, including clinical updates, breeding progress, consumables restocking, waste management, and sanitation.
- Maintain cage-change schedules in alignment with client activity in rooms.
- Ensure appropriate sign-offs and accurate documentation of activities.
- Support compliance with institutional, governmental, and accrediting protocols and policies, including IACUC, QA, EPA, PHS, USDA, and AAALACi requirements.
- Develop familiarity with Mispro SOPs and maintain standards as they are updated or revised.
- Stay current with company training and professional development expectations.
- Order and receive supplies, take on special projects, and coordinate vivarium and research support activities under the guidance of the Site Supervisor and/or Animal Care Technician III/Site Lead(s).
- Support weekend, holiday, emergency, and after-hours operational responsibilities.
- Travel locally as needed and perform other duties as requested.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
High school or GED
