Animal Ethics Compliance Admin

McGill University

11d•CA$33 - CA$41•Hybrid

About The Position

Facilitate, coordinate, enhance and promote the excellence of research and teaching involving animals by providing administrative support to the animal care program of McGill University. Administer approvals of protocols, renewals and amendments. Administer the Pedagogical Merit Review of teaching and training protocols. Advise researchers, FACC Administrators and Chairs, OSR and other stakeholders regarding University and regulatory agency policies, guidelines and procedures. Prepare agendas and documents, and take minutes of the Animal Welfare and Policy Oversight Committee. Provide backup for other team members, notably for training verification and ethics review administration. Implement procedures, prepare reports and participate in projects (e.g. software upgrade or new implementation project).

Requirements

DEC III Animal Health Technology or related field.
3 years relevant experience.
Demonstrated organizational skills to work in a fast-paced office environment with specific time-critical deadlines.
Proven ability to prioritize and multitask.
Knowledge of McGill and CCAC animal care policies and procedures, and of research environment.
Initiative and ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
Proven service orientation and communication skills.
Proficiency in office systems, including word processing, spreadsheets, database, presentation software, email.
Familiarity with application / approval database platforms (e.g. Darwin/eSirius, infoEd).
Ability to take notes and minutes including technical vocabulary.
English (spoken and written); French (spoken and read).

Responsibilities

Administer final approvals of protocols, renewals and amendments from all McGill and Affiliated Institutes.
Perform pre-review of protocols, renewals and amendments prior to submission to committee, using the Animal Management software platform for animal protocol review and approval.
Provide service to researchers on submission of protocols, renewals and amendments using the Animal Management software platform, referring technical issues as required. Advise researchers, teachers, Committee Chairs and members, regarding University and regulatory agency policies, guidelines and procedures. Assist researchers with clarifications of committee recommendations and with the completion of the forms.
For all protocols, renewals and amendments in queue for final approval, review and reconcile to ensure quorum, training completion and peer review for scientific or pedagogical merit.
Process electronic approvals using the software platform. Issue signed animal certificates and upload them to the software. Adjust animal use registers at final approval for species where the census is not done automatically using cage cards.
Correct protocol issues that can only be fixed at final approval.
Enter protocol data and link grants on OSR’s infoEd system. Alert OSR staff or other stakeholders of new protocol linkages.
Process protocol terminations and transfers, and inform appropriate stakeholders.
Ensure timely follow-up on issues with OSR (includes reminder emails to researchers), Animal Care Committees (ACCs), Training Advisor, researchers, animal facility staff and other stakeholders.
Document the infrastructure, in consultation with Director, other team members and appropriate departments, for administering and tracking pedagogical merit review of teaching and training protocols.
Establish and maintain a list of pedagogical merit reviewers, by area of expertise.
Maintain and track student or participant evaluations for pedagogical merit reviews of full renewals. Summarize student or participant evaluations for reviewers (multiple choice and descriptive responses).
Track protocols that are up for pedagogical merit review and inform principal instructors and ACCs in a timely fashion of the documents and process.
Follow-up in a timely fashion on issues with the review process.
Issue confirmation letters for successful and unsuccessful pedagogical merit outcomes and attach these to protocols.
Ensure continuous support to researchers, ACC Administrators and Chairs, OSR and other stakeholders in the delivery of services by keeping up-to-date on the animal care program and regulatory policies, guidelines and procedures, confirming priorities and timeframes, and organizing work accordingly.
Prepare agendas and documents, and take minutes of the Animal Welfare and Policy Oversight Committee. Meetings and minutes are of a scientific or technical nature.
Regularly confer with supervisor in order to discuss problems and to plan ahead. Assess and resolve administrative problems. When appropriate, inform Director or Vice-President’s office and formulate recommendations. Liaison with Vice-President’s office over administrative matters.
Provide backup in case of foreseen and unforeseen absence for other team members, notably for training verification, ethics review administration and basic software platform support.
Member of the IT System Core Development and Support Team. Participate in software development testing or functional testing of technical fixes by IT Support.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package (Health, Dental, Life Insurance) (if eligible)
Defined contribution pension plan (with employer contribution up to 10%) (if eligible)
Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA)
Competitive vacation policy
Two (2) personal days
Two (2) floating holidays
Nine (9) "Summer Fridays" - paid days off between the St-Jean Baptiste holiday and Labour Day
Paid time off over the December holiday period
Tuition waiver for regular employees and their dependents
Up to two (2) days of remote work per week where the position permits