Animal Lab Tech II - Comparative Medicine

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The Animal Laboratory Technician II (ALTII) is an advanced-level position in the Department of Comparative Medicine for technicians experienced in laboratory animal husbandry. The department facilitates biomedical research involving animals while maintaining high standards of ethical, humane, and appropriate animal care, and supports investigators through consultation, training, veterinary care, and facility maintenance. The ALTII performs husbandry for all species housed in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center facilities, including USDA-covered species, and performs veterinary-related procedures after training by Clinical Staff. The role requires applying relevant laboratory animal medicine standards, rules, regulations, standard operating procedures, policies, and procedures. The technician also supports training, animal and supply deliveries, inventory, environmental enrichment, census activities, and vivarium operations.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) certification from AALAS.
Valid and current driver's license.
Three years of Laboratory Animal Science experience.
Ability to learn, apply, and maintain compliance with rules and regulations governing the care and use of animals in research.
Ability to provide accurate, high-quality work and recognize and address flaws or errors others may overlook.
Ability to document tasks in an orderly, timely, and accurate manner.
Ability to convey and receive written and verbal information for varied audiences and in different formats.
Ability to follow written and oral instructions in English.
Ability to handle multiple demands and manage complex, competing priorities.
Knowledge of Microsoft Windows and ability to learn other systems supporting vivarium operations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree, preferably with relevant coursework in laboratory animal sciences.
Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) certification from AALAS.

Responsibilities

Perform routine and special feeding, watering, safe handling, and cage or primary-enclosure changes for all species housed in the vivarium, including USDA-covered species.
Process research staff service requests for special diets and medicated water.
Assist clinical and research staff with animal handling and provide trained treatments for rodents, including basic, intermediate, and advanced procedures such as SQ and IP injections and topical applications.
Perform veterinary-related tasks after training by Clinical Staff and maintain required clinical records; perform rodent breeding tasks as needed.
Provide species-specific environmental enrichment according to department standards, support enrichment initiatives, assess new items, and provide feedback.
Observe animals’ health daily and report cases directly to Clinical Staff.
Receive vendor animals; assist the Animal Care Coordinator with delivery reports and identification of obvious health abnormalities or deviations from ordered type, quantity, or sex.
Scan animal cage-card barcodes for billing and census purposes, participate in census reconciliation, and issue census reports as needed.
Work with ALTIII to audit inventory of feed, bedding, supplies, and equipment.
Store and dispense research staff-ordered special diets, including labeling, assigning secondary containers, and following proper storage conditions.
Assist with vivarium-space decontamination after training and proficiency assessment.
Support ALTIII and Supervisors in on-the-floor vivarium training for laboratory staff, including use of Animal Transfer Stations and Biological Safety Cabinets, micro-isolator technique, facility workflow, and large-animal species techniques.
Assist ALTIII and Supervisors with training new employees hired as ALTI and ALTII.
Identify additional tasks that need to be performed beyond those assigned.
Perform daily husbandry activities such as sanitizing primary enclosures, checking food and water, maintaining animal rooms, and barcoding for animal census.
Assist ALTIII and/or the Supervisor with training new Technicians, managing vendor deliveries of animals, equipment, and supplies, and confirming irradiation of incoming diets.