Animal Technician Supervisor

Washington State University • Pullman, WA

5d • $3,840 - $5,137 • Onsite

About The Position

As one of the Animal Technician Supervisors for the Office of the Campus Veterinarian’s Integrated Vivarium Services, you will play a important role in ensuring the smooth, safe, and compliant operation of the Integrated Vivarium Services (IVS) animal care facilities. In this role, you will oversee daily unit operations by performing daily animal husbandry and facility maintenance, record keeping, training and overseeing lower level staff members, and ensuring adequate animal welfare. Regular tasks performed are cleaning & sanitation of animal housing areas and facilities, biosecurity control, animal handling, cleaning of animal enclosures, euthanasia, equipment operation, keeping accurate daily/weekly/monthly records, communicating with supervisor and staff, working with the Campus Veterinary Services Unit. and other essential duties. You will work with researchers & lab personnel in maintaining high-quality animal care that protects both research integrity and animal well‑being. You will be responsible for monitoring the physical condition of facilities, equipment, and notifying your supervisor when repairs or maintenance are needed, and reviewing standard operating procedures to support evolving facility needs. In this role, you will provide guidance & instruction to faculty PIs and research staff to maintain safety standards and animal health status, while coordinating the proper handling of bio-hazardous waste, order of entry for biosecurity needs, proper animal handling & care within your assigned facilities. As part of IVS’s centralized, service‑center operations, you will help ensure that animal care services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with institutional and regulatory expectations. You will be essential to fostering safe, high‑quality research environment while providing professional animal care. You will work with the Campus Veterinary Services unit to ensure adequate veterinary care is provided to all animals in the IVS facilities.

Requirements

• Two years of experience as an Animal Technician 3, at least one year must include lead OR supervisory responsibility; OR equivalent education/experience.
• Physical ability to do required work and essential functions
• Ability to read and write in English
• Be 18 years or older
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Must have, or be able to obtain by time of hire, a valid driver’s license and meet requirements in accordance with SPPM 7.10 and departmental driving standards
• Must be able to drive 1-ton lift gate truck with manual transmission
• Must be able to wear respiratory protective equipment if necessary based on research needs, occupational health and safety requirements, and requirements set by WSU bio-safety officer
• Must abstain from wearing scented products or using scented products at work due to the sensitivity of the animals and research
• Must be able to work a rotating schedule that could include weekends, after hours and holidays as needed and directed by supervisor
• This is an essential position, and the employee will be expected to report to work under conditions that other employees are not required to report to work, such as inclement weather and WSU suspended operations

Nice To Haves

• Prior husbandry experience with a wide range of animal species
• Working with animals in a research or teaching institution
• Experience leading and training employees
• AALAS Certification at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician level or higher

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily unit operations by performing daily animal husbandry and facility maintenance
• Record keeping
• Training and overseeing lower level staff members
• Ensuring adequate animal welfare
• Cleaning & sanitation of animal housing areas and facilities
• Biosecurity control
• Animal handling
• Cleaning of animal enclosures
• Euthanasia
• Equipment operation
• Keeping accurate daily/weekly/monthly records
• Communicating with supervisor and staff
• Working with the Campus Veterinary Services Unit
• Monitoring the physical condition of facilities and equipment
• Notifying supervisor when repairs or maintenance are needed
• Reviewing standard operating procedures to support evolving facility needs
• Provide guidance & instruction to faculty PIs and research staff to maintain safety standards and animal health status
• Coordinating the proper handling of bio-hazardous waste
• Coordinating order of entry for biosecurity needs
• Coordinating proper animal handling & care within assigned facilities
• Ensuring that animal care services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with institutional and regulatory expectations
• Fostering safe, high‑quality research environment while providing professional animal care
• Ensuring adequate veterinary care is provided to all animals in the IVS facilities

Benefits

• Paid sick and vacation leave
• Paid holidays
• Medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents
• Retirement
• Deferred compensation
• Optional supplemental retirement accounts
• Training and development
• Employee tuition waiver

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED