Avian Colony Manager

Colossal•Dallas, TX

19h

About The Position

Colossal is seeking an Avian Colony Manager to oversee the breeding, health, and tracking of research bird populations, such as poultry, finches, or pigeons, within an avian laboratory animal facility. The role supports scientific work by providing researchers with healthy, well-documented birds and reliable colony data. The position reports to the Head of Animal Husbandry and is based in the Dallas, Texas area. Relocation assistance is available. The manager oversees avian breeding programs, animal health and welfare, colony data and software, regulatory compliance, equipment and logistics, and support for research teams. The role also works directly with the animal care team on husbandry and routine facility operations as needed. The job posting describes Colossal’s culture as collaborative, creative, and inclusive, and notes that its teams work across laboratories, test facilities, academic institutions, libraries, and offices.

Requirements

Hands-on experience in laboratory animal care, particularly avian husbandry, incubation, and biosecurity protocols.
Hands-on experience in animal operations, laboratory animal facilities, poultry facilities, breeding colonies, research farms, or a comparable regulated animal-care environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex daily operations, including scheduling, recordkeeping, facility organization, staff training, and coordination across multiple workstreams.
Strong working knowledge of animal husbandry, animal handling, welfare monitoring, sanitation, biosecurity and testing, and facility operations.
Experience building or improving electronic operational systems, schedules, and tracking tools.
Effective communication and mentoring skills, including the ability to engage personnel in a range of roles.
Comfort working in a small, fast-moving organization where leaders are expected to remain hands-on and assist with routine operational work.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree in Avian Sciences, Animal Science, Biology, or a related field is highly preferred.
AALAS certification (LAT or LATg) is described as standard.
Specific training or certification in avian handling and medicine.

Responsibilities

Manage specialized avian breeding schemes, egg incubation, hatching schedules, and wing or leg band identification.
Plan and schedule facility capacity, and lead the setup, organization, redesign, and expansion of animal rooms and workflows.
Track pedigrees and assign animals to breeding groups, studies, and research projects.
Monitor birds for avian-specific health issues and coordinate veterinary care.
Ensure precise environmental parameters, including specialized lighting and humidity, and work with the veterinary team on colony health monitoring, treatment, and preventive care.
Maintain electronic records of lineage, egg production, and hatchability rates using colony software.
Develop, implement, and optimize online tracking systems that connect animal-facility operations with the laboratory, and maintain detailed electronic records.
Follow USDA, NIH, AAALAC, and institutional IACUC requirements and protocols relevant to avian research.
Manage incubator and environmental monitoring and calibration, respond to alarms, order feed and bands, coordinate shipping and receiving of birds and eggs, and manage permits.
Collaborate with research teams on specialized avian procedures, sample collections, and study logistics.
Assist researchers with genotyping and breeding birds to meet study requirements.
Work alongside the animal care team as needed on animal handling, egg collection, room setup, cleaning, husbandry support, and operational coverage.
Train and mentor personnel and coordinate work across multiple operational areas.