HUSBANDRY TECHNICIAN I

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute•San Diego, CA

5h•Onsite

About The Position

Sanford Burnham Prebys is a research facility and hub for innovation, fostering a vibrant global community of talented scientists and researchers from over 30 countries. The institute aims to be a leader in biomedical research and create an environment where excellence thrives through collaboration, cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders and providing opportunities for breakthrough discoveries to improve human health. The Husbandry Tech I, under direct supervision from the Animal Facility Manager, is responsible for cage room and husbandry activities related to the care of laboratory research mice. This part-time position is specific for a weekend shift (Saturday and Sunday) with an additional weekday or holiday, regularly working 16-24 hours per week, and involves essential tasks for vivarium operations.

Requirements

High School diploma
Employees will be trained on the job
Ability to pass post-employment physical as required by OLAW (Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare)
Ability to work in environment which contains animal dander and dust particles
Ability to perform repetitive motions with arms, wrists and hands; regular bending and lifting, sitting and standing on hard floor surfaces and pushing and pulling of carts loaded with caging and accessories
Ability to lift and stack feed and bedding bags up to 40 pounds
Must wear institute supplied scrubs, face mask, shoe covers and hair bonnet as well as other task-related personnel protective equipment including face shield or goggles, heat resistant autoclave gloves, nitrile or chemical resistant gloves, apron, and back support belt
Ability to work Sat and Sun on a regular basis.
Work independently as well as in a team environment
Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
Possess good time management and organizational skills
Adhere to department and institute safety and occupational health policies and procedures while demonstrating competency in safety protocols
Maintain compliance with all training requirements
Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook (email)

Responsibilities

Refills water bottles; operates the automatic bottle filler machine
Removes and disposes of soiled bedding in used rodent cages
Organizes the cleaned caging and accessories
Adds nesting material to bedding filled cages
Performs other cleaning duties in vivarium support areas such as mopping floors, cleaning windows and counters
Restocks supplies as needed in cage washrooms and support areas
Participates in required EH&S and Animal Resources training courses
May perform euthanasia on rodents
Prepares cleaning solutions and labels stock solutions with preparation date
Receives and rotates animal feed and bedding; labels feed barrels with the feed type, feed mill date, bag opened and expiration date
Performs the weekend animal health checks (Sat and Sun) and some holidays.
Reports findings of observed animal health conditions to the Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) assigned to the room and to the research contact, via text or email.
Completes animal status forms with findings of newborn litters; sick or dead mice.
Checks all cages for adequate food and water levels; and replenishes feed and changes out the water bottle when the volume is low
Changes cages with excess moisture due to a flooded or leaky water bottle
Changes cages when scheduled by the manager
Checks animal ventilated racks for proper air flow
Maintains animal room activity logs and husbandry records for work performed
Cleans cage changing hoods or biosafety cabinets after every use.
Sweep and mop floors after husbandry duties (cage changing).
Restock room supplies and maintains common use storage and procedure support areas
Contact Managers for all emergencies, such as power outages, floods, and animal welfare concerns