Lab Animal Caretaker

Amentum

405d

About The Position

The position involves supporting animal husbandry and laboratory operations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, contributing to the management and implementation of ground systems capabilities and flight hardware processing. The role is crucial for ensuring the health and well-being of research animals, maintaining cleanroom conditions, and supporting various scientific investigations related to space exploration.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• At least one (1) year of experience in a laboratory animal facility or additional experience with animals in a related capacity.
• Ability to pass KSC Primary Animal Contact Direct (PAD) physical.
• Understanding of the moral and ethical aspects of the care and use of research animals.
• Ability to don cleanroom attire and wear for extended periods of time.
• General working knowledge of standard office equipment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with laboratory animal care and handling.
• Familiarity with cleanroom operations and equipment.

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation of animal husbandry equipment and supplies, including sanitation and sterilization of all items.
• Process bags and/or boxes of animal feed, bedding material, supplies, and equipment.
• Prepare and feed regular and/or special diets and sterile deionized water.
• Perform quality control activities, such as maintaining logs and providing samples of sterile feed and water.
• Operate cage rack washer, bottle washer, sterilizer, and other facility related equipment.
• Perform routine maintenance of equipment as per manufacturer's recommendations.
• Prepare supplies and equipment required in support of research investigations.
• Handle animals in conjunction with relocating, cage change, feeding, watering, identifying, performing health checks, data collection, and/or administering of medications.
• Maintain daily health check log.
• Maintain supply and equipment inventory.
• Stock received supplies as needed.
• Perform monthly inventory and communicate to the Lead Animal Care Technician or Technologist when items require replenishing.
• Support contractor personnel and science customers requiring access to the facility in the proper wipe down/sanitation of items required for use.
• Assist with donning of clean room attire, including providing gloving instruction to personnel requiring access.
• Maintain the barrier facility/clean room for Specific Pathogen Free conditions, including cleaning all surfaces and conducting microbial air and surface sampling.
• Perform weekly safety walk-downs.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance with external vendors, gain familiarity with routine operations of equipment and implement procedures to support flight.
• Maintain facility's 100K cleanliness status.
• Conduct surface sample testing for submission.
• Cross-over technical support work as assigned supervised by technicians.
• Hardware preparation and technical support of life sciences payloads.
• Gain familiarity with flight/ground hardware for life sciences payloads.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Child Development Center
• Discounted tickets to local attractions and theme parks
• Credit Union
• Fitness Center
• Barbershop
• NASA Exchanges
• Flexible Schedule and Telework

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Education Level: High school or GED