Lab Animal Technician 1

Beth Israel Lahey Health • Boston, MA

7d

About The Position

The Lab Animal Technician provides daily husbandry care and maintenance to support the health and cleanliness of research animals and their housing facilities. Work is performed according to established procedures and schedules that comply with state and federal regulations and accrediting-agency guidelines, including AAALAC. The position reports to the Supervisor of the Animal Research Facility.

The technician cares for research animals, monitors their health and well-being, maintains animal housing and room conditions, and completes required records. The role requires following detailed instructions, working as part of a team, and performing physical work that involves standing or moving for most of the shift. Staff must be vaccinated against influenza as a condition of employment.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• One to three years of related work experience is listed as required.
• One year of experience working with animals or in a laboratory animal environment.
• Ability to follow detailed instructions and carry them out with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work well as part of a team.
• Must not be overly allergic to animals in a way that affects the ability to work with laboratory animals.
• Basic familiarity with computers and ability to navigate web-based applications at a basic level.
• Ability to read and write English to understand basic safety instructions, take direction, and communicate about routine matters.
• Ability to understand spoken English to follow basic safety instructions, take direction, and communicate about routine matters.
• Ability to demonstrate basic knowledge of fundamental concepts, practices, and procedures and use them in routine situations.
• Ability to interact respectfully with employees, professional staff, and external contacts.
• Ability to demonstrate a positive attitude and respond to requests in a timely and respectful manner.
• Ability to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds frequently, and to stand or move around for the majority of the shift.

Nice To Haves

• Certificate 1: Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician.
• Certificate 2: Laboratory Animal Technician.
• Knowledge of routine rodent handling, restraint, and technical procedures.
• Previous work experience with laboratory animals.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily husbandry care according to department standard operating procedures, state and federal regulations, and accrediting-agency guidelines.
• Provide clean, sanitized caging material, fresh food and water, and environmental enrichment on scheduled and as-needed bases.
• Monitor animal health and well-being in assigned areas and immediately report signs of illness to the Supervisor.
• Complete required reporting documents and cage notification cards.
• Operate bio-safety cabinets, Animal Transfer Stations, chemical foamers, hydraulic lifts, and specialized ventilated racks, if applicable.
• Immediately report equipment or other deficiencies to the Supervisor.
• House newly arriving animal colonies according to department standard operating procedures.
• Verify that animal orders match the posted incoming animal log and assigned cage cards, and immediately report errors to the Supervisor.
• Monitor temperature and humidity in assigned holding rooms, record information on the room log, and immediately report deviations from acceptable ranges to the Supervisor.

Benefits

• Influenza vaccination is required as a condition of employment.

What This Job Offers

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