Manager Of Program Operations

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

2d•$71,352 - $107,040

About The Position

Position Purpose The Department of Comparative Medicine Husbandry Operations Unit exists to provide program direction and control in ensuring regulatory and animal welfare standards are met across the department’s multiple research animal sites. The scope of this role involves multiple aspects associated with animal care and welfare within the Department. The position supports and takes part in departmental leadership and organizing departmental operations for the biomedical animal research program to ensure the continued accreditation of the University’s Comparative Medicine animal programs. (Accreditation is granted via the international accrediting body, Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)). Position Complexities The Manager of Program Operation, Department of Comparative Medicine, manages the day to day-to-day operations of the Husbandry Operations Unit; leads and provides direction and guidance to 45 + essential position Animal Care and Operations staff. This position’s complexities include management of specialized animal housing facilities and the trained animal care staff across multiple sites. This position is required to have requires a robust understanding of multiple research species housing requirements and a thorough knowledge of the physical systems and equipment used in housing animal species for biomedical research. The Manager of Program Operations provides direction and support in the following functional areas for the Department of Comparative Medicine: space use and allocation in the animal research facilities; determining number of staff hired and staff allocation; guidance and implementation of the Unit’s Operational procedures and systems. This position requires expertise level understanding of the research animal care and welfare standards. The judgements, recommendations and decisions provided by this position are based on a thorough knowledge of multiple regulatory guidelines, knowledge of species-specific housing needs, Primary Investigator’s animal study needs, as well as the ability to create and execute processes identified in standard operating procedures for the many unique research animal facility processes. Position Dimensions and Impact to the University The Manager of Program Operations position exists to support the Department’s mission in fostering the well-being of humans and animals with advanced research and training in comparative medicine and biology. The Department supports the ongoing high standard of research animal care and housing, which ensures the University’s AAALAC accreditation and National Institutes of Health funded animal biomedical research programs are sustained. This position is responsible for ensuring compliance to regulations from entities such as the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, UW Environmental Health and Safety, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as applicable regulations from King County and WA State DOT. The position provides support to the biomedical research community at the University of Washington and collaborates with the Assist. Vice Provost for Animal Care, the Office of Animal Welfare, Office of Emergency Management, as well as intermittently supporting and sharing information with institutions outside the University such as Veteran’s Administration Animal Care program.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in Biology, animal science or related.
4 years of experience in management of Animal Care Program with supervisory experience of animal care staff and management of AAALAC accredited animal care and housing facilities.

Nice To Haves

Six to eight years of experience in related fields.
Education or work experience in related fields of animal health, animal husbandry and / or veterinary medicine, or animal facility management.

Responsibilities

Acts as Operations unit lead, providing direction, goal setting, and management of Operations staff
Leads the Operations’ Uunits Animal Care Supervisory staff and provides project management for Operations Unit revisions and improvements
Writes and updates department’s standard operating procedures relevant to Operations
Provides planning and support for space allocations and resource allocations, including staffing
Act as subject matter expert for species specific housing and procedural equipment
Works with vendors and facilities services for needed Operations support, projects and program changes
Reviews maintenance contracts relevant to Operations unit’s systems and equipment
Acts as lead on process improvement;, identification and implementation across Operations Unit
On-call 14 days (14 days off), 24 hours/day for Operations and animal facility related emergencies
Department’s Operations Unit Project Manager
Under direction from Departmental Chair, Senior Director of Animal Resources and Department’s Faculty Veterinarians develop and manage projects
Example of Projects: AAALAC Program Description preparation; preparation and oversight of departments cost tracking for the animal facilities physical plant repairs and maintenance costs
Provide subject matter expertise and research for vendor proposals for light monitoring to animal housing spaces to maintain housing regulations
Work with vendors to manage upgrades to the current environmental monitoring system for animal housing areas (needed to meet ongoing regulatory and accreditation standards)
Provide the Operations Unit project support for the 3 year AAALAC accreditation cycle preparations to maintain accredited animal program standing (AAALAC, International)
Manages Operations Staff, assigns and directs work duties of Program Operations Specialist, Administrative Assistant, Program Support Supervisors, and Indirect Reports
Interviews and hires staff, assigns and reviews work, conducts annual performance reviews, makes recommendations and initiates upgrades or staff recognitions
Takes corrective actions up to and through recommendations for termination
Assigns, evaluates and monitors work completed by subordinates
Makes hiring decisions to fill new or vacant positions, trains employees and conducts job performance reviews
Has authority to take or to effectively recommend corrective action
Resolves grievances or complaints
Supports Office of Animal Welfare in emergency planning for research groups with animal protocols
Operation unit’s lead for the implementation, training, programming and ongoing development to support the Department’s animal census collection software system, (AOps.)
Manages and acts as trainer and subject matter expert for animal facilities environmental monitoring systems
Manages and acts as trainer and subject matter expert for animal facilities species specific housing equipment
Position regularly liaisons with and provides support to the following University groups for Operations unit: Departmental Chairperson, Administrator and Finance unit; Animal Purchasing, Vet Services and Rodent Health Monitoring Units, Office of Animal Welfare, Environmental Health and Safety, UW Facilities Services, Campus Architecture and Planning, Office of Emergency Management
Participate in University Hazardous Waste Committee, EHS/DCM Biohazard/Safety Committee, Departmental Environmental Enrichment Committee, Departmental Safety Team committee – Committee Lead