Materials Handler II

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The field of Laboratory Animal Management requires a specialized knowledge of the operations of a highly technical research environment. There are numerous laws, regulations and policies that must be adhered to, such as the Animal Welfare Regulations, PHS Policy, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and IACUC policies. In addition, the cage wash and dock areas have specialized equipment serving the facility. This position will report to the Operations Supervisor for the Office of Laboratory Animal Resources (OLAR). The individual is expected to act as a lead technician that will train employees, audit work areas, and assist supervisors with daily adjustments in work assignments, including assisting with coordinating the day to day work in OLAR facilities in the areas of the cage wash, docks, and auxiliary areas of OLAR run facilities. This full-time University Staff (unclassified) Operations Technician II (Lead) position provides routine and specialized support for a wide variety of species of large and small laboratory animals, which are part of studies performed by scientists for biomedical research and education in the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing at the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Denver | Anschutz). The Operations Technician II Lead position will act as a lead technician that will assist with the completion, as well as the daily adjustment of duties, in the auxiliary support areas, procedure rooms, and cage wash of all vivariums that are run by OLAR on the Anschutz Medical Campus. This position will perform stocking and inventory control of all personal protective equipment, general use supplies, animal feed, laundry, caging, equipment, and cleaning supplies. This position will ensure appropriate trash removal from the facility. This position may be responsible for the coordination of the removal, sorting, weighing, and preparation of carcasses for pick-up by the appropriate disposal vendor. This position will work with co-workers on large facility projects throughout the facilities. This position may procure animal feed, bedding, and supplies from appropriate support areas and transport to required sites and may operate a University vehicle. This position will clean, sanitize, and autoclave animal cages and equipment/supplies and prepare such for distribution/reuse. This position will work with large washing units and may drain tanks, check and clean filters on index and rack washers and other equipment, clean/maintain conveyor systems or other mechanical equipment, as well as use chemical cleaning agents in their dilute and concentrated form. This position may assist with interviews for new hires.

Requirements

Two years of experience in an occupational field related to the work assigned to the position.
Appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
Must be willing and able to sit, stoop, kneel and balance on an occasional basis, with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 100 lbs. on an occasional basis, with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. on a frequent basis, with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. on a constant basis, with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to stand, walk, climb stairs, crouch and squat on a frequent basis, with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to type/enter data with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to bend and reach above shoulders on a constant basis, with or without accommodation.
Must be willing and able to use peripheral vision, near and far vision and depth perception on a frequent basis.
Must be able to use hearing and verbal communication on a constant basis.
Must be willing and able to work around chemicals/solvents, infectious agents, radioactive agents, and work in hazardous conditions.
Must be willing and able to work around noise and vibrations.
Must be willing and able to walk on uneven surfaces and work in small, confined spaces.
Must be willing and able to operate moving equipment/vehicles and work around machinery.
Must be willing and able to wear appropriate respiratory and hearing protection.
Must be willing and able to euthanize rodents and work with dead animal carcasses.
Must possess and maintain a current, valid State of Colorado Driver’s License by the time of hire.
Must be willing and able to work straight or rotating shifts, weekends and holidays.
NOTE: This position has been designated as essential personnel, “Subject to call 24 hours per day, seven days per week” and required to answer calls 24/7 from university device or personal device. Position may also be required to “Stay over late” or “Come in early” to “Cover” shifts, as needed and may be required to respond to any emergencies as needed. If hired, you will be required to provide effective off-hours phone contact info for emergency call-in purposes.
Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills in English with additional languages desired.
Computer skills that include\: experience with e-mail, word processing, and entering data into a database.
Ability to handle animal carcasses used in research
Knowledge/experience in an animal research facility
Ability to maintain activity logs
Knowledge of different waste streams.
Ability to work in a team environment, prioritize, plan, organize, and multi-task assignments

Nice To Haves

One year experience leading a team in an occupational field related to the work assigned to the position.
Experience operating and maintaining complex machinery
Experience with inventory tracking
Experience in a lead role.

Responsibilities

Monitor the progress of the assigned work areas by ensuring that all SOP’s are being followed, assigns and adjusts daily coverage for their assigned areas to accommodate employee absences.
Performs and monitors the completion of various technical assignments as assigned by the Operations Supervisor.
Mentor/train others regarding all aspects of the operations positions and provide input into areas that should be covered by performance plans and provides feedback to supervisors for them to prepare evaluations.
Performs formal monthly procedure room, corridor, cage wash, dock, and other ancillary area audits for areas overseen by the OLAR Operations group.
Appropriately decontaminate all types of equipment belonging to OLAR or research staff per outlined procedure to include, but not limited to, Animal Transfer Stations (ATS), animal housing rooms, procedure rooms, veterinary equipment (eg. anesthesia machines, tattoo machines, etc) and an assortment of equipment, some highly technical, used by research staff.
Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and use personal protective equipment (PPE) as required for the work being conducted.
Receive and inspect goods including, but not limited to, animal diets, live animal deliveries, high dollar value equipment and supplies, disposable items and ensure that those goods are sanitized or decontaminated according to the appropriate method prior to distribution or storage.
Perform data entry into the inventory system for all goods received.
Monitor inventory needs for ordering and staging/stocking supplies and communicating that to the Operations Supervisor and/or the proper authorized purchaser.
Rotate stock items and monitor expiration dates to ensure items are used prior to expiration or removed once expired with the goal of minimizing waste.
Inspect all diets prior to receipt to ensure they are not expired or damaged and have been appropriately irradiated.
Appropriately document and process the items.
Communicate with research staff regarding receipt and any decontamination of specialty diets and equipment.
Communicate with research staff when specialty diets are approaching expiration to develop a plan of action.
Use computers to enter data into spreadsheets, communicate by emails, and use other electronic databases and tracking systems to log and communicate information.
Operate, perform preventive maintenance, and assist with troubleshooting of mechanical equipment use to clean and sanitize surfaces, caging, and equipment to include pallet jacks, 55 gallon lift-jacks, flatbeds, cage and rack washers, conveyors, foamers, floor scrubbers, floor buffers, autoclaves, small washers, robots, bedding disposal and supply, etc. to include responding to all alarms and loading appropriate programs.
Selects, prepares, dispenses, and utilizes hazardous chemicals and disinfectants according to manufacturers’ instructions in cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting animal rooms, procedure rooms, racks, cages, pens, and animal support areas.
Safely work with hazards and understand departmental standard operating procedures to the level that they can ensure others are following them and can train others on the procedures.
Provide insight into the development of SOPs and policies that directly affect work tasks in the operations area.
Maintain equipment validation and monitoring logs to include biological indicators, temperature tapes, and sterigauge logs.
Ensure appropriate sanitation of all work areas, caging, and equipment using the appropriate frequency, cleaning methods and materials.
Assist with logging and auditing the facilities pest control program.
Coordinate across the operations group to ensure carcasses are weighed, handled, picked up and disposed of appropriately.
Ensure freezers/refrigerators are maintained and disinfected as scheduled.
May need to operate a University vehicle to transport supplies.
Operate cage washing and sterilizing equipment to include rack washers, index washers, robotic equipment, vacuum disposal, bedding dispensers, large bulk sterilizers, bedding dispenser.
Unload/load caging and equipment onto conveyors and into/out of rack washers and sterilizers following appropriate procedures to include disassembling and assembling equipment to ensure appropriate cage production and flow.
Monitor dust collectors for cage wash in the interstitial space.
Serve as a point of contact when the supervisor is not available.
Participate in all required training courses and meetings.
Perform all other duties as assigned.