Supervisor, Comparative Medicine – Husbandry

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center•Los Angeles, CA

18h

About The Position

The Supervisor, Comparative Medicine – Husbandry supervises animal care staff in the Animal Laboratory Technician series and coordinates daily operations of the animal facility. The role manages personnel and maintains assigned vivarium areas in compliance with regulations governing laboratory animal use. It also promotes collaboration and transparency within Comparative Medicine and with internal departments and clients. The Supervisor oversees staff hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, assignments, time-off approvals, performance evaluations, employee development, and performance improvement plans. In partnership with the Executive Director, the Supervisor participates in disciplinary actions when needed. The position develops and maintains training programs, performance metrics, reports, and husbandry projects; maintains regulatory records; and reviews daily reports to identify gaps and improvement opportunities. The position creates and maintains husbandry documentation and procedures, coordinates equipment and facility maintenance, oversees vivarium software, maintains space inventories, assigns animal holding and procedural space in consultation with relevant colleagues, and oversees investigator walkthrough training and animal census procedures. The Supervisor coordinates with campus organizational units to support regulatory and policy compliance, serves as backup for other Comparative Medicine supervisors, and applies regulations for laboratory animal care and biohazardous agents while promoting employee safety.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Eight years of experience in laboratory animal science.
Ability to operate technological devices such as a computer, laptop, tablet, and smartphone.
Ability to communicate expectations and priorities and clarify roles and responsibilities.
Ability to demonstrate time-management and priority-setting skills.
Ability to supervise day-to-day employee work, assign work, and ensure tasks and deadlines are met.
Ability to plan, lead, and direct staff work to meet goals and objectives within established budgets and deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in a related field.
Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) certification.
Two years of experience in team leadership of animal care staff in an AAALAC-accredited animal research facility.

Responsibilities

Supervise husbandry technicians, including hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, work assignments, time-off approval, performance evaluations, employee development plans, and performance improvement plans.
Partner with the Executive Director on disciplinary actions when needed.
Oversee development, implementation, and updates to husbandry technician training programs covering animal care, animal health, safety, and record keeping.
Establish and maintain performance metrics, produce performance reports, and present recommendations to department leadership.
Manage husbandry program development projects, including scope, timelines, task assignments, delegation, and follow-up.
Maintain records and data used for annual reports to USDA, IACUC, AAALAC, and other relevant organizations.
Review daily reports from direct reports, identify gaps and process improvement opportunities, and update the Executive Director on progress and issues.
Create, review, revise, and maintain husbandry documents and procedures, including SOPs, working instructions, safety posts, equipment and study-specific guidelines, maintenance logs, and supply records.
Collaborate with other campus groups, supervisors, and technicians to develop SOPs involving multiple groups or departments.
Maintain productive relationships with Research Facilities Operations, Facility Management, and external vendors to develop equipment and facility repair and preventive maintenance processes.
Recommend and implement improvements to infrastructure, systems, and outcomes.
Assess equipment in assigned areas to ensure safety standards and preventive and corrective maintenance support appropriate animal care.
Coordinate escalated maintenance with facilities departments and contractors.
Oversee vivarium software implementation and use, provide vendor feedback, and train Comparative Medicine lab staff as needed.
Maintain Comparative Medicine space inventory and assign animal holding and procedural space in consultation with the Attending Veterinarian and Research Facilities Operations.
Develop, conduct, or oversee vivarium walkthrough training for investigators and laboratory staff.
Oversee animal census collection and reconciliation procedures.
Coordinate with organizational units such as IACUC, EH&S, HR, and EIS to support regulatory and policy compliance and efficient operations.
Serve as backup for other Comparative Medicine supervisors.
Stay current with and apply regulations governing laboratory animal use and care and biohazardous agents in the vivarium.
Develop and follow appropriate employee work routines that preserve and promote safety.
Supervise day-to-day employee work, assign tasks, and ensure completion and deadlines are met.
Plan, lead, and direct staff work to meet goals and objectives within established budgets and deadlines, and ensure quality standards are met.