Research Associate I

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we'll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Research Associate to join our Insourcing Solutions team, located in Lexington, MA.


As the Research Associate , you conduct in vivo study work in rodents for multiple IS clients to support research programs. Collaborate with the veterinary staff to ensure the health and welfare of laboratory animals are maintained in compliance with guidelines and regulations.


Additional responsibilities include:

• Able to perform and obtain competency/proficiency in the following techniques, at minimum:
• Handle and restrain animals using appropriate procedures
• Formulation and dosing calculations
• Dosing and inoculation of test articles via basic techniques ( e.g., oral gavage, intravenous, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, etc.)
• Basic tissue (e.g.; spleen, liver, etc.) and blood collection (e.g., cardiac puncture, intravenous, etc.)
• In-life monitoring of the study animals for body weights, clinical observations, tumor measurements, etc.
• Monitors animal health and welfare while performing technical procedures.
• Perform study preparation activities, including but not limited to, IACUC and study protocol review, collection tube labeling, and room setup.
• Conduct laboratory procedures in compliance with approved IACUC protocols and study plans.
• Operate and maintain lab equipment with guidance (e.g. Isoflurane machine, IVIS, Irradiator, and others).
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date lab records/ documentation while assuring quality and data integrity.
• Document experimental data as requested by clients in technical notebooks or approved electronic files.
• Perform humane euthanasia in accordance with the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the AVMA Guide on Euthanasia, and under the direction of the attending veterinarian, or designee.
• Report non-compliance or animal welfare concerns to the appropriate Animal Welfare Team member or IACUC office.
• Collaborate with other personnel within and across teams/departments to facilitate completion of assignments.
• Attend and participates in on-the-job and classroom training sessions, complete all assigned computer-based safety and professional development training by the pre-determined due dates.
• Maintain effective communication with supervisor/ leadership and assists in reporting procedural deficiencies and issues.
• Assist Vet Techs and Veterinarians with follow-up checks, treatments and procedure if needed.

Job Qualifications

To qualify for this role, candidates must have one of the following combinations of education and experience.


Option 1:


Required: High School Diploma or GED AND either 1) a minimum of 2+ years of lab animal experience or 2) Certification from AALAS, at minimum the ALAT. Preferred: Basic in vivo technical skills.


Option 2:


Required: A.A./A.S. or B.A./B.S. in animal or laboratory (life) sciences or related discipline AND a minimum of 6-12 months lab animal experience. Preferred: Basic in vivo technical skills; ALAT certification.


The pay range for this position is $29 to $32 USD per hour. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.


About Insourcing Solutions
Charles River Insourcing Solutions℠ can streamline research by delivering operational and cost efficiencies through the strategic insourcing of GMP, GLP and non-GLP research services from discovery through safety assessment. Insourcing Solutions℠ provides you with the ability to maintain control of your facility and expertise while leveraging available space.

About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients' clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client's unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people's lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We're committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to View email address on click.appcast.io. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For more information, please visit

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