Animal Care Technician

Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDiscover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.Job TitleACUP - DAC MCN II StaffJob SummaryCoordinates and leads the daily husbandry of the animal facility and staff ensuring compliance with existing regulations, independently. Provides new and continuing training of personnel.Key Responsibilities• Supervises and participates in the cleaning and maintenance of animal quarters. • Supervises and provides routine care of research animals. Receives animals, performs daily checks for animal health and welfare, and ensures adequate supply levels in animal quarters. • Monitors and reports on environmental room and housing conditions. • Recognizes and reports clinical abnormalities and/or irregularities in lab animals. Leads in knowing the variations among laboratory animals and modes of disease control. • Oversees and performs euthanization of all species according to established regulations. • Maintains accurate and prompt records in accordance with outlined procedures. Reports noncompliance, initiates resolution process, and ensures completion. • Trains staff and functions as a resource for operational and husbandry questions and minor problems, offering guidance for improving performance. • Ensures compliance with operating and regulatory requirements related to care of laboratory animals.Technical Capabilities• Laboratory Animal Diseases (Novice): Knowledge of and experience with laboratory animal diseases, outbreaks, methods of spread, and methods of limiting disease. • Judgement and Decision-Making (Advanced): Able to make decisions effectively and accurately in an environment which may be fast-paced or changing. Considers a wide range of alternatives, including those which may fall outside of the scope of the task at hand, before making a decision. • Animal Care Knowledge (Advanced): Knowledgeable on the needs, treatment, and husbandry for different animal species. Able to ensure their welfare, nutrition, and safety. • Regulatory Compliance (Advanced): Demonstrates knowledge of the appropriate rules and regulations and apply them in difficult, stressful and complex situations. Able to interpret and explain rules and regulations that are ambiguous or unclear. Directs others in interpreting rules and regulations on the job and trains others in them. • Planning (Advanced): Plans work to complete projects on time. Competently handles multiple assignments simultaneously. Able to be flexible to meet changing customer needs with minimal disruption and loss of productivity. Uses time efficiently. • Customer Service (Advanced): A continuing focus on the needs and requirements of customers, anticipating their needs, remaining sensitive to customers while performing services for them, responsive to customer needs. • Communication (Advanced): Clearly, effectively and respectfully communicates to employees or customers.Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation's longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.Aligning with Vanderbilt Health's Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff.Core Accountabilities:* Organizational Impact: Independently performs non-routine tasks that significantly impact team and other related teams.* Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Gathers and analyzes data to solve problems that arise with little or no precedent.* Breadth of Knowledge: Applies advanced job knowledge and has developed a breadth of skills in other areas. * Team Interaction: Serves as a lead for the team by providing expertise and guidance to team members.Core Capabilities :Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services : - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality : - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively : - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.Position Qualifications:Responsibilities:Certifications :Work Experience :Relevant Work ExperienceExperience Level :4 yearsEducation :Bachelor'sThis role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.