Animal Attendant, Animal Resources Center- Service Department - Galveston

Minimum Qualifications:

High school or equivalent; no experience required.

Job Description: 

To assist in providing care of laboratory animals in a humane, safe and sanitary manner including duties associated with cage washing, sanitation and preparation of animal research facilities.

  Job Duties:

Cage Washing:

• Prepares soiled caging for washing.
• Operates washing equipment and ensures proper working order during daily operating procedures, routine cleaning, and preventive maintenance.
• Operates autoclave to sterilize or decontaminate caging equipment.
• Performs daily quality control checks and documents effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing.
• Assembles clean and sanitized caging for distribution according to supply orders.
• Maintains sanitary conditions of cage washing rooms and other ancillary areas, such as hallways and storage areas.
• Disposes of soiled waste and trash.
• Transports caging and supplies between animal rooms and cage washing rooms.

Husbandry

• Provides daily husbandry care, including feeding and watering, for all species.
• Changes and sanitizes animal caging as scheduled.
• Maintains enrichment program as specified for each species.
• Sanitizes rooms, equipment and hallways as scheduled.
• Documents daily, weekly and monthly duties accurately.
• Observes animals for behavior change and/or evidence of disease and notifies veterinary staff as appropriate.
• Receives transports and distributes incoming animals as specified.
• Ensures accurate cage cards and census.
• Provides specialized animal care, including quarantine, biohazard and sterile housing.
• Ensures equipment in animal rooms are functioning properly.

Cage Washing and Husbandry:

• Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
• Attends in-house training programs to become more knowledgeable in the field of laboratory animal science.
• Provides superior customer service.
• Follows safety precautions and wears correct protective equipment.
• Follows rules and regulations related to laboratory animal care.

MARGINAL OR PERIODIC JOB FUNCTIONS:

• May assist ARC logistics team with transport of caging or materials and with the receipt and storage of supplies.
• Performs related duties as required.

EQUIPMENT: 

• Industrial type cage and rack washers, autoclaves, pallet jacks, animal caging and racks.
• Support equipment used in a laboratory animal science multi-species facility and standard office equipment.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/LOCATION OF POSITION:

• Standard research facility environment.
• Able to lift 50 pounds.
• Work weekends, holidays, and some overtime when needed.
• Frequent contact with animal allergens, such as hair and dander.
• Frequent exposure to animal odors, heat and humidity from cage washing rooms, and chemicals used in the cleaning process.
• Possible contact with zoonotic diseases and or research materials could be hazardous to a fetus.
• Potential exposure to radiation and biohazards.

Salary Range:

Commensurate with experience.