Assistant Director of Operations, OLAC, College of Veterinary Medicine: UTIA

The College of Veterinary Medicine invites applicants to apply for the position of Assistant Director of Operations, located within the Office of Laboratory Animal Care. The Assistant Director of Operations is a highly responsible, non-faculty, senior leadership role in the Office of Laboratory Animal Care (OLAC). The incumbent is responsible for overseeing all daily animal husbandry and operational activities at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Reporting to the OLAC Director, this position shares direct accountability for all operational functions and provides leadership and supervision to facility managers and animal care staff. The role coordinates decentralized animal facilities, ensuring high standards of animal care, regulatory compliance, staff training, and operational efficiency. Responsibilities include managing facilities, equipment, records, SOPs, technology solutions, purchasing, vendor contracts, and per diem rate development. The position serves as a primary contact for disaster planning, emergency response, facility renovations, and institutional animal space planning. It also supports accreditation, regulatory reporting, and IACUC activities as a key subject-matter expert in animal care operations and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate daily operations of decentralized animal facilities including husbandry, training, administrative, and ancillary services. Perform husbandry/other duties when necessary.
• Perform management/administrative duties including, but not limited to, providing team member mentoring, coaching, and professional development/opportunities guidance, conduct 1:1 meetings, annual performance reviews, prepare and update job descriptions, recommend promotions, reclassifications, and salary adjustments.
• Support Facility Managers and Facility Team Leads to:
• Recruit, hire, motivate, instruct, and supervise animal husbandry staff to provide optimal animal care with respect to the current standards for housekeeping, safety, regulations, developments, and trends in animal care, certification programs, and continuing education.
  • Attend, participate, and/or lead routine facility staff meetings.
  • Serve as the secondary contact for all facilities and equipment upkeep, repairs and improvements, and maintenance contracts.
  • Identify and review the accuracy and completion of facility and animal care records (procurement, care and use, disposition, daily activity, water quality, equipment, etc.),
  • Work collaboratively with adjacent departments (Facilities Services, Environmental Health and Safety, IACUC, Central Alarm, etc.) to ensure timely information exchange and documentation tracking for maintaining compliance and operational readiness.
  • Write, maintain, review, and uphold compliance of all SOPs for facility maintenance, equipment use and maintenance, and animal husbandry procedures.
  • Continually assess the efficiency and effectiveness of internal policies, processes, and records to inform decisions regarding operational effectiveness and improvement opportunities.
  • Collaborate with and assist authorized personnel using the facilities to install equipment in compliance with safety and operating procedures.
  • Communicate facility information to occupants regularly during renovations and repairs.
  • Identify, implement, and maintain technology solutions for facility operations.
• With the OLAC Director and Facility Managers, serve as a primary resource and respondent for establishing per diem rates.
• With the OLAC Directory and Facility Managers, coordinate, schedule, and deliver regular "all-staff" training.
• Serve as the primary contact for the Animal Facility Disaster Planning and Emergency and Incident Response Guidelines for the Animal Care and Use Program and facilities.
• Serve as the primary purchasing agent for the Animal Care and Use Program. Identify and regularly evaluate contracts with vendors and resources for animals, animal transportation, animal equipment, and other supplies.
• Provide information and guidance regarding the development, renovation, and/or construction and use of institutional space intended for animal use.
• Assist with collection and organization of information for accrediting and regulatory body reporting including: USDA, AAALAC, TN State, and OLAW.
• Serve as a knowledgeable resource for best practices, procedures, and facility information for the IACUC with full knowledge of all research and teaching protocols, IACUC policies, and reports.
• Other duties as assigned
• Attends staff meetings and other routine meetings as required.
• Serve on institutional committees as appointed (IBC, IACUC, etc.)
• Attends continuing education events including local AALAS branch meetings and assists with their planning.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in an animal-related field. American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) - Laboratory Animal Technologist level certification (LATg).
• Experience: At least five (5) years of applicable related work, administrative, facilities managerial experience, and experience supervising direct reports.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Demonstrated effective written and verbal communication, attention to detail, and organizational and interpersonal skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to create/implement new programs in adherence with established policies & procedures.
  • Demonstrated ability to plan and monitor the use of expenditures and prepare budget documents & reports.
  • Ability to work independently and effectively across organizational lines and in collaboration with colleagues throughout the organization.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; aptitude for detailed work.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative, service-oriented, rapidly changing environment to accomplish mutual goals.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage a diverse team, including entry level positions as well as supervisory roles. To include, involving new talent, employee engagement, and career development.
  • Ability to communicate with an ethnically and culturally diverse campus community.
  • Working knowledge of state and federal regulations and accreditation related to Animal Research regulations as applied in a university setting.
  • Ability to apply independent ethically sound judgment, discretion and initiative in performing administrative functions.
  • Computer skills and competencies in Microsoft Office.
  • Ability to maintain a clean and organized work area.
  • Ability to travel to various facilities on a routine basis.
  • Ability to work weekends, holidays, evenings in rotation with current staff and as needed on an emergency basis.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Education: MBA, MLAS, MSML, MSM, or similar. Registered Laboratory AALAS Animal Technologist (RLATg), AALAS Certified Manager of Laboratory Animal Resources (CMAR), Completion of the AALAS Institute for Laboratory Animal Manager (ILAM) Course.
• Experience: Experience with vivarium design and construction. Experience with oversight of facility systems and equipment maintenance and repairs. Experience in an academic, land-grant university setting.

Work Location:

• Knoxville, Tennessee
• On-Site

Compensation and Benefits:

• UT market range: MR12
• Anticipated Salary Range: $80k - $95K
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions:

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About The College:

The UT College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), located in Knoxville, was established by an act of the Tennessee Legislature in 1974 and is part of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

UTCVM is one of 33 veterinary colleges in the United States and provides opportunities for Tennessee students while serving pet owners and the livestock industry as well as protecting public health, enhancing medical knowledge and generating economic benefits to the state and nation.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!