Associate Vet Scientist - Emory National Primate Research Center

Assistant Director of Animal Resources

The Division of Animal Resources within the Emory National Primate Research Center at Emory University Field Station is currently seeking an Associate Veterinary Scientist to join our team and serve as the Assistant Director of Animal Resources.

Collaborate. Innovate. Serve. These three simple words capture what we do at the Emory National Primate Research Center of Emory University (ENPRC/EPC) to help advance science and improve the health and well-being of humans and non-human primates.

Dedicated to discovering causes, prevention, treatments, and cures of disease, EPC is improving human and animal health and lives worldwide. One of seven NPRCs funded by the NIH, EPC conducts studies that make breakthrough discoveries possible.

We have a faculty equivalent opening for an Associate Veterinary Scientist, who will also serve as the Assistant Director of Animal Resources at the Field Station, with a background and interest in research animal medicine. The successful candidate will join a team of thirteen veterinarians within the EPC Division of Animal Resources, which is responsible for the care and well-being of a large population of nonhuman primates. ENPRC is a major biomedical research institution with its main facilities at Emory University and a 117-acre Field Station in Lawrenceville. The position will primarily be based at the Field Station in Lawrenceville, Georgia. ENPRC veterinary staff provides preventative and clinical veterinary care for the nonhuman primate colony and a small rodent colony at the Main Center, as well as research support to the resident and collaborating scientists in a diverse array of disciplines, including immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, transplant medicine, imaging, psychobiology, and other areas of research. The successful candidate will contribute to a wider range of IACUC, colony management, behavioral management, and training activities, and participate in the planning, design, and or renovation of existing and new animal research facilities. S/he will lead supervision of veterinary technicians, veterinarians, and contribute to Emory's ACLAM residency training program.

The ideal candidate will have a DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA accredited institution, be licensed to practice veterinary medicine, and have training or experience in nonhuman primate research medicine. Experience with personnel management and clinic oversight is preferred. S/he will also have excellent interpersonal and team building skills and strong written/oral communication skills. ACLAM certification or board eligibility is highly desirable, as are knowledge and hands on experience in surgical and medical procedures in nonhuman primates and experience with nonhuman primate breeding colony management. Collaborative involvement with investigators is strongly encouraged, and prior experience in an academic environment is a plus. An excellent remuneration package will be offered to the right individual. As noted, this position is based/housed at the Emory Field Station in Lawrenceville, Georgia, although the new hire will be part of the overall veterinary department that is based at both the Main Center (Atlanta, Emory University campus) and Field Station. The Assistant Director of the Field Station works in collaboration with and reports directly to the Associate Director of Animal Resources.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The Associate Veterinary Scientist (EPC) may perform all the duties of an Assistant Veterinary Scientist and has increasing technical, management, leadership, and professional expertise.
• The Associate Veterinary Scientist is responsible for the operation of a major program within the Emory National Primate Research Center (EPC) Division of Animal Resources (DAR), possibly including but not limited to the pathology laboratory and quality assurance, the EPC DAR training program, or clinical medicine services.
• The management of direct or indirect reports is required.
• Investigates and recommends potential alternative approaches to improve the quality of results.
• Leadership and Management training will be supported.
• Demonstrates increased responsibility through management of teams and leadership of projects by applying advanced knowledge, skills, and input necessary for protocol development, as well as facilitating in some training aspects of other lab members.
• Oversees quality assurance of work conducted by other staff members.
• May assist in grant and other funding applications as necessary and appropriate, or with approval of the responsible faculty director, may have their own research projects and/or have full responsibilities for specific programmatic areas within the EPC DAR.
• With the approval of the responsible faculty director, may be principal investigators on funded proposals.

Clinical

• Clinical care of all animal species at the Field Station (monkeys and chimpanzees).
• Surgical intervention and support as necessary.
• Emergency veterinary support on weekday evenings and weekends at the Field Station, on a rotating basis.
• Emergency veterinary support on holidays at both the Main Center and Field Station, on a rotating basis.
• Participation in clinical and pathology rounds.
• Communication and guidance of other Field Station units (Colony Management, Animal Care, Research Labs, and Behavioral Management) regarding the clinical health and welfare of animals.

Colony Care and Management

• Leads bi-monthly colony management committee meetings and monthly field station administration meetings.
• Participation in the Monkey Allocation Committee for selection of animals for research assignment.
• Oversight of the SPF breeding program and part of the U42 grant to support the SPF program.
• Oversight of breeding programs.
• Management of quarantine animals.
• Processing animals for shipments.
• Communication and collaboration with the Main Center veterinarians for animal transfers.

Research

• Provide guidance on protocol development to investigators, including IACUC veterinary consults. Collect research sample specimens, including rectal and lymph node biopsies, bone marrow and lymph node aspirates, CSF collection, etc.
• Communication with investigators regarding Field Station assigned research animals.
• Initiate and/or collaborate in clinical and laboratory animals medicine research studies, including project design, proposal preparation, and publication of findings. Prepares case reports, abstracts, posters, and platform sessions for presentation at professional meetings.

Administrative/Regulatory

• Management of veterinary technicians and Field Station based veterinarians.
• Guidance, collaboration, and daily oversight of other Field Station Animal Resource units.
• Ensure ongoing activities are in compliance with current regulations, institutional SOPs and approved IACUC protocols.
• Opportunities for participation in committees (e.g. IACUC, Safety, and Allocation committees).
• Budget Management.
• Contributions to preparation of regulatory reporting (AAALAC PD, USDA Annual Report, etc).
• Contributions to preparation of grant applications to support Field Station activities (P51, U42, C06, etc.).
• Preparation for and lead role in IACUC and USDA inspections at FS, as well as NIH and AAALAC site visits.
• Maintain Licenses: State of Georgia Vet License, USDA Accreditation, DEA License, and Georgia Pharmacy License.
• Participate in NPRC Consortium Working Groups (Breeding and Colony Management Consortium).

Preventative Medicine

• Preventative health management of monkeys and chimpanzees.
• Participation in routine examinations of monkeys and chimps.
• Participation in the assessment of quarantine animals.

Training

• Oversight and training of veterinary technicians, externs, interns, and residents.
• Participation in monthly training sessions, including primate grand rounds, histopathology rounds, and the journal club.
• Participation in informal didactic training of residents and others.
• Training of research and animal care staff as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• DVM or equivalent with 6 years of experience in laboratory animal medicine, 2 of which have supervisory responsibilities with ACLAM diplomate OR 10 years of experience without ACLAM.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA accredited institution, be licensed to practice veterinary medicine, and have a minimum of 5 years of experience in laboratory animal medicine.
• ACLAM certification or board eligibility is highly desirable, as are knowledge and hands on experience in surgical and medical procedures in nonhuman primates.
• Prior experience in an academic environment and management is a plus.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

• Work environment involves working with biohazardous blood and tissues.