Husbandry Technician I

Job Description

Job Description

Title : Husbandry Technician I
Location : Durham, NC
Status: Full-Time

Position Summary:

Midnight Sun is seeking a Husbandry Technician in Durham, North Carolina, in support of a contract providing mission-critical services to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Research Triangle Park.

The Animal Husbandry Support Contract for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences provides care, maintenance, and technical services for laboratory animals, seven (7) days per week, including weekends and holidays, for 72,447 square feet of laboratory animal facility space, which includes outside ancillary support areas, including a separate facility located approximately one mile from the main facility.

Midnight Sun supports the care and maintenance of the animals, the sanitation of equipment, technical training, and the general maintenance of the facilities in such a manner as to maintain the highest level of Accreditation from the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC).

The Husbandry Technicians are an essential team that provides care and maintenance for laboratory animals, which primarily consists of rats and mice, but may also include rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, frogs, and fish. Husbandry Technicians are responsible for monitoring and caring for the health and well-being of all animals housed at NIEHS. The ideal candidate will have great communication skills and works well with a team, is adaptable, acts in a positive, professional, and helpful manner, and demonstrates a strong work ethic.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Perform daily health observations and monitors the condition of research animals.
• Provide custodial care, fresh food, and water to animals according to the standard operating procedures.
• Observe health and condition of animals.
• Ensure use of appropriate size caging.
• Conduct maintenance of housing systems use of prescribed enrichment devices.
• Perform sanitation and cleaning of cages.
• Maintain animal room equipment and supplies.
• Monitor facility for pests and weekly animal census.
• Maintain and update cage cards on all animal cages.
• Sanitize and decontaminate animal rooms; operate all prescribed equipment; maintain records and enter data into computer; perform audits; monitor animal room environmental conditions; assemble equipment and supplies; dispose of waste and trash; prepare solutions and reagents; prepare and identify animals for delivery or shipment to other rooms or facilities; report sick and dead animals; euthanize and dispose of moribund or dead animals; handle and restrain laboratory animals; collect microbiological samples; provide special care for animals in quarantine; identify animals by methos; administer routine treatments; follow prescribed procedures at all times; and learn and become familiar with unique phenotypes of rodents housed an NIEHS.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or GED.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Willingness to be trained to properly handle all species of animals housed at NEIHS.
• Ability to use critical thinking skills, decisive judgement, and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action when needed.

Certifications, Licenses, and Other

• Essential personnel must have flexibility in scheduling, with the ability to work nights, weekends, holidays and/or on-call.
• Ability to obtain/maintain site access.

Work Environment

Performance of the required job duties will be in large research facility where employees are subject to adverse variables of environmental conditions, both inside and outside. Work areas may often be hot, humid, and/or noisy due to operation of cage washing machines and autoclaves.

Employees are potentially exposed to minor injuries such as cuts, bites, scrapes, pulled muscles, burns and unpleasant odors, and the possibility of exposure to hazardous materials including radioisotopes. Employees are exposed to animals and animal urine, feces, and dander that can act as allergens or as potential sources of zoonotic disease.

Animal care personnel are required to wear a washable, cotton/polyester two-piece uniform of scrub pants and a long sleeve, snap-front shirt (a one-piece cotton coverall may be substituted), safety shoes, disposable shoe cover, head cover, surgical mask), and gloves when working in the animal rooms. Protective clothing is required to be worn by ALL personnel entering an animal room from the return corridors.

Physical Demands

• The essential duties and nature of this position require constant lifting, pushing, and pulling of carts and dollies, which may exceed 50 pounds.
• Essential duties of this position require continuous walking, standing, sitting, and considerable arm and hand movements and may include movement at or above the shoulders/head.

• Additional duties necessary to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:
  • Ability to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear.
  • Ability to climb stepladders, stairs, and walk on surfaces that may be uneven.
  • Ability to frequently use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
  • Ability to frequently climb, balance, stoop, kneel, squat, or reach.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

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Disclaimer:

This is not to be an exclusive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of the person in this job. KIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer as to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Pursuant to The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1601 et seq., and federal contractual requirements, Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation may legally grant certain preference in employment opportunities to KIC Shareholders and their Descendants. Successful candidates must adhere to KIC's Drug and Alcohol policy/testing requirements and may be required to pass a background and/or Motor Vehicle Records check. The salary range for this position is based on several factors, including relevant experience, education, skills, and current market conditions.