Animal Technician

Position Objective: The Animal Technician will provide support services to satisfy the overall operational objectives of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides laboratory experience needed to maintain experimental animal colonies and collect sequential colony census.

• Handle multiple animal studies running concurrently in different phases; follow and comply respectively with the ASPs 1

• Report any animal health, care, and/or well-being concerns to the appropriate facility management staff and facility veterinarians

• Prepares / monitors caging environments and animal health.

• Report any facility infrastructure issues, relative to the animal holding areas and support areas, to the appropriate facility management

• Perform laboratory and animal technical duties associated with the Laboratory's ASPs to include, but not limited to: weighing animals and feed, blood withdrawals, performing injections, operating behavioral equipment 2

• Practice universal precautions appropriate to different Animal BioSafety Levels ABSLs

• Work with animal human pathogen biohazards; assist in the maintenance of the research laboratory animal facility as a safe work environment operation

• Maintain optimum care and maintenance of research equipment for the routine hygiene and disinfection of research implements; act as a facilitator for entry of service personnel and facility users

• Collaborates with veterinarians in the performance of animal surgeries.

• Prepare animals for surgery and ensure proper disposal of animal carcasses.

• Maintains detailed and accurate records.

• Maintain mouse colonies including handling of mice for hormone injection, mating, timed mating, and other experimental procedures; harvest and collect mouse embryos, tissues, and organs; perform microinjection and other procedures; and conduct other molecular biological analyses

• Maintain animal colonies and organization of animal inventory associated with the laboratory's ASPs; monitor procedures; maintain the amounts of animals used and animal procurement 3

• Maintain database for all research activities; verify that Mouse Facility database entries are accurate and up-to-date

• Assists with organizing the shipment of mice to and from facility.

• Order and receive small animal shipments.

• Maintains records of animal protocols.

• Maintain integrity of the research process by following good laboratory practices including: detailed record keeping of methods, routine animal observations, data collections; perform procurement, processing, and preservation of specimens so as to maintain sample identification and prevention of cross contamination

• Attend meetings with investigators, outside the facility, if necessary, to assist in coordinating animal research needs.

• Maintains laboratory stock of reagents and materials.

• Check current inventory in the laboratory and order appropriate animals, media, buffers, reagents, tissue samples and other required materials.

• Performs experimental procedures as well as standardized and specialized tests, exams and vaccinations.

• Prepare animals for experiments.

• Trains other in proper animal handing and surgical procedures.

• Provide technical guidance and assistance for researchers interested in well-established protocols.

• Report any facility infrastructure issues, relative to the animal holding areas and support areas, to the appropriate facility management.

• Handle multiple animal studies running concurrently in different phases; follow and comply respectively with the ASPs 4.

• Perform laboratory and animal technical duties associated with the Laboratory’s ASPs to include, but not limited to: weighing animals and feed, blood withdrawals, performing injections, operating behavioral equipment. 5

• Maintain animal colonies and organization of animal inventory associated with the laboratory’s ASPs; monitor procedures; maintain the amounts of animals used and animal procurement.

• Maintain mouse colonies including handling mice for hormone injection, mating, timed mating, and other experimental procedures; harvest and collect mouse embryos, tissues, and organs; perform microinjection and other procedures; and conduct other molecular biological analyses.

• Maintain integrity of the research process by following good laboratory practices including: detailed record keeping of methods, routine animal observations, data collections; perform procurement, processing, and preservation of specimens so as to maintain sample identification and prevention of cross contamination.

• Maintain database for all research activities; verify that Mouse Facility database entries are accurate and up-to-date.

• Practice universal precautions appropriate to different Animal Biosafety Levels ABSLs

• Work with animal human pathogen biohazards; assist in the maintenance of the research laboratory animal facility as a safe work environment operation.

• Maintain optimum care and maintenance of research equipment for the routine hygiene and disinfection of research implements; act as a facilitator for entry of service personnel and facility users.

• Attend meetings with investigators, outside the facility, if necessary, to assist in coordinating animal research needs.

• Report any animal health, care, and/or well-being concerns to the appropriate facility management staff and facility veterinarians.

• Work products and documents related to handling multiple animal studies; follow and comply with ASPs; perform laboratory and animal and technical duties; weigh and feed animals, draw blood; perform injections; operate behavioral equipment.

• Work products and documents related to maintaining animal colonies; organize animal

• inventory; monitor procedures; handle animals for injection, mating and time mating; harvest and collect mouse embryos, tissues and organs.

• Work products and documents related to following good laboratory practices, including

• detailed record keeping, observations and data collection; procure, process and preserve specimens.

• Work products and documents related to maintaining database for all research activities; work with staff on biohazards; maintain research equipment; facilitate entry of service personnel and facility users; attend meetings; report concerns to staff.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in biology or related discipline

• Four (4) years of specialized experience plus a high school diploma is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree

• Certification in laboratory animal science

• Minimum of six (6) years of experience in laboratory animal husbandry

• Minimum of six (6) years of experience with longitudinal studies involving aging and dietary interventions in rodents

• Skilled in Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with non-technical and technical staff

• Detail-oriented and possess strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and projects

* This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by this position.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

This position is contingent upon contract award.