Animal Care Assistant

Animal Care Assistant

The Animal Care Assistant provides compassionate, hands-on care for larger preclinical animals and supports daily operations within a laboratory setting. This role focuses on animal health, husbandry, and enrichment while maintaining a clean, safe, and compliant environment. It is ideal for someone who is comfortable working closely with animals and is interested in contributing to high-quality research and animal welfare.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily care and husbandry for larger preclinical animals, including swine, canines, and ovine species.
• Monitor animal health and well-being each day and respond promptly to any concerns.
• Follow all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and consistently observe established safety practices.
• Clean all animal housing areas on a daily basis to maintain a hygienic environment.
• Provide daily enrichment for animals, including exercise, toys, and appropriate social housing where applicable.
• Disinfect each housing area weekly, including walls, flooring, and feed bins, in accordance with SOPs.
• Feed all animals following departmental SOPs and ensure feed and water are available as required.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization in all laboratory areas, including animal rooms and support spaces.
• Receive and process department deliveries, ensuring proper storage and documentation.
• Communicate any animal health status issues immediately to Veterinary Staff.
• Document all activities in animal records and forms daily using Good Documentation Practices.
• Assist Veterinary Technicians and Veterinarians with procedures and tasks as assigned.
• Report any facility maintenance needs promptly to the appropriate contact.
• Perform animal care activities on weekends as part of the regular schedule.
• Build quality into all aspects of work by maintaining compliance with all quality system requirements.

Essential Skills

• Comfort working directly with animals, including swine, canines, and ovine.
• Ability to perform animal husbandry tasks such as feeding, cleaning, and monitoring health.
• Experience or familiarity with animal handling in a laboratory or similar environment.
• Ability to follow written standard operating procedures and safety guidelines consistently.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to Good Documentation Practices for daily recordkeeping.
• Capability to maintain cleanliness and organization in animal housing and laboratory areas.
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds safely as part of routine duties.
• Authorization to work in the U.S. without current or future visa sponsorship.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Industry experience in animal care, animal husbandry, or laboratory animal settings is a plus.
• Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) credential is not required but related experience is beneficial.
• Willingness to complete required medical screening and background processes prior to the first day of work.
• Reliability in working a schedule that includes weekend shifts.
• Basic understanding of laboratory environments and quality systems is helpful.

Work Environment

This is an onsite role in a laboratory and animal care facility, working primarily day shift hours from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on a 4–5-day work week that includes Saturday and Sunday. The final schedule will be discussed during the interview. The environment involves daily interaction with swine, canine, and ovine in a controlled preclinical setting, with a strong emphasis on cleanliness, safety, and compliance with SOPs and quality requirements. Scrubs and work shoes are provided, including a shoe voucher for approved footwear. Work is hands-on and physically active, requiring regular cleaning, disinfection, and lifting up to 30 pounds, while adhering to established laboratory and animal welfare standards.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Arden Hills, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $18.00 - $21.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Arden Hills, MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 10, 2026.