SOUTH HADLEY SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL JOB DESCRIPTION Animal Care Technician
Job Description: The Animal Care Technician supports Mount Holyoke\'s
vibrant research by providing a compliant and ethical research facility
to conduct animal research. The Animal Care Technician completes daily
quality animal care for all housed research animals, such as rats, mice,
fish, frogs, snakes, and others that may be held in our facilities. The
incumbent\'s assignments would include animal husbandry tasks such as
cage changing, animal health checks, veterinary health monitoring, cage
washing, and facility maintenance, i.e., sanitization of equipment,
research housing areas, and materials. Additional responsibilities
include but are not limited to, animal receiving and housing, census
data collection, and other duties necessary for the support of our
animal care and welfare program. Weekend hours possible. Qualifications:
A Bachelor\'s degree, 2 years of experience in animal care, or a high
school diploma or GED, and 4 years of experience in research involving
mammals. Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs; bend, stoop,
climb, and stand for prolonged periods of time; and wear full Personal
Protective Equipment (face mask, coveralls, gloves, etc.) for several
hours per day. Ability to write legibly, operate a telephone, and
possess basic computer skills, including familiarity with Microsoft
Office and Google applications. Good organizational skills and attention
to detail. Ability to understand standard operating procedures and
protocols. Ability to perform duties and responsibilities with minimal
supervision Effective oral and written communication skills include
interacting professionally with all employees and working with a diverse
student body. Preferred Qualifications: ALAT certification. Experience
with animal husbandry. Specific Duties/Responsibilities: Cage Changing:
All resident animals are on a cage-changing cycle and must change their
cages every 7 to 14 days, depending on the species and caging system.
Cage changes of the resident animals are done on an as-needed basis.
While all animals are on a set schedule for changeouts, it may be
determined during daily health checks that additional changes are
required and should be completed as needed. Health Assessments:
Responsible for daily health assessments done on every animal in
assigned rooms, which include noting the animal\'s feed and water
intake, urine and fecal output, cleanliness of housing, hair coat and
grooming, patterns, mobility, alertness, general behavior and/or
stereotypical behaviors, and research-associated issues. Room Sanitation
and Facilities Inspection: Responsible for scheduling / planning room
and rack, sanitizing cycles, documenting sanitation procedures, and
keeping them on appropriate timetables. Ensure biosecurity measures by
using appropriate containment procedures; Ensure appropriate
disinfectants are in date and used properly, and follow room logs to
ensure all daily and weekly standard operating procedures are followed.
Ensure quality living conditions for the animals by checking room
temperature and drainage and monitoring rooms for signs of mold, peeling
paint, and other potential problems. Cage Wash / Support areas:
Responsible for processing animal caging and equipment through cage
wash. Initiates preparation tasks for upcoming change-out procedures,
including caging preparation, bedding dispensing, cage set-ups, water
bottle preparation, autoclaving caging, personal protective equipment
preparation, recycling, and restocking. Receive, transport, and process
feed and bedding. echnical and Regulatory Assistance: Performs special
requests for principal investigators and assists veterinary staff
(assisting Technical Services personnel (e.g., euthanasia) as needed).
Ensures all cages are properly identified and compliant with federal and
state regulations.