Animal Care Supervisor (Research Animal Resources)

Job Details

Johns Hopkins University is seeking a Animal Care Supervisor to direct the daily operation of the animal facilities and associated support areas according to standard operating procedures and guidelines. Reporting directly to the Animal Care Manager, the position promotes animal welfare and ensures a quality animal care service that supports research and teaching at Johns Hopkins University.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Prepare the unit for USDA, IACUC inspections, and AAALAC site visits.
• Help oversee facility maintenance, renovations, and planning.
• Order feed, bedding and supplies, and maintain sufficient inventory.
• Develop and implement schedules for equipment maintenance, cage changing and sanitizing equipment, rooms, and corridors.
• Schedule the unit's work in consultation with the Animal Care Manager and take responsibility for its completion.
• Plan and coordinate the activities of the animal care staff.
• Ensure proper and adequate husbandry care of animals by animal care staff including environmental conditions.
• Conduct on-the-job training and orientation for new animal care staff in concert with training and compliance staff. Participate in training sessions both as a student and as a teacher.
• Hire, evaluate performance, and take corrective action for HR-related issues of animal care staff.
• Maintain the animal facility, cage wash area and loading dock to meet the standards of the Animal Welfare Act, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and other state, federal and local animal welfare laws and regulations.
• Support the development and creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and other related documents with direction from the Animal Care Manager, Director of Laboratory Animal Management, and veterinarians.
• Implement SOPs and other guidelines by communicating with and training animal care staff. Document and enforce corrective action for non-compliance.
• Assist with the animal census records by scanning animal cage cards monthly.
• Train team leads and assist when needed.
• Monitor the health status of research animals and arrange for veterinary care, if needed.
• Correspond with JHU investigators, research staff, and facilities.
• Schedule weekly staff meetings and attend departmental meetings.
• Suggest changes to improve the efficiency and quality of animal care, cage wash and the loading dock. Identify problems and develop and implement solutions.
• Assist in the assignment of animal housing and procedure rooms based on researcher's needs.
• Apply knowledge of animal cage wash, animal husbandry, and the loading dock and be able to perform the duties of all supervised staff when needed.
• Stay informed regarding updates in operations and regulatory landscape.
• Foster relationships between various stakeholders in the Animal Care & Use program.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule including rotating weekends and holidays.
• Must be able to work during emergencies, unexpected incidents, and disasters

Technical Qualifications & Specialized Certifications

• Certification by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science at the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) level.

Specific Physical Requirements for the Job

• Ability to lift, carry or otherwise move and position objects and materials weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to work under environmental conditions that could require the use of safety equipment.
• Specialty Occupational Health requirements up to date and complete.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology or related field.
• Four years of experience in an animal research facility.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science.
• Certification at the Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) level.