"Husbandry Manager"

Job Summary

Provides direct management of daily husbandry activities in support of the animal care and use program.

Job Duties

• Provides diligent and responsible animal care; feeds and waters animals; changes and cleans cages; sanitizes equipment and facilities.
• Records and/or reports animal abnormalities including altered eating, drinking, waste elimination, altered behavior, superficial lesions, and/or death.
• Supervises staff, ensure daily/weekly/monthly/ duties are performed in a specific research facility; maintain schedules of employees and adjusts to meet manpower needs; coordinate departmental staff cross-training and continue on-going training and development with lab animal and biohazard technicians.
• Interview, hire, and train new staff.
• Monitors, records and/or reports environmental deviations.
• Provides routine physical maintenance of assigned areas.
• Transfer/transport animals between facilities/rooms using department vehicle for transports.
• Attend smoke school (opacity training) to be certified to operate incinerator.
• Perform inventory and ordering of food, bedding, caging and supplies.
• Edit/print/distribute room history sheets and annual room maintenance logs.
• Perform and record results of sanitation efficacy of equipment.
• Review and submit service reporting forms and invoices to business office.
• Monitor inventory of compressed gasses (CO2/O2/Medical Air tanks) and coordinate ordering with the facilities Coordinator.
• Sanitize animal rooms between new occupancy and as directed by CM veterinarians.
• Coordinate animal receipt into all facilities.
• Update signage for room instructions, contact information, and entry order.
• Perform preventive maintenance of cubicles, cagewash, autoclave and various equipment
• Coordinate floor care schedules with Facilities Manager.
• Participate in review of departmental SOPs and policies.
• ABSL2 & 3 training and procedures (autoclaving RG3/SA bodies, maintenance of PAPRs / Allentown Biocontainment Units, initiating Select Agent approval for employees).
• Prepare for and actively participate in facility and program inspections (IACUC, AAALAC, USDA, CDC).
• Maintain consumable inventory. Coordinate ordering with Facilities Coordinator.
• Order and receive all research animal diets.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Animal handling and in-depth knowledge of species-specific behavior.
• Be willing and able to report to work during non-core business hours, including holidays, evenings, and weekend.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Efficient and collaborative.
• Ability to lift 50 pounds.
• Ability to operate automated watering-systems (AWS), cage washers, and autoclaves.
• Ability and willingness to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as required.
• Approved to enter all spaces within the vivarium (e.g. ABSL2, ABSL3, Select Agents).
• Ability for Select Agent Approval (, DOJ, FD-961).
• Full understanding of laws and regulations that govern animal research.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent and associates degree; supplemented with 5 years of related animal research experience and veterinary technician certification (e.g. AHT, CVT, RVT). American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification preferred.