Lead Technician

Requisition # 2026-21495

Date Posted 6 days ago (1/28/2026 1:53 PM)

Department: Research Resources

Category: Research and Laboratory

Job Type: Full-Time

Overview

The Lead Animal Technician is responsible for maintaining adequate supplies of food, caging, and bedding materials including PPE. He/she will work together with other animal care technicians according to a schedule prepared by the Facilities Manager and must be willing and able to rotate through all LAR facilities. The Lead Animal Technician pursues and improves methods of animal husbandry and resource utilization. He/she ensures the highest quality of laboratory animal care and research support, and has good communication skills with co-workers, management team, PI’s, research staff, students, facility maintenance crews and other support services. The Lead Animal Technician will cross train and provide absentee support for other animal care technicians for their facility. He/she will be willing to rotate with other animal care technicians for week night, weekend and holiday coverage as needed.

Additional responsibilities include and are not limited to the following tasks throughout their respective site and support husbandry staff.

• Lead Animal Care Technicians are responsible for ensuring that communication and understanding is occurring amongst the technicians for their facility. This will include reviewing LAR emails and posting critical information in the lunch/break area/office area.
• Lead Animal Care Technicians will carry the LAR phone with them during work hours and respond to all inquiries from management, staff, business office, veterinarian technicians, and vendor/animal deliveries.
• Lead Animal Care Technicians will assist management with dynamic scheduling if someone calls out sick (single days).
• Lead Animal Care Technicians will be responsible for fixing Avidity issues during work hours.
• Lead Animal Care Technicians will be on a rotational schedule for Avidity water alarms.
• Lead Animal Care Technicians will bring facility issues and concerns to LAR management.
• Lead Animal Care Technicians will communicate with LAR management for work orders and vendor repair calls.

Responsibilities

The Lead Animal Technician pursues and improves methods of animal husbandry and resource utilization. He/she ensures the highest quality of laboratory animal care and research support, and has good communication skills with co-workers, management team, PI’s, research staff, students, facility maintenance crews and other support services.

The Lead Animal Care Technician is responsible for ensuring that communication and understanding is occurring amongst the technicians for their facility. This will include reviewing LAR emails and posting critical information in the lunch/break area/office area.

The Lead Animal Technician is responsible for maintaining adequate supplies of food, caging, and bedding materials including Personal Protective Equipment - making sure that all internal research supplies are ordered, stocked, and in compliance as it relates to expirations, dated, and properly tagged for accreditation purposes.

The Lead Animal Technician will work together with other animal care technicians according to a schedule prepared by the Facilities Manager and must be willing and able to rotate through all LAR facilities to ensure daily operational efficacy and fulfillment of duties.

The Lead Animal Technician will assist in cross training all new and existing animal care technicians and provide absentee support for other animal care technicians for their facility.

The Lead Animal Technician is willing to rotate with other animal care technicians for week night, weekend and holiday coverage as needed.

The Lead Animal Care Technician will bring facility issues and concerns to LAR management.

The Lead Animal Care Technician will carry the LAR phone with them during work hours.

The Lead Animal Care Technician will assist management with dynamic scheduling if someone calls out sick (single days).

The Lead Animal Care Technician will be responsible for fixing Avidity issues during work hours and after work hours on a rotational schedule.

The Lead Animal Care Technician will communicate with LAR management for work orders and vendor repair calls

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Basic knowledge of biology and behavior of laboratory animal species including AQUATICS.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a laboratory animal resources team and ability to share husbandry knowledge with other animal care staff, students and new researchers.
• Proven ability to work independently and communicate well with different levels within the organization, and work well with a diverse team for a common goal consistent with the mission of the Laboratory Animal Resources Department.
• Knowledge of federal, state and local Animal Welfare legislation and sound judgment ON how to balance optimal animal care, research goals, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to handle assignments and changing priorities as circumstances may dictate.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate well person to person as well as per E-mail.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office Applications including Outlook and other software applications used in animal research and compliance such as ELECTRONIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS and AVIDITY's Watchdog.
• Keep current through ongoing professional development in animal husbandry, equipment, caging, and related topics in laboratory animal science through active participation in local and national professional associations.

The following tasks and skills that would be necessary for any person to fulfill while working

• stand or walk continuously up to 6 hours per day;
• sit for up to 2 hours per day;
• lift or carry up to 20 pounds frequently (34-66% of the day) and up to 50 pounds occasionally (less than 33% day);
• push or pull using forces up to 50 pounds frequently (34 – 66% of the work day);
• use hands for simple grasping, pushing or pulling, and fine manipulations constantly (more than 66% of the day);
• kneel, bend, squat, reach overhead, lift overhead, or push or pull frequently (34 – 66 % of the work day);
• knee stand, crawl, or climb step stools or 6-foot stepladders occasionally (less than 33% of the workday);
• lift up to 50 pounds in a range of motions from floor to waist height;
• lift up to 20 pounds in a range of motions from floor to overhead;
• work in a controlled laboratory environment under a variety of temperature and humidity conditions;
• possess ability to maintain balance, a full range of body motions, and physical tasks.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school Diploma or GED.
• AALAS certification at the LAT level, and /or a veterinary technician license in at least one US state.
• 5 years full-time work experience as Animal Care Technician, two of which as a group leader.
• Experience and special training working with AQUATICS.
• Willing and able to work safely with biological and chemical hazards and able to lift A minimum OF 50 POUNDS

Preferred Qualifications

• B.A/B.S. degree in an animal related field.
• LATG Certification.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Standard Weekly Hours 40.00

Eligible for Overtime Yes

Benefits Eligible Yes

Probationary Period 90 days

Essential Services Personnel (see policy for detail) No

Physical Capacity Exam Required Yes

Valid Driver’s License Required No

Salary Range $69,000 to $75,000