Laboratory Animal Resources – NHP Marmoset Animal Care Technician

(Animal Technician II)

Work Hours: 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM from Monday through Friday and supervisor scheduled weekends/holidays/weather emergencies/university closings.

Summary:

The Laboratory Animal Resource (LAR) group at Princeton University is a centralized administrative department reporting to the Dean for Research and is responsible for animal and veterinary care of all research animals at Princeton University.  The Animal Technician for the Life Sciences Complex provides state-of-the art animal care for laboratory animals housed within these facilities.  He/she receives direction from the Lead Animal Technician and the LAR Facility Manager.   The primary responsibility is to provide animal care to the various laboratory species (rodents, aquatics, and USDA-covered species), the majority will be in the care of USDA-covered species.  The Animal Technician ensures the cleanliness of the facility and the maintenance of adequate supplies of food and bedding materials, including PPE.  The Animal Technician will work together with other technicians according to a schedule prepared by the LAR Manager and must be willing and able to rotate through all LAR facilities.  The 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, the LAR management team, PI’s, research staff, students, facility maintenance crews and other support services. This position reports directly to the Facility Manager.

Animal Husbandry:

1. Animal Technicians are considered essential services staff.  Essential service staff performs jobs that are necessary and required to maintain basic University operations during scheduled or unscheduled work closures due to emergencies, events or other situations.
2. Provides animal care for all species housed according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including giving food and water to the animals, changing  cages, sanitizing all supplies (cages, water bottles, food bins and other animal care related equipment), maintaining clean animal rooms, procedure rooms, hallways and other support areas, keeping records related to animal care.
3. Completes work in a timely fashion and according to established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and follows other written and verbal instructions as needed.
4. Monitors animal health and welfare daily and reports sick and dead animals to the responsible researcher and Veterinary Services.  Provides treatments to laboratory animals as prescribed by researchers and/or Veterinary Services.
5. Monitors, documents, and reports deviations of normal, species specific, environmental parameters such room temperature, humidity, lights, and air quality.
6. Provides innovative and species specific environmental enrichment for laboratory animals – including non-human primates, under the direction of Veterinary Services and according to research needs.
7. Conduct AM and PM animal health observations.
8. Participates in our NHP behavioral training program (target/clicker training).  Target training is incorporated into daily husbandry activities.
9. Operates cage washing machinery, ventilated caging, Edstrom watering system, bedding dispensing units, full size to table top autoclaves and other animal care equipment typical of animal care operations while following safety procedures.
10. Discovers and reports any facility maintenance issues to the Facility Manager.

Minimum Qualifications:

Required:

1. High school Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
2. AALAS certification at the ALAT level (or within the first year of employment).
3. 2 years of work experience with non-human primates. 
4. Willing and able to work safely with biological and chemical hazards and able to lift a minimum of fifty (50) lb.
5. Work attendance during scheduled or unscheduled work closures due to emergencies, events or other situations. Animal Technicians are considered essential services staff. Essential services staff performs jobs that are necessary and required to maintain basic University operations.
6. Ability to work weekends and holidays when scheduled by supervisor.
7. Basic knowledge of biology and behavior of laboratory animal species including non-human primates.