Casual Animal Care Technician Job Posting

Job Description

Reporting to the Associate Director, Animal Care Services, the incumbent will work a weekday schedule in the Animal Care quarters.  

Main Responsibilities:

• Provide daily care and feeding for the laboratory animals.
• Prepare and dispense the correct diet for specific species according to the animal’s biological needs, using scales, volumetric devices and including sterilization procedure.
• Recognize deviations from normal animal health and behaviour, reporting any abnormalities to Veterinary Services.
• Accurately identify, handle, and restrain animals within the facility.
• Handling and providing for the needs of special husbandry cases: 
  • Biohazards
  • Sterile environment
• Lifting heavy animals and equipment e.g. bags of food, paper, cleaning fluids, caging. 
• Providing animal treatments under veterinary guidance.
• Putting enrichment devices in or on cages as prescribed.
• Additional daily tasks may include: 
  • laundering of scrubs and gowns 
  • stocking supplies (feed, bedding etc.)
  • taking out garbage
  • cleaning and general cosmetic care of animal rooms
• Reporting any apparent problems with the caging or the rooms within the facility to the Associate Director, Animal Care Services.
• Must be aware of the basic principles of sterility, quarantining, conditioning, and epidemiological control. 
• All work is completed following facility standard operating procedures.
• These skills are applied to the husbandry of common laboratory animals. 

Minimum Requirements:

• Secondary school diploma and at least 1 year of post-secondary education in a related field. 
• The incumbent must have a patient, humane, and caring attitude towards all animals, combined with the strength and knowledge to handle them successfully.
• The incumbent must be aware of the basic principles of sterility, quarantining, conditioning and epidemiological control.
• Commitment to be at work on-time for each shift.
• Strong communications skills are required (speak, read, and write in English).
• Ability to work independently and in a group as a member of the Animal Care Services team.
• Physically capable of performing the duties listed above.
• Knowledge of the Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC), the Canadian Association for Laboratory Science (CALAS), the Animals for Research Act and the University Animal Care Committee is an asset.