Finance and Administration

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

The LABORATORY ANIMAL TECHNICIAN 3 provides routine care (food, water, bedding, housing), maintains specialized equipment and performs technical procedures as required for research on a variety of research animals (e.g., rodents, rabbits, pigs, sheep, cats, dogs, birds, fish).

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

This is the third level of a three-level series. It is distinguished from the lower levels by increased independence and additional responsibility for veterinary assistance, equipment and facility coordination, and colony management. Employees in this classification may oversee or lead the work of other employees and may supervise student workers or volunteers.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Technical procedures. Typical tasks: care for laboratory animal populations under designated environmental conditions (e.g., specific pathogen free (SPF) area for immune deficient breeding colony, isolation area for quarantine animals or animals treated with hazardous agents, gnotobiotic facility); performs procedures and provides requested data as directed for research projects (e.g. records conception dates, monitors gestation); performs inoculations, dissections, draws blood samples from animals (e.g., venipuncture, blood collection in appropriate quantity from appropriate site depending on species); performs diagnostic assays to determine water quality, sanitation effectiveness.
2. Animal Care. Typical tasks: waters, feeds animals (e.g. rodents, rabbits, cats, dogs, fish, birds) following standard operating procedures; transfers animals from soiled caging or housing areas to clean areas; replaces soiled bedding with clean bedding materials, clips toenails and teeth of animals; collects and ships diagnostic samples; applies routine medications as prescribed by veterinarian (e.g. injections, salves and creams); places identification tags or notches on animal ears.
3. Veterinary assistance. Typical tasks: provides patient care and feeding in accordance with verbal or written veterinary instructions, monitors patient condition and effectiveness of medications; assists in animal restraint, anesthesia, surgical preparation and post-operative care; cleans and evaluates condition of medical equipment, including performing minor routine maintenance; maintains medical supply inventories; ensures that medical supplies and drugs are appropriately stocked at all times.
4. Equipment and Facility Coordination. Typical tasks: operates and maintains laboratory animal equipment and facilities; calibrates equipment for optimal performance; recognizes, troubleshoots and repairs malfunctions in equipment and facilities; coordinates equipment repair when in-house repair is not possible; prepares equipment specifications and obtains estimates for purchases; makes suggestions for improvement in facilities, equipment, or procedures to support the technical aspects of animal research; on call to respond to animal or facility emergencies after hours. May adapt, improve, design, and/or fabricate specialized equipment to meet facility needs.
5. Colony Management: Manages rodent breeding colonies for investigators; performs weaning, identification, tissue sampling for subsequent genotyping, establishing and retiring breeding units; communicates status of colony with investigators.
6. Lead work: Employees in this classification may oversee or lead the work of other employees and may supervise student workers or volunteers. This may include supervision and assignment of work to student workers; providing training and demonstrations to research staff, investigators, and/or student workers on animal handling, technical procedures (e.g., injections, humane euthanasia techniques, animal identification, blood collection).
7. Miscellaneous: Assists in any area of the animal facility as workload demands

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

Employees in this class have regular contact with research staff and veterinarians through in-person and written contact to receive instructions on animal care and report on condition of animal(s) and/or equipment and/or facilities. Employees in this class may also have routine contact with research investigators to clarify research project parameters, including equipment use and maintenance or colony management needs, and may also have routine contact with student workers to demonstrate and direct work. Employees in this class may also have routine contact with industry experts, technicians, and vendors to understand technologies and diagnose, repair, replace, or install equipment.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Employees in this class receive general supervision from a facility manager, facility director, or other Laboratory Animal Technician 3 for direction as to research or operations goals and objectives or facility services to be provided. Work is reviewed by informal observation and upon completion for conformance to agency procedures, policies, and timeliness. Work is reviewed weekly and at project milestones and at project completion and is evaluated for overall effectiveness and economical use of resources, timeliness, and for conformance to agency procedures, policies, and guidelines, including

State and Federal laws and regulations governing animal research, animal welfare, and occupational safety.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Positions in this class are primarily found in higher education institutions and facilities working in animal research. They require the willingness to maintain a proper attitude toward the purpose of animal research and the treatment and use of animals in that environment. Some positions require the willingness to perform or assist in animal euthanasia.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate degree in biology, or Certified Vet Tech, or equivalent degree AND four years of experience in the care of laboratory animals in a research setting; OR
• An equivalent combination of training and experience